Abusive Missouri priest working in Africa

This is a letter SNAP is sending to religious officials in Missouri, Texas, Tanzania, and Kenya about credibly accused priest still on the job today. (A partial list of recipients is below.)

3/21/2021

To whom it may concern:

Fr. “Deo” Mulokozi was at and/or affiliated with your institution. (If this is news to you, just Google his name.) He’s a credibly accused child molester and is apparently working in a parish now.

We beg you: For the safety of children, please take action now.

Because of this affiliation, he

--had or has access to people under your care,

--may be sexually assaulting someone under your care,

--may sexually assault someone under your care,

--may have sexually assaulted someone under your care,

That, in turn, means you and your collegues should

--try to find his out,

--publicize any and all abuse reports or allegations against him,

--share what you know, learn or suspect with law enforcement

--provide that information to a trusted archive, BishopAccountability.org,

--use your resources right now to publicly and privately reach out to those victims AND warn others who may be around Fr. Deo now.

You have one or more easy (or even free) ways to do this: websites, blogs, newsletters, Twitter accounts, mailing lists, even bulletin boards.

This isn’t rocket science. It’s common sense and common decency. And it’s your moral and religious duty to protect the most vulnerable from someone who was or is affiliated with you and knows some of those who are or were in your care.

Why do we say he’s “a credibly accused child molester?

Church records and credible media accounts and show that Fr. Deo was:

-- named publicly as ‘credibly accused' of child sexual abuse on the Jefferson City diocese website in 2018,

--called, on the same website “unsuitable for ministry” and removed “out of concern for the safety of our youth,“

--found guilty of ‘boundary violations’ by a church panel,

--expelled from the Jeff City diocese, and

--sent to a ‘treatment center’ in Houston.

In addition,

--detectives in Missouri asked that he be charged with assault and 

--his US superiors – in the Jeff City diocese and in a Missouri-based religious order called the Missionaries of the Precious Blood – have refused to put him back to work in the US (even though there’s a severe shortage of priests).

And here’s the most disturbing part: Internet research shows that Fr. Deo is pastor of a parish in Africa right now.

So again, kids are at risk right now. Your actions can safeguard them.

Please keep in mind the parable of the lost shepherd, in which we're told that a responsible leader leaves the 99 behind and goes out into the cold and dark and rain to find and rescue the one lost sheep.

And keep in mind that the Bible tells us “The truth shall set you free.” Not half the truth. Not 20%. Not even 90%. The truth. You have a moral and civic duty to find and share that truth.

You may be able to ameliorate the suffering of those Fr. Deo may have already hurt or betrayed. You may be able to stop Fr. Deo from hurting others in the future. But only if you summon the courage to act.4

 

We look forward to your reply.

David Clohessy 314 566 9790, [email protected]

Judy Block Jones 314 974 5003, [email protected]

 

https://www.bishop-accountability.org/news2018/11_12/2018_12_28_MartinezKeel_FormerSedalia.htm

https://www.sedaliademocrat.com/opinion/in-troubling-abuse-case-catholics-must-act/article_3a399cf4-1609-11e9-b6db-c32eb6ff170b.html0

Recipients:

Kansas City Bishop James Johnston (816 756 1850)

Jefferson City Bishop Shawn McKnight (573 635 9127)

Houston Cardinal Daniel DiNardo (713 652 8213)

Bukoba (Tanzania) Bishop: Desiderius Rwoma ([email protected], +255 222 928 341)

Fr. Garry Richmeier, Provincial Director, head of the  Missionaries of the Precious Blood (C.P.P.S.) in Liberty MO (816 781 4343). He also worked in Sedalia.

The heads of several schools Fr. Deo attended or taught at including:

--Rubyi seminary in Tanzania (https://schooldirect.org/contact/)

--The University of Dodoma in Tanzania ([email protected], +255 26 2310000)

--the Salvatorian Institute (aka Jordan University College) in Morogoro, Tanzania, part of St. Augustine University. ([email protected], +255 654 401 552, +255 787 572 252)

CONTACT: David Clohessy, SNAP ([email protected], 314-566-9790), Judy Block Jones, SNAP Leader ([email protected], 314-974-5003), Zach Hiner, SNAP Executive Director ([email protected], 517-974-9009)

(SNAP, the Survivors Network, has been providing support for victims of sexual abuse in institutional settings for 30 years. We have more than 25,000 survivors and supporters in our network. Our website is SNAPnetwork.org)