AZ--Ex-priest who worked in NM is arrested for murder; Victims respond

For immediate release: Wednesday, Feb. 10, 2016

Statement by Barbara Dorris of St. Louis, Outreach Director of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (314 503 0003,[email protected])

An ex-priest who worked in New Mexico and lives in Arizona has been arrested for murdering a Texas girl. We are deeply grateful that John Feit has finally been charged. Now, Catholic officials in all three states have a moral and civic duty to prod other witnesses to step forward.

http://www.themonitor.com/news/local/authorities-arrest-priest-in-connection-with-irene-garza-case/article_4cf55c84-cf8a-11e5-8bb3-e3f2d1496ff9.html 

In the 1960s, Feit worked at the Jemez Springs-based Servants of the Paraclete, a Catholic facility where predator priests were housed and purportedly “treated.” That was “after his criminal problems in South Texas prompted his bosses to remove him from parish work” and he “had been convicted in a young woman's sexual assault,” according to the Dallas Morning News.

http://www.bishop-accountability.org/news3/2002_07_13_Dunklin_ConvictedPriest_John_Feit_2.htm

We fear he may have hurt young women in New Mexico too.

We hope that this news brings some hope to Irene Garza's brave and devoted family. We applaud them for their persistence and patience. And we hope that anyone who may have seen, suspected or suffered clergy crimes or misdeeds by Feit – or cover ups by his church supervisors will call police, expose wrongdoers, protect others and start healing.

We also hope that Santa Fe Archbishop John Wester, Phoenix Bishop Thomas Olmsted and Brownsville Bishop Daniel Flores will use personal appeals, parish bulletins, church websites and pulpit announcements to beg others with information or suspicions about Feit to call law enforcement immediately. Now is no time for Catholic officials to act powerless or for citizens to be complacent. Every shred of evidence – no matter how small, old or seemingly insignificant – should be withheld from police and prosecutors.

Three months ago, we wrote to Hildalgo County prosecutor Ricardo Rodriguez about this case. We are certain, however, that the diligence of the Garza family that made the difference here. Again, we are grateful to them for the courage and compassion they have shown throughout this ordeal.

http://www.snapnetwork.org/tx_victims_prod_da_to_charge_priest_in_unsolved_murder

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2571269/Irene-Garza-murder-The-81-year-old-grandfather-priest-exiled-accused-murder-beauty-queen-53-years-ago-victims-family-claim-did-it.html

SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, is the world’s oldest and largest support group for clergy abuse victims. SNAP was founded in 1988 and has more than 20,000 members. Despite the word “priest” in our title, we have members who were molested by religious figures of all denominations, including nuns, rabbis, bishops, and Protestant ministers. Our website is SNAPnetwork.org)

Contact - David Clohessy (314-566-9790 cell, [email protected]), Barbara Dorris (314-503-0003 cell, [email protected]), Barbara Blaine (312-399-4747[email protected])


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