Dominican Order Priest Accused of Abuse in New York Also Worked in Washington D.C. and Baltimore
A priest of the Dominican Order who has been accused of abusing an eight-year-old boy in New York also spent time in Washington D.C. and Baltimore, according to church documents. For the safety of children, healing of survivors, we call on church officials in both D.C. and Maryland to publicize this information, reach out to parishioners and the public, and encourage survivors who may have been suffering in silence to come forward.
Fr. Carleton Jones, a high-profile priest from the Upper East Side of Manhattan, was accused this week of abusing a then eight-year-old boy who was preparing for his first communion with the priest. According to online church documents, Fr. Jones also spent time at SS. Philip & James in Baltimore, MD and at St. Dominic’s Priory at the Rosary Shrine of St. Jude in Washington, D.C.
Because we know that abusers often have more than one victim, we believe it is the duty of church officials to publicize the information against Fr. Jones and encourage survivors to come forward. We call on Archbishop Wilton Gregory from the Archdiocese of Washington D.C. and Archbishop William Lori from the Archdiocese of Baltimore to use pulpit announcements, parish bulletins, and diocesan websites to reach out to other potential victims and encourage them to come forward, make a report, and start healing.
CONTACT: Becky Ianni, SNAP Board Member and Volunteer Virginia / Washington D.C. Leader ([email protected], 703-801-6044), Zach Hiner, 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)
Winter Appeal 2023
To our friends,
2023 has been a long year with many ups and downs for us all. As we close out the year, we at SNAP hope that you are feeling like you are on your way to being healthy, fulfilled, and happy. This past year has brought both successes and challenges. Thanks to the support you have shown in the past, we’ve been able to celebrate the good days and weather the stormy ones. Now, we are once again asking for your support as we work to support survivors new and old as we ‘Move SNAP Forward.’
At SNAP we are proud to have hosted a very well-attended conference in August 2023. This event allowed us to gather friends, survivors, advocates, and allies for a weekend of camaraderie and connection. We were so happy to be able to welcome many first-time attendees to gather in person and are already looking forward to the next conference.
To strengthen our movement for justice, healing, and prevention, SNAP will be expanding our peer support and providing more volunteer opportunities in the coming year. Through this great work, we are ensuring survivor voices are represented as we work for significant change that will benefit children and survivors.
Right now, survivors worldwide are getting the help they need from SNAP, and more and more reach out to us daily, but we need your help to keep those programs going and get our volunteers the training they need to thrive.
Your tax-deductible gift to SNAP can help offset the cost of our important mission. If you are not in a position to contribute, you can still support us by sharing this letter with those who can. As we continue to fight for survivors across the globe, your donation or sharing the great work SNAP does will help us continue our work to protect the vulnerable, heal the wounded, and prevent abuse.
Your donation ensures SNAP will be there for those who need us more than ever!
Warmly,
Michael W. McDonnell, C.P.S.
Interim Executive Director
Showing 2 comments
On October 13, 2018, I informed you that an allegation had been made against Fr. Carleton Jones,
O.P., who had served at St. Vincent Ferrer Parish from 2002 until 2010 and at St. Catherine of Siena
Parish from 1988-1990. The allegation was that he sexually abused a minor while serving as a
Dominican priest in New York City in 1989. Fr. Jones unequivocally denied the allegation.
In accord with our policies, Fr. Jones was immediately placed on administrative leave. The
Province reported the allegation to the appropriate law enforcement agencies in New York City,
who decided not to open an investigation. Therefore, the Province conducted an investigation in
accord with canon law retaining the services of an independent private investigator, a retired
agent of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
All the information provided by the complainant and uncovered by the investigator was presented
to the lay Provincial Review Board, which concluded that there was not a semblance of truth in the
allegation and recommended that Fr. Jones be publicly restored to ministry. I am in agreement
with their recommendation. Therefore, I have closed the investigation, ended the administrative
leave placed on Fr. Jones, and will be seeking faculties from a bishop for Fr. Jones to return to
ministry. I am currently in discussion with Fr. Jones about his next assignment and the best place
for him to continue to serve the People of God.
The Dominican Province of St. Joseph takes very seriously our responsibility to protect all persons
to whom we minister, especially children and young people. No friar found to have a credible
allegation of child sexual abuse lodged against him is ever allowed to serve in ministry under any
circumstances. I encourage anyone aware of such criminal activity to report it to law enforcement,
and anyone who is in need of assistance may contact our Victim Assistance Coordinator (Ms.
Theresa Rodrigues, LCSW-R; 518-573-8254; [email protected]).
Please be assured of my prayers and the prayers of all the Dominican Friars for your parish. I urge
you to pray for Fr. Jones as he prepares to return to active ministry.
Sincerely in Christ,
Very Rev. Kenneth R. Letoile, O.P.
Prior Provincial
June 29, 2019
You can find this letter attached to the bulletin of St. Vincent Ferrer’s NYC, Jun 30, 2019
http://www.svsc.info/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/6.30.19-SVSC.pdf