Catholic official misled police, SNAP says

Catholic official misled police, SNAP says

Clergy sex abuse victims want him fired by archbishop

WHAT

Holding signs and childhood photos at a sidewalk news conference, clergy sex abuse victims will

--announce that they’re posting on line 300+ pages of new court records in a criminal pedophile priest case,

--urge Louisville citizens and Catholics to read them, and

--urge Louisville’s archbishop to fire his second-in-command.

WHEN

TODAY, Thursday, September 8, 1:30 p.m.

WHERE
Outside St. Therese Catholic Church, 1107 E. Kentucky St. in Louisville KY

WHO

Three or four clergy sex abuse victims who belong to a support group called SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAPnetwork.org)

WHY

SNAP has posted on its website 300+ pages of documents from a court hearing two weeks ago involving Fr. James Shook who faces pending criminal child sex abuse charges. The group says that the records show that the Louisville Catholic archdiocesan chancellor, Dr. Brian Reynolds, mislead police who were investigating Shook.

According to the documents, in Sept. 2009, Reynolds told a police detective that the St. Therese rectory (where Shook was sent to live after being suspended because of abuse allegations) was vacant and 'non-active' church property. But one woman, Margie Weiter, was working there, people held meetings there, and another priest had an office there. The parish still has masses, a parish bingo, fish fries and an active parish council. 

Reynolds also told the detective that Schook hadn't been officially diagnosed with a sexual addiction. But then-Archbishop Thomas Kelly had written "(Fr.) Jim has been diagnosed and treated as a 'sexual addict'” and “has agreed to attend Sex and Love Addicts Anonymous."

Reynolds also told a SNAP member that Schook would not live on church property (but St. Therese IS church property). That SNAP member later filed an affidavit recalling his conversations.

The documents also show that Schook had been sent to a residential church treatment center, was accused of paying money for sex, had had anonymous sexual encounters with adults, faces at least six accusers (who say he molested them as youngsters) and still receives a salary, medical expenses, housing allowance and retreat funds from the archdiocese.

The case, Commonwealth of KY vs James R. Schook (#11CR2004), is in Jefferson Circuit Court, Division (3) under Judge Mitch Perry. In July 2009, Archbishop Joseph Kurtz temporarily suspended Schook from ministry -- when he was pastor of St. Ignatius Martyr Church on Rangeland Road. Shook was permanently removed last year but remains a priest.

The documents can be found at ky-protectthechildren.net

More documents about how key archdiocesan personnel handled/handle the child sex abuse and cover up crisis can be found at: www.BishopAccountability.org  (see Files of Bishops – Louisville)

CONTACT:

Cal Pfeiffer, SNAP (Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests), 502-396-7178, www.snapnetwork.org,  www.ky-protectthechildren.net/