MN- Archbishop: Are you helping other predator priests get new jobs?

For immediate release: Tuesday, June 10, 2014

Statement by Frank Meuers of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (952-334-5180, [email protected])

Recently released Catholic records show that Twin Cites archdiocese officials helped a predator priest become a therapist and have continued access to kids. In light of this, Archbishop John Nienstedt should disclose which other perpetrator priests;

-- he may be helping get another job around children and/or

-- his predecessor helped get second careers around innocent kids & vulnerable adults.

And officials from the University of St. Thomas - where the predator also worked - should write to thousands of alums, aggressively seeking other possible victims of this predator and urging them to call law enforcement.

http://www.startribune.com/local/east/262248951.html?page=all&prepage=2&c=y#continue

Fr. Timothy McCarthy was a popular St. Paul area priest who, according to church memos, abused two boys early in his career. A psychologist told church officials Fr. McCarthy’s behavior was borderline criminal. And yet apparently, no church officials called police. Instead they helped him gain credentials to counsel teenagers and young adults at the University of St. Thomas.

Finally, adding insult to injury, Fr. McCarthy is still a priest today. According to Bishop Andrew Cozzens (who's still on the job today) McCarthy "has denied abuse allegations — a factor in Archbishop John Nienstedt’s decision not to push for his involuntary removal from the priesthood." 

 Think about that for a minute. 

So no matter how many kids a priest has assaulted, if he denies his crimes, St. Paul's archbishop will keep him on the payroll and not defrock him? Incredible.

Nienstedt should disclose which other predator priests he is helping get second careers around innocent kids and vulnerable adults and which other predator priests his predecessors helped get second careers around innocent kids and vulnerable adults. And University of St. Thomas trustees and administrators should find some courage and use their resources to seek out those who were hurt on their campus by Fr. McCarthy.

(SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, is the world’s oldest and largest support group for clergy abuse victims. We’ve been around for 25 years and have more than 18,000 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]), Frank Meuers of Plymouth (952-334-5180,[email protected])