Priest accused of sexually abusing girl is head of Fernley women's shelter

Thomas Cronin, a suspended Catholic priest accused of sexually abusing a 17-year-old girl in Missouri in 1979, is also the president of a Fernley-based women’s shelter called Rachel’s Sanctuary.

Three members of a victims advocacy group called the Survivors Network of Those Abused By Priests gathered in front of the offices of the Catholic Diocese of Reno on Tuesday to call attention to Cronin’s involvement with the organization.

“We want to bring things to light and make the community more aware,” said Tim Lennon, a member of SNAP, adding the diocese in Reno should do more to make people aware of Cronin’s affiliation. “We think there could be more, there has to be more and we’re demanding more.”

Cronin was placed on suspension by the Catholic Diocese of Kansas City in October 2010 when a civil lawsuit was filed in Kansas City, Mo., accusing him of molesting and sexually assaulting the teenager at the Sacred Heart Parish in Hamilton, Mo., more than 30 years ago.

Cronin has denied the allegations, which are still pending in the Missouri court system.

Cronin came to Nevada in 1998 and was the pastor at St. Robert Bellarmine in Fernley from 2000 to 2004. When he was placed on suspension, Cronin was the pastor at St. Mary’s in the Mountains in Virginia City, whe...

 

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