Priest Who Admitted Abuse on Video Also Spent Time in St. Louis and Kansas
In a newly published investigation, a priest who was in the St. Louis archdiocese admitted on video molesting several young boys and a developmentally disabled young man.
For a year, from June 1983 to June of 1984, Fr. Roger A. Sinclair was on sick leave from the Greensburg PA diocese and was sent by for therapy at the now-closed House of Affirmation in Webster Groves Missouri, according to the Associated Press and a report by a grand jury report issued by the Pennsylvania attorney general.
In a letter dated May 23, 1984 to then-St. Louis Archbishop John May, then-Greensburg Bishop William Connare said Fr. Sinclair had been in Webster Groves "for emotional problems" and that the priest would leave the program soon. Connare assured May that Sinclair had his permission to work in such a setting if it were agreeable to May.
Later, Fr. Sinclair worked as an Air Force chaplain and in Kansas at the Topeka State Hospital where he "managed to gain access to a locked unit deceitfully" and tried to check out teenage boys from the hospital to go see a movie at least twice. However, the hospital refused to allow Fr. Sinclair to escort the minors out of the building. He was subsequently dismissed from the hospital.
Fr. Sinclair is now behind bars in Oregon.
This news reinforces what we in SNAP have long charged: that St. Louis Catholic officials have – and continue to – put kids in harm’s way by knowingly, secretively and deceitfully importing proven, admitted and credibly accused child molesting clerics from across the US.
We hope anyone who may have seen, suspected or suffered crimes by Fr. Sinclair, or any other priest, nun, or other church staffer who have been quietly sent to St. Louis, will seek help immediately from independent sources like police, prosecutors, therapists or support groups like SNAP.
CONTACT: David Clohessy, SNAP Missouri ([email protected], 314-566-9790), 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