For immediate release:
Sept. 13, 2005

For more information:
Judy Jones, SNAP Leader, Steubenville area 636-433-2511
Christy Miller, SNAP Leader, Cincinnati 513-383-2198
Claudia Vercellotti, SNAP Coordinator, Toledo 419-810-5375
Susan, SNAP Leader, Cleveland 216-210-1243
David Clohessy, SNAP National Director 314-566-9790

Sex Abuse Victims Write Six Catholic Bishops About Convicted Molester

Now Released From Prison, He Continues To Defy Church Leaders

Group Wants Top Leaders To Warn Parents & Reach Out To Other Victims

A support group for clergy sex molestation victims is writing Catholic bishops in six states, urging them to "aggressively warn parents and reach out to victims" of a abusive priest who was recently released from prison.

Leaders of a self-help group called SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, are worried about Anthony Jablonowski. Convicted of molesting a boy in Wyoming in April 2004, Jablonowski moved back to the Steubenville area this July. He is a registered sex offender and lives in Waterford, OH at The Carmelite Missionaries of Mary Immaculate (CMMI).

"This guy is dangerous, and we fear for kids at risk near him and for others he hurt who are still suffering in shame and self-blame," said Judy Jones of St. Louis. She is a former Steubenville dioceses resident and is coordinating efforts there for SNAP.
Jablonowski is defying an order by Steubenville Bishop Daniel Conlon that he is not to live at CMMI or present himself as a priest.

From 1970 to 2004, Jablonowski also worked in the dioceses of Covington KY, Atlanta GA, Charlotte NC, Salt Lake City UT, Tucson AZ., Cheyenne WY.
SNAP is writing to bishops in each of those cities, asking them to put notices on diocesan web sites, in diocesan newspapers, in parish bulletins, urging anyone who experienced, witnessed, or suspected sex crimes by Jablonowski to come forward and contact police and prosecutors.

"There could be victims in every one of these states," Jones stressed. "There may also be witnesses who, if they came forward, might be able to get Jablonowski prosecuted again, which would make kids safer."

SNAP leaders also want the bishops to personally visit parishes where he worked, and emphatically stress to parishioners that they have "both a civic and a Christian duty" to help find others "still suffering in secrecy, shame and self blame" and to help "get Jablonowski behind bars again so that he can't hurt anyone else."

Enclosed are copies of SNAP's letters to the bishops, sent today via fax and e mail:

Bishop Gerald F. Kicanas
Archdiocese of Tucson

Dear Bishop Kicanas,

We are leaders of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP), a support group.

We are writing you because we are very concerned about the return of Father Anthony Jablonowski, a convicted sex offender, who was serving a 15 month to seven year jail sentence for sexual abuse of a minor in Wyoming. Jablonowski's received an early parole and was released on July 22,2005. His release was unannounced and unknown until he established residency at the Camelite Missionaries of Mary Immaculate (CMMI) in Waterford, Ohio, according to the Sheriff of Washington County, OH. (This Missionary was established by Jablonowski himself) Our concern is that he is out of custory, still a priest, shows virtually no remorse for his crimes, and could well be molesting kids again right now.

Bishop Daniel Conlon of the Steubenville Diocese has said, in a press release, that Jablonowski is to have no association with the Carmelite Missionaries of Mary Immaculate, nor is he to reside on their property (in Waterford) and he may not present himself as a priest or wear clerical attire or carry out any kind of church ministry including the celebration of the sacraments for other people. But, the facts remain that this man is living at CMMI and is still a priest.

Because of the nature of Jablonowski's crimes (he is known for using his priestly powers to practice bizarre penitential rituals that involved blindfolding men, hanging them upside-down and whipping them while cords were tied around their genitals), he is considered a very dangerous man who has manipulative control with vulnerable adults and innocent children.

A case in point is that Jablonowski's last court order strictly orders him not to have any direct or indirect contact with minors. Dawn Harris, of Pensacola, Fla., was married to Jablonowski's adopted son, Michael Harris. Michael and Dawn have three children who are teenagers. Dawn claims that Michael is still a staunch supporter of Jablonowski. Because of this unguarded affiliation with Jablonowski she fears for her children, especially her two teenage sons. Her fears are not unfounded since Jablonowski is suspected of already contacting them, in an apparent violation of the conditions of his release.

Because we have received no reply from either Bishop Conlon or Bishop David Ricken of Wyoming to letters requesting disclosure about Jablonowski's release and public presence, we are writing to all the bishops in whose dioceses Jablonowski has worked since his ordanation in 1970. We at SNAP believe that there are more victims of Jablonowski in dioceses beyond Steubenville and Cheyenne, and these victims may be in danger of contact from Jablonowski and revictimization.

As bishop, you have the chance to lead your fellow bishops by putting the safety of children and vulnerable adults first and foremost in your diocese. We urge you to aggressively reach out to victims who are suffering in silence. We ask you to please announce to all of your parishioners, both verbally and in writing, what Anthony Jablonowski has done. We ask that you put notices in diocesan newspapers, parish bulletins, and on your diocesan website urging anyone who experienced, witnessed, or suspected sex crimes by Jablonowski to come forward and contact police and prosecutors.

We also want you to personally visit parishes where he worked, and emphatically stress to parishioners that they have a civic and Christian duty to help find others who are still suffering in secrecy, shame and self blame.

We need your help, Bishop, to warn vulnerable families about Jablonowski and get this predator behind bars again so that he can not hurt anyone else.

We look forward to hearing from you soon.

Judy Jones, SNAP Leader, Steubenville area 636-433-2511
Christy Miller, SNAP Leader, Cincinnati 513-383-2198
Claudia Vercellotti, SNAP Coordinator, Toledo 419-810-5375
Susan, SNAP Leader, Cleveland 216-210-1243
David Clohessy, SNAP National Director 314-566-9790 ([email protected])