New fraud lawsuit has deaf victims demanding Dolan rename new HQ

Cousins, along with Weakland, Sklba orchestrated “worst cover-up” in archdiocese history

After raping dozens of deaf children, Fr. Lawrence Murphy was set loose on children in Northern Wisconsin

Victim in new lawsuit assaulted after priest was removed from St. John’s School for the Deaf in Milwaukee

Murphy caught raping youngster at residential facility in Alma, but continued to be assigned to parish work

When Cousins Center gets sold, group says, maybe its time to honor a churchman who didn’t cover up for child rapists

 WHAT

At a sidewalk news conference in front of the Archbishop Cousins Center, victims of sexual abuse by clergy will discuss a just filed new fraud lawsuit concerning the archdiocese most notorious priest pedophile, Fr. Lawrence Murphy. 

A DVD with footage of a 1997 confrontation between deaf victims from St. John and Murphy at Murphy’s cabin in northern Wisconsin. 

Murphy, who died in 1998, was known by former Archbishop William Cousins, to have sexually assaulted dozens of deaf youngsters at the former St. John’s School for the deaf.  Murphy was reassigned to parishes in northern Wisconsin, where the plaintiff in Thursday’s lawsuit, Donald Marshall, was molested, when Murphy was a chaplain at a residential facility for youth in Alma, Wisconsin.

WHERE

Outside the front door of the Archbishop Cousins Center, 3501 S. Lake Drive, St. Francis.  After making remarks, survivor will attempt to deliver a letter to Archbishop Timothy Dolan.

WHEN

Thursday, July 24, 10:00 a.m.

WHO

Victims of clergy sexual abuse with signs and photos led by Arthur Budzinski, a survivor of Fr. Lawrence Murphy.  Deaf from birth, Budzinksi, was a student at St. Johns’ School for the Deaf when he was molested by Murphy. 

WHAT

In 1973, a deaf child from St. John’s School for the Deaf, a boarding school for deaf children run by the Archdiocese of Milwaukee, reported to the police that he was being sexually assaulted by Fr. Lawrence Murphy, the school’s director.  The report went to the archdiocese instead of Murphy being prosecuted.  Murphy told then Archbishop William Cousins that the victim was “retarded.”  The next year, some two dozen affidavits were submitted to Cousins by victims and family members of the school, testifying that Murphy had sexually molested them.  More police reports were also filed. 

Instead of removing Murphy from the school, Cousins told a meeting of student victims and school officials that Murphy, a major fundraiser for the archdiocese, was “too valuable” to dismiss from his post.  Approximately a year later, however, Cousins did reassign Murphy to St. Anne’s parish in Boulder Junction, a church in the Superior diocese.  Superior diocese officials were reportedly told that Murphy was to be placed under “restrictions” but no restrictions were applied.

Still under the legal and cannon law supervision of the Milwaukee archbishop, Murphy then went on to assault Donald Marshall, a 14 year old resident of Lincoln Hills School, a residential school for youngsters.

Murphy, who died in 1998, confessed to assaulting at least 30 students while at St. John’s school, although victim estimates place the actual number at well over 100.

Murphy continued to work in parishes and ministries throughout northern Wisconsin, while under the direction of Archbishop Rembert Weakland, Cousin’s successor.  In 1996, Murphy was appointed to be pastor of St. Anne’s. 

CONTACT

Peter Isely, SNAP Midwest Director, 414.429.7259
John Pilmaier, SNAP Milwaukee, 414.336.8575
Mike Sneesby, SNAP Milwaukee, 414.915.4374
Attorney Jeff Anderson of St. Paul, 651.227.9990, 612.817.8665 (cell)
Attorney Michael Finnegan of St. Paul, 651,227.9990, 612.205.5531 (cell)