Accused predator priest reportedly now in Buffalo area

According to church records, he heads a small seminary

But six years ago, he faced at least three civil child sex lawsuits

Cleric has apparently never been “outed” in this area before

Group deplores local Catholic hierarchy’s “continuing secrecy”

Self help organization repeats plea: “Identify all child molesting clerics”

Two dozen bishops have done this, but none in New York state, SNAP says

What: Holding signs & childhood photos at a sidewalk news conference, clergy sex abuse victims will

-- disclose that a Catholic priest, accused of molesting three boys, is (or was recently) living and working in the Buffalo area,
-- blast church officials – in PA and in NY - for letting him do so, and for their continued secrecy surrounding his whereabouts and status.

They will also urge the Buffalo church hierarchy to
-- use its vast resources to warn area families about him,
-- urge his direct supervisors to suspend him while the allegations against him are investigated, and
-- prod anyone who may have seen, suspected or suffered his crimes to call police.

The victims will also publicly criticize Buffalo’s bishop for refusing to disclose the names of all predator priests in his diocese.

When: Friday, June 25, 1:30 p.m.

Where: Outside the Buffalo Catholic Diocese headquarters, 795 Main Street (near Burton St.) in Buffalo

Who: Three or four clergy sex abuse victims who belong to a Chicago-based support group called SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAPnetwork.org) including the organization’s founder

Why: SNAP has just learned that a priest who is accused of sexually abusing boys is reportedly working in the Buffalo area. He is Fr. Gabriel M. Patil, who (according to the 2009 Official Catholic Directory) is living at St. Anthony Zaccaria Seminary in Lewiston/Youngstown NY. Patil is listed as "Provincial" of the seminary five years after being sued for allegedly molesting at least three kids in Pennsylvania.

According to the lawsuits, Patel allegedly molested the boys, one age six and a second age seven – for two years beginning in 1978. According to a news account, when “contacted by phone” about the litigation, “Patil said he had been notified of the suit but had no comment.” At the time of the abuse, Patil worked at a Catholic school in the Allentown diocese.

According to news accounts, Patil’s accusers were represented by two attorneys - Jay Abramowitch of Wyomissing, PA and Richard Serbin of Altoona PA. The outcome of the lawsuits is not known.

A photo of Patil is available at BishopAccountability.org. He has also apparently, according to news accounts, worked in Ontario Canada. He was ordained in 1972.

Here’s a link to the website of Patil’s small religious order: http://www.catholic-church.org/barnabites/home.htm

Last September, SNAP members held a similar news conference outside the headquarters of the Buffalo Catholic diocese. They urged Buffalo’s bishop to publicly disclose the names, whereabouts and clerical status of every proven, admitted and credibly accused child molesting clerics who are or have been in the area. Thus far, the organization has heard nothing back from Buffalo Bishop Edward Kmiec. So today, they will repeat their request. (Over the past eight years, roughly 24 US bishops have released such lists of predatory priests. Here is a list of them:

http://www.bishop-accountability.org/AtAGlance/lists.htm .

According to a six year old church report, the Buffalo diocese conceded that 53 of its priests have been accused. But only 14 of them are known to the public (see BishopAccountability.org)

http://www.bishop-accountability.org/news3/2004_05_12_Parrish_DioceseFacing_Gabriel_Patil_etc_2.htm

Contact: Barbara Blaine 312 399 4747, David Clohessy 314 566 9790, Mark Lyman 518 852 7295