WA- Predator priest is now at Catholic college

Predator priest is now at Catholic college

For at least seven years, he worked in Seattle

Cleric is accused of molesting two Alaskan boys

Church officials claim he has 24-hour supervision

But he now works in “campus ministry” at Gonzaga

Group wants Seattle & Spokane prelates to “warn their flocks”

And they want Jesuit officials to “oust priest & explain their recklessness”

WHAT

Holding signs and childhood photos at a sidewalk news conference, clergy sex abuse victims and their supporters will urge Catholic bishops in Seattle and Spokane to

--warn their flocks about a twice-accused and once-suspended predator priest who now works at a college,

–publicly denounce the Jesuits who put him there, and

– permanently post on their websites the names, photos and whereabouts of child molesting lcerics who have worked in their dioceses.

The group will also prod Jesuit officials to

– suspend this predator, for the safety of college students and staff,

– explain and apologize for their “reckless and callous” decision to put him back to work, and

– also post predators' names, photos and whereabouts on their websites.

WHEN

Monday, June 16 at 1:00 pm

WHERE

On the sidewalk outside the Seattle Catholic archdiocesan headquarters (“chancery”) 710 9th Ave. (corner of Cherry St.) in downtown Seattle

WHO

Three-four members of a support group called SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAPnetwork.org)

WHY

A once-suspended Catholic priest - who worked in Seattle for seven years and is allegedly under 24-hour supervision - now works with Gonzaga University students despite at least two allegations that he molested kids.

The Gonzaga University website shows that Fr. Bradley "Brad" R. Reynolds is the assistant director of campus ministry. And Catholic church records show that Fr. Reynolds was put on leave by his Catholic supervisors in August 2008 when he was sued by two men who say he repeatedly molested them in Alaska.

Fr. Reynolds worked in Seattle from 1983-1990 at Seattle University. Both Gonzaga and Seattle University are Jesuit institutions. But Jesuit priests can only work in a diocese with the permission of the local bishop, SNAP says. So the group is begging Seattle Archbishop Peter Sartain and Spokane Bishop Blase Cupich to warn the public and their parishioners about Fr. Reynolds, insist that Jesuits suspend him and “aggressively reach out” to others he may have hurt.

In January 2009, Jesuit officials sent Fr. Reynolds to a Portland Jesuit community to allegedly live under 24-hour supervision. http://www.bishop-accountability.org/news2009/01_02/2009_01_22_Smetzer_FairbanksJudge.htm

However, SNAP has recently learned that Fr. Reynolds has quietly been put back on the job.       http://www.gonzaga.edu/About/Mission/Jesuit-Community/Meet-the-Jesuits.asp  and http://www.gonzaga.edu/About/Mission/University-Ministry/contact-us.asp

“Catholic officials let Fr. Reynolds work in two countries and several states in jobs where he had direct access to kids and today, he still does," said David Clohessy of St. Louis, SNAP’s director. “Now, they have a moral duty to keep him away from youngsters and a civic duty to help police see if he can be prosecuted.”

“The odds are that there’s at least one person in Washington who was assaulted by Fr. Reynolds,” said Barbara Dorris of St. Louis, SNAP’s outreach director. “That person may well be struggling today with suicidal thoughts, addictions, shame, isolation, depression or self-blame. He or she needs to be found and helped and reassured that the abuse wasn’t their fault and that healing is possible.”

Fr. Reynolds' alleged victims were represented by attorney Jim Valcarce of Bethel, Alaska.

According to an Alaska newspaper, Fr. Reynolds is “a well-known photographer and author of the Father Townsend mystery book series.”

Fr. Reynolds also worked as a priest in Colombia, South America and in Oregon and Virginia. His complete assignment history can be found here: http://www.bishopaccountability.org/assign/Reynolds_Bradley_R_sj.htm

CONTACT

Barbara Dorris (314-503-0003 cell, [email protected] ), David Clohessy (314-566-790 cell, [email protected]), Robert Fontana (509-731-6012 cell, [email protected])