He impregnated her & essentially now ignores his son

That boy, now 22, has brain cancer and is in grave health

The cleric has exploited others, including a girl, allegedly

Yet he works now in a Wisconsin parish with a parochial school

The priest, never publicly accused before, is in today's NY Times

“To protect kids & parishioners, oust this man immediately,” SNAP urges

Group prods Catholic officials to “aggressively reach out to anyone he's hurt”

The case is new St. Louis archbishop's "first real test," self help group says

WHAT
At a sidewalk news conference, clergy sex abuse victims will discuss a new page New York Times article about sexual allegations against a former St. Louis area priest who hasn’t ever faced a public accusation before. They will publicly prod church officials - here and in Wisconsin - to

• suspend the accused cleric immediately, and
• help the mom and son who are severely hurting right now, and

They'll also urge anyone who saw, suspected or suffered the priest's misdeeds or crimes to come forward, call police, and get help.

(The cleric works for a St. Louis-based religious order called the Fransiscans.)

WHEN
TODAY, Friday, Oct. 16, 11:00 a.m.

WHERE
Outside the Archbishop's home, southwest corner of Lindell & Taylor in St. Louis' CWE (NOT OUTSIDE CHANCERY OFFICE)

WHO
Several clergy sex abuse victims who are also members of a support group called SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAPnetwork.org)

VISUALS
The group will hold signs, childhood photos, and a picture of the alleged predator.

WHY
Today's New York Times reports that a former St. Louis priest, now in active parish m inistry in Wisconsin, sexually exploited a Catholic parishioner, impreganted her twice, essentially ignored the child he fathered, and is accused of sexually abusing another unnamed girl. The mom (Pat Bond) and boy (Nathan Halbach), now 22, now live in O'Fallon MO. Both the mom and boy have cancer. He has had four re-occurrances is gravely ill. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/16/us/16priest.html?_r=1&pagewanted=all

Fr. Henry V. Willenborg is the head priest at a large parish in Ashland, Wisconsin (Our Lady of the Lake, 715-682-7620, http://www.ourladycc.org/About/staff.htm, www.ourladycc.org) with a parochial elementary school next door (715-682-7622).

For years, Willenborg worked at the south St. Louis Franciscan regional headquarters at 3140 Meramec St. (314-353-3421, http://www.thefriars.org/provoff.html). In that capacity, SNAP firmly believes he said masses and performed other duties at the Franciscan parish next door, St. Anthony of Padua, 3140 Meramec St.(314-353-7470, http://www.stanthonyofpaduastl.com/contact_us.php).

SNAP worries that Willenborg may have exploited/abused innocent girls and/or vulnerable adults here too.

Neither the priest nor his supervisors deny paternity. Still, Bond has had to repeatedly fight the Fransiscans for child support and took them to court to force them to help pay for Nate's college.

The local head of the Fransiscans is Fr. John Doctor (314-353-3421, DocOFM69@aol.com, Provincial@TheFriars.org, ProvincialOffice@TheFriars.org). His predecessor, Fr. Michael Perry, and a St. Louis lawyer who represents the Fransiscans are intimately familiar with the case. Perry has recently moved to Rome. The attorney is Catherine A. Schroeder (314-552-6000).

Willenborg is now in the Diocese of Superior (715-394-0205, 715-392-2937). Willenborg's e mail is henrywill4@aol.com. He also worked in New Orleans and Chicago.

To learn more about Nate and his condition: nateyfight.blogspot.com

(According to the weekly archdiocesan newspaper, Carlson meets at 10 a.m. today “with archdiocesan priests at the Archbishop’s Residence, Central West End.”)

CONTACT
Barbara Dorris 862 7688 home, 503 0003 cell,
David Clohessy 566-9790 cell, 645-5915 home