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Letter to Archbishop Burke 9.20.05: |
Dear Archbishop Burke:Attached is a letter we hand delivered today to the Provincial for the Marianists in the Midwest.
Time and time again, we’ve asked you to stop “importing” abusive clerics from other dioceses and allowing them to live with little or no real supervision at church-affiliated centers in Jefferson and Franklin counties.
Your public relations staff have by and large claimed these centers are safe and that no children are at risk.
You cannot, of course, make that claim about abusive clerics from other dioceses who are allowed to teach at church-affiliated schools in the St. Louis area. And that’s the situation with the Marianists and Vianney, Chaminade and St. Mary’s.
We desperately worry about the safety of children at these schools.
Five Marianists in the last four years stand publicly accused of molesting boys. One of them, Brother John Woulfe, was criminally convicted of molestation in 2002. Another one, Fr. Daniel Triulzi, was in active parish ministry until he was sued just a few weeks ago. Another one, Brother Tony Pistone, was sent to work at Chaminade after an abuse claim against him in Texas was settled by church officials there.
The head Marianist, Brother Stephen Glodek, admits hearing “bizarre” allegations against Brother William Mueller two years ago, but claims they weren’t “sexual.” His response was apparently to do nothing.
Given this disturbing track record, and given the dozens and dozens of child sex abuse cases involving your own clerics, we ask that you forbid the Marianists from “importing” other clerics into the St. Louis area
Catholic parents and St. Louis citizens deserve to be safe from pedophile clergy, those from here and those from elsewhere.
David Clohessy (National Director, SNAP) 566 9790 cell, 645 5915
SNAPclohessy@aol.com
Barbara Dorris (Outreach Director, SNAP) 862 7688
gymsoul@dorris.biz
Dear Brother Glodek:
This is at least the third time we have visited your headquarters to express our concern for the safety of children in local Marianist schools.
Still, we've heard nothing from you.
This is at least the fourth time in the last four years one of your staff has been sued in St. Louis for molesting a boy.
Still we've heard nothing from you.
This is at least the fifth current or former St. Louis-area Marianist in the last four hears to have been publicly named as an accused pedophile.
Still we've heard nothing from you.
In our previous visits and letters, we've tried to make it crystal clear: we want to work with you to protect the vulnerable in your schools and heal the wounded from your schools.
Still, we’ve heard nothing from you.
Your choice is simple. You either act timidly, hunkering down and letting your PR staff and your lawyers handle this. Or you act courageously and chart a new, pro-active course, being truly forthcoming and working aggressively with us to find others who are hurting.
Specifically, we’d like to work with you to craft a letter to your alumni, parents, staff and ex-staff explicitly detailing the accusations against Mueller and
-- begging victims and witnesses to contact the police and prosecutors
-- urging victims to seek professional help, outside of church circles.
Keep in mind what’s already been widely publicized: that Mueller is one of five Chaminade teachers to face child sex abuse allegations. The others include Fr. William Christiansen, Fr. Daniel A. Triulzi, Brother Tony Pistone, and ex- Brother John Woulfe. Triulzi (940-300-1956, 940-591-7912) was sued here late last month and suspended from active ministry in Texas (http://www.dfw.com/mld/dfw/news/12533645.htm). Pistone was exposed and suspended from teaching at Chaminade earlier this year because of credible allegations against him in Texas (see Post Dispatch, 5/12/05). Christiansen and Woulfe are facing a lawsuit that was heard earlier this month by the Missouri Supreme Court. http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/news/local/12592663.htm
In 2002, Woulfe was found guilty of molesting a school girl near Kankakee IL where he worked as a public school counselor.
All five men face multiple accusers.
Don’t you owe it to your students, their families, and the public to disclose what you know and believe these charges?
Don’t you owe it to us, men and women who have been sexually assaulted by Catholic clerics and who struggle to safeguard others, to reply to our letters?
David Clohessy (National Director, SNAP) 566 9790 cell, 645 5915
SNAPclohessy@aol.com
Barbara Dorris (Outreach Director, SNAP) 862 7688
gymsoul@dorris.biz
New Clergy Child Sex Abuse Lawsuit Filed Here
Victim, Speaking For The First Time, Is Law Clerk To Judge Here
Predator Used Knife & Threats of Violence To Silence Boy
Molester Taught At 3 Local Schools: Vianney, Chaminade and St. Mary’s
Head of Religious Order Insists He’s Had No Reports of Abuse
What:
At a sidewalk news conference, a man who clerks for a local federal judge and who was molested by a discuss a Catholic cleric will disclose and discuss his new, unusual new civil child molestation lawsuit. The predator was sued for the first time a week ago and taught in three local schools.
Other clergy sex abuse victims will then march from one local Catholic headquarters to another, hand-delivering letters at both places.
When:
TODAY, Tuesday, Sept. 20, 11:00 a.m.
Who:
The victim, his attorney, and several clergy abuse survivors who are members of a support group called SNAP, Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests
Where:
Outside the headquarters of a large Catholic religious order called the Marianists, 4425 West Pine (near Taylor), in St. Louis city's Central West End (They’ll then march to the archdiocesan headquarters in the 4400 block of Lindell.)
Why:
Until today, St. John Vianney High School (at I-44 & Lindbergh) had escaped child sex abuse litigation or controversy. Until last week, this predator, Brother William C. Mueller, had never been sued in connection with sex abuse before.
In Pueblo (Colorado) County District Court last week, two men, filing as "john does," accused Mueller of molesting them while they were teenaged students at a Pueblo Colorado high school in the 1960s. In separate incidents as part of alleged "scientific experiments," Mueller used ether to put both boys to sleep. He then assaulted them while they were unconscious.
After these assaults, Mueller was transferred to Vianney in St. Louis County where he abused this victim, Bryan Bacon, around 1985. At one point, Mueller held a knife to Bacon’s throat.
Bacon, who is married and has children, now clerks for US bankruptcy Judge David McDonald, was Vianney’s student body president as a teenager.
A Miami attorney who has sued Mueller says the cleric was sent to a pedophile “treatment center” for priests in New Mexico around 1985 and left the Marianist religious order in 1986.
Defendants in the first two lawsuits involving Mueller include the Pueblo Catholic Diocese (719-544-9861) and the Marianists (Fr. Timothy Dwyer or Brother Stephen Glodek 314 533 1207).
Mueller is believed to be a San Antonio native who attended seminary there and lives there now, has worked for the San Antonio Symphony but now works for “the family business.”
Mueller is at least the fifth current or former St. Louis-area Marianist who has been publicly named as an accused pedophile in the last four years.
The others (all of whom also worked at Chaminade) include Fr. William Christiansen, Fr. Daniel A. Triulzi, Brother Tony Pistone, and ex- Brother John Woulfe. Triulzi (940-300-1956, 940-591-7912) was sued here late last month and suspended from active ministry in Texas (http://www.dfw.com/mld/dfw/news/12533645.htm). Pistone was exposed and suspended from teaching at Chaminade earlier this year because of credible allegations against him in Texas (see Post Dispatch, 5/12/05). Christiansen and Woulfe are facing a lawsuit that was heard last week by the Missouri Supreme Court. http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/news/local/12592663.htm
In 2002, Woulfe was found guilty of molesting a school girl near Kankakee IL where he worked as a public school counselor.
Apparently, none of the others have faced criminal charges. All five face multiple accusers.
Here is Mueller’s assignment history: 1962 Chaminade, 1962-1966 Vianney, 1967-1971 Roncalli in Pueblo, 1971-1981 Central Catholic in San Antonio, 1981-1984 St. Mary's in St. Louis city, 1984-1985 Vianney (Sent to treatment center mid-October 1985).
Contact:
David Clohessy (National Director, SNAP) 566 9790 cell, 645 5915
Ken Chackes 872 8420, 369 3902 cell, Susan Carlson 872 8420timf