Victims group targets gifts to church

Two men who say they were sexually abused by Roman Catholic priestsasked local Catholics on Wednesday to donate money to agencies thathelp kids, rather than to the church.

They asked that parishioners donate elsewhere until diocese leadersdiscipline priests who, the pair say, covered up allegations of clergysex crimes.

After a news conference outside the Catholic Center in west FortWorth, David Clohessy and Kristopher Galland -- officials of theSurvivors Network of those Abused by Priests -- carried a letter to thediocese office and asked that it be delivered to Bishop Kevin Vann, whothey were told was not there.

Clohessy, of St. Louis, is the national director of the network,known as SNAP. Galland, of Grapevine, is the director of theDallas-Fort Worth chapter.

The two say that Vann has "essentially done nothing" to disciplineFort Worth priests other than announce that he is asking the Vatican todefrock two accused of sexual abuse, the Revs. Philip Magaldi andRudolf Rentería.

In late November, about 700 pages of secret church documents werereleased by court order. They show that some church leaders misledparishioners and accusers about allegations of sexual misconduct bypriests. Immediately after the documents were released, Vann rebukedhis predecessor, the late Bishop Joseph Delaney, saying he was appalledand angered by "indefensible" clergy behavior revealed in the files.

Diocese officials issued a statement late Wednesday after receivingSNAP's letter that said: "We are aware that there are many concernsabout the issues surrounding the accusations of sexual abuse. We areactively pursuing these matters."

In SNAP's letter, which was also mailed to the diocese two weeksago, SNAP leaders asked Vann to discipline the Revs. Tim Thompson, JohnGremmels, Robert Wilson and Philip McNamara, who are accused of nottelling law officers about possible sexual misconduct by priests.

Gremmels, of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church in Keller, saidWednesday that he had reported the misconduct of a priest in his parishto the diocese but that "what he did here was not against the law, butit was disgusting."

Gremmels said a church visitor told him that Magaldi had slapped herteenage son on his rear and had joked "like a high school coach on aFriday night." Gremmels said he told Magaldi, who led prayers but didnot perform sacraments, to leave immediately.

"I called the bishop the same day, and it went into his file," Gremmels said.

McNamara, of Stephenville, said Wednesday that he did not cover upmisconduct. The other priests could not be reached for commentWednesday.

Clohessy said the effort to defrock Magaldi and Rentería is "way too little, way too late."

"Carefully crafted, soothing words don't protect children," he said. "Actions do."

Galland said he hopes the network can persuade people to donate elsewhere until the diocese takes more decisive action.

"If we can get them to divert some money away, if they [dioceseofficials] feel a little pain because their tills are not so fat, Ithink that's going to be required," he said.

This report includes information from the Star-Telegram archives.

www.SNAPnetwork.org

Background

Secret church documents, including notes, memos and e-mail, werereleased by state District Judge Len Wade in late November after abouta year of maneuvering by attorneys trying to keep them closed. Thefiles, which were sealed as part of a sex-abuse lawsuit against thediocese, revealed that Bishop Joseph Delaney, who died last year, andother church leaders for many years intentionally misled the public,their congregations and accusers of several priests.

Actions sought by SNAP

That local Catholics donate money to agencies that benefit children instead of to the Catholic Church.

That Bishop Kevin Vann give files of priests accused of molestation to police and prosecutors rather than waiting for subpoenas.

That Vann discipline church officials who did not disclose information about priests accused of sexually abusing children.

That diocese officials seek out victims and take measures to help heal them and to protect against future abuses.

Two men who say they were sexually abused by Roman Catholic priestsasked local Catholics on Wednesday to donate money to agencies thathelp kids, rather than to the church.

They asked that parishioners donate elsewhere until diocese leadersdiscipline priests who, the pair say, covered up allegations of clergysex crimes.

After a news conference outside the Catholic Center in west FortWorth, David Clohessy and Kristopher Galland -- officials of theSurvivors Network of those Abused by Priests -- carried a letter to thediocese office and asked that it be delivered to Bishop Kevin Vann, whothey were told was not there.

Clohessy, of St. Louis, is the national director of the network,known as SNAP. Galland, of Grapevine, is the director of theDallas-Fort Worth chapter.

The two say that Vann has "essentially done nothing" to disciplineFort Worth priests other than announce that he is asking the Vatican todefrock two accused of sexual abuse, the Revs. Philip Magaldi andRudolf Rentería.

In late November, about 700 pages of secret church documents werereleased by court order. They show that some church leaders misledparishioners and accusers about allegations of sexual misconduct bypriests. Immediately after the documents were released, Vann rebukedhis predecessor, the late Bishop Joseph Delaney, saying he was appalledand angered by "indefensible" clergy behavior revealed in the files.

Diocese officials issued a statement late Wednesday after receivingSNAP's letter that said: "We are aware that there are many concernsabout the issues surrounding the accusations of sexual abuse. We areactively pursuing these matters."

In SNAP's letter, which was also mailed to the diocese two weeksago, SNAP leaders asked Vann to discipline the Revs. Tim Thompson, JohnGremmels, Robert Wilson and Philip McNamara, who are accused of nottelling law officers about possible sexual misconduct by priests.

Gremmels, of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church in Keller, saidWednesday that he had reported the misconduct of a priest in his parishto the diocese but that "what he did here was not against the law, butit was disgusting."

Gremmels said a church visitor told him that Magaldi had slapped herteenage son on his rear and had joked "like a high school coach on aFriday night." Gremmels said he told Magaldi, who led prayers but didnot perform sacraments, to leave immediately.

"I called the bishop the same day, and it went into his file," Gremmels said.

McNamara, of Stephenville, said Wednesday that he did not cover upmisconduct. The other priests could not be reached for commentWednesday.

Clohessy said the effort to defrock Magaldi and Rentería is "way too little, way too late."

"Carefully crafted, soothing words don't protect children," he said. "Actions do."

Galland said he hopes the network can persuade people to donate elsewhere until the diocese takes more decisive action.

"If we can get them to divert some money away, if they [dioceseofficials] feel a little pain because their tills are not so fat, Ithink that's going to be required," he said.

This report includes information from the Star-Telegram archives.

www.SNAPnetwork.org

Background

Secret church documents, including notes, memos and e-mail, werereleased by state District Judge Len Wade in late November after abouta year of maneuvering by attorneys trying to keep them closed. Thefiles, which were sealed as part of a sex-abuse lawsuit against thediocese, revealed that Bishop Joseph Delaney, who died last year, andother church leaders for many years intentionally misled the public,their congregations and accusers of several priests.

Actions sought by SNAP

That local Catholics donate money to agencies that benefit children instead of to the Catholic Church.

That Bishop Kevin Vann give files of priests accused of molestation to police and prosecutors rather than waiting for subpoenas.

That Vann discipline church officials who did not disclose information about priests accused of sexually abusing children.

That diocese officials seek out victims and take measures to help heal them and to protect against future abuses.