Parishioners not showing concern

Threeof those priests -- Peter Gorham, Frederick Carrigan and MichaelPlourde -- held positions in Augusta-area churches, which serve about4,800 families.

"I checked with the other two priests in Augusta-Gardiner and they report the same," Phillips said Tuesday.

Phillipsis head of the Augusta area cluster of churches, which includes St.Andrew, St. Augustine, St. Mary of the Assumption, all of Augusta; St.Joseph of Gardiner; and St. Denis of Whitefield.

This pastweekend, Maine's Bishop Richard Malone publicly identified the sixaccused priests out of concern that some of them could commit offenseswhile waiting for the Vatican to complete its investigation.

"I'm assuming those people who had concerns in the past voiced them," Phillips said.

But Phillips also said he is urging people who may have been abused to report it to the Diocese or police.

"Ifsomeone contacts me, I would make arrangements to connect them with theproper personnel," Phillips said. "We're also making the Bishop's fullannouncement available at the back of all the churches."

Hesaid Bishop Malone has set aside March 21 as a special day of prayerand penance for himself, all clergy, and laity who want to support thevictims of clerical sex abuse.

Gorham, 79, served at St. Josephin Gardiner in 1953 for about a month, said Sue Bernard, director ofCommunications for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland. He alsoserved at St. Joseph in Waterville in 1953 for about a year, Bernardsaid.

Carrigan, 72, who was first accused in 1991, was removedfrom the ministry in 2002 after being accused of abuse dating to 1972.Bernard said he served at St. Joseph from 1969 to 1972.

Plourde,56, who was accused by two minors in 1994 and was removed from theministry that year, lives in Maine and served at St. Mary in Augustafrom 1990 to 1992; St. John in Winslow from 1992 to 1993, and at AMHIfrom 1993 to 1994.

The other accused priests are: Francis Kane, George W. Beaudet and Ronald N. Michaud.

Ofthose six accused, the Vatican already ruled in the cases of Gorham andKane. The Vatican made their removal from the ministry permanent andassigned them to a "life of prayer and penance."

Harvey Paul, thestate coordinator for the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests,or SNAP, said the bishop should release more information about theaccused priests, such as where they live.

"Any information is important," Paul said.

"It'slong past the time where we need to bring this out into the open. It'stime to help survivors move on and protect the kids today."

Elizabeth Comeau -- 623-3811, Ext. 433

ecomeau@centralmaine.com

Reader comments