Accounts by Survivors and Their Friends and Families All the information on this Web site has ultimately become public through the courage and determination shown by the survivors of sexual abuse by priests. They have given speeches and granted interviews, as SNAP founder Barbara Blaine did in Rome during the selection of Pope Benedict XVI. They have written to bishops and spoken before the bishops' conference. And they have prepared sworn statements for use in legal proceedings. Every instance of survivor's witness is precious. Their interviews made investigative reporting possible and their speeches caused the crisis to unfold. Their affidavits and other accounts are the most exact and touching record we have of the catastrophe.

The Truth and Recognition Coalition (TRC) was founded by Boston-area survivors and advocates in 2005 to record and preserve the testimonies of survivors of clergy sex abuse. Its mission statement read:

“The mission of the Truth and Recognition Coalition (TRC) is to create a permanent and accessible record of the crimes of sexual abuse in the Catholic Church as told in the words of those who suffered the abuse. This record will be used to ensure voice and visibility and to promote understanding to help prevent the recurrence of these crimes in the future.”

BishopAccountability.org is honored that TRC and five of the survivors whose stories it videotaped have enlisted us to publish their heartbreaking accounts. We first are posting transcripts of their testimonies; we will post video at a future date.

• Testimony of Kathleen M. Dwyer, recorded April 7, 2005
  


• Testimony of Jeanne Marie Cratty, recorded June 27, 2008
  


• Testimony of Ann Hagan Webb, recorded November 10, 2008
  


• Testimony of Robert Costello, recorded May 23, 2011
  


• Testimony of Anonymous, recorded January 6, 2013

Survivors' Proofs of Claim in the Santa Fe Bankruptcy

Br. Andrew Abdon FSC [John Christenson]
• Charles L Montano - JD144B (1973-1977) also McConnell

Fr. Gerald A. Armstrong SJ
• Jane Doe P-B (1968-1969) also Pilie

Fr. Bernard W. Bissonnette
• Moira Kehoe Alger - JaneD HH-B (1972-1973) also O’Brien
• John Doe 77 (1973-1976)

Fr. Wilfrid F. Bombardier SSS
• Estate of John Doe 69 (1954-1957)
• John Doe 91 (1966-1968)
• John Doe 67 (1967-1970)

Fr. Terrence P. Brennan
• John Doe 95B (2009-2010)

Fr. Laurence F.X. Brett
• John Doe 75B (1965-1967)

Fr. Ronald L. Bruckner
• Randal D Lucero - JD96 (1982-1987) also Malloy and Zotter
• John Doe 94 (1984-91) also Malloy and Perrault

Fr. Walter Edward Cassidy
• Suzanne M Cully - JaneD Q-B (1965)
• Jane Doe U-B-TEX (1965-1966)

Fr. Alberto Chavez
• John Doe 92 (1972-1974)

Fr. David Joseph Clark CMF
• John Doe 192B (1971-1973) also Perrault

Fr. Barry Finbar Coyle OFM
• John Doe 115B (1966-1969)
• Phillip B Shamas - JD150B (1968-1969) also Starkey, Falls, Br John

Fr. Leo J. Courcy
• John Doe 127B-TEX (1969)
• John Doe 73 (1969)

Deacon at Holy Family parish in Albuquerque
• John Doe 179B (1980)

Fr. Robert G. De Santis
• John Doe 145B (1970-1971) also McConnell

Br. Thomas Falls BGS
• Phillip B Shamas - JD150B (1969-1970) also Coyle, Starkey, Br John

Franciscan Priest
• Jane Doe S-B-TEX (1968 or 1969)

Br. James G. Frank OFM
• Alan Dominguez - JD108B (1987-1988)

Rev. Edward M. Gallagher
• John Doe 167B (1959-1965) also other priests

Fr. Ruben Idalio Garcia
• John Doe 142B (1973)
• John Doe 176B (1973)

Fr. William A. Goltz
• Ric JJ Romero - JD122B (1968-1969)

Fr. Sabine Griego
• John Doe 83 (1968-1969)
• John Doe 129B-TEX (1973-1974)
• Ron P Martinez - JD136B (1977-1978)
• John Doe 171B (1986-1990)

Fr. Raphael Inchody CMI
• Jane Doe Z-B (1976-1977)
• Jeanette Segura - JaneD AA-B (1976-1977)

Br. John BGS
• Phillip B Shamas - JD150B (1969-1970) also Coyle, Starkey, Falls

Deacon Karl
• John Doe 104B (1983-1985) also O’Brien and Tipton

Fr. Laurier A. Labreche
• John Doe 116B (1965-1967)
• John Doe 139B (1967)

Fr. Hubert C. Lomme
• John Doe 174B (1958-1959)

Fr. Bernard H. Loughery
• John Doe 97B (1971)

Fr. Thomas J. Lynch
• Sylvia A Marchetti - JaneD FF-B (1962-1964)

Fr. Robert Patrick Malloy
• Randal D Lucero - JD96 (1982-1987) also Bruckner and Zotter
• John Doe 94 (1984-1991) also Bruckner and Perrault

Fr. Roger L. Martinez
• John Doe 140B (1985-1989) also Jose R. Rodriguez

Br. Tom McConnell FSC
• John Doe 145B (1970-1971) also De Santis
• Charles L Montano - JD144B (1973-1979) also Abdon

Fr. Michael P. O’Brien
• John Doe 188B (1971-1977)
• Moira Kehoe Alger - JaneD HH-B (1972-1973) also Bissonnette
• John Doe 134B (1975-1978)
• John Doe 178B (1976-1977)
• John Doe 102B (1982-1984)
• John Doe 104B (1983-1985) also Tipton and Deacon Karl
• John Doe 120B (1985)

Fr. Adam Lee Ortega y Ortiz
• John Doe 157B (2013-2016)

Fr. Donald Matthew Osgood
• John Doe 198B (1963)

Fr. Ralph W. Pairon
• Jane Doe M (1960-1962)

Fr. Arthur J. Perrault
• Jane Doe II-B (1966-1970)
• Daniel V Bergs - JD100B (1970-1974)
• John Doe 190B (1972)
• Jane Doe DD-B (1974-1975)
• John Doe 192B (1975) also Clark
• John Doe 155B (1976)
• John Doe 161B (1977)
• John Doe 94 (1984-1991) also Bruckner and Malloy
• John Doe 181B (1987-1989)

Fr. Alvin J. Pilie SJ
• Jane Doe P-B (1968-1969) also Armstrong

Fr. James R. Porter
• John Doe 112B (1969)

Priest or Seminarian from Immaculate Heart Seminary in Santa Fe NM
• Jeffrey M. Smith - JD158B (1958)

Fr. Jose R. Rodriguez (ord. 1988)
• John Doe 140B (1990-1991) also Roger L. Martinez

Fr. Ronald W. Roth
• John Doe 79 (1971)

Fr. Conran Runnebaum OFM
• John Doe 169B (1983-1986)

Fr. Edward V. Rutowski
• John Doe 107B (1974-1975) also Deacon Julian Sanchez

Deacon Julian Sanchez
• John Doe 107B (1973-1975) also Rutowski

Deacon Pete Santistevan
• Jane Doe T-B-TEX (1983-1985)

Fr. Frank Sierra SF
• Jane Doe G (1957-1962)
• Jane Doe X-B (1960)

Fr. Jason E. Sigler
• John Doe 152B (1976)

Fr. Robert J. Smith
• John Doe 151B (1972)

Fr. Donald J. Starkey
• Phillip B Shamas - JD150B (1970) also Coyle, Falls, Br John

Sr. Suzie SC
• Jane Doe R-B-TEX (1971-1972)

Fr. Ignacio Tafoya
• John Doe 90 (1974)

Fr. Gregory Tipton
• John Doe 104B (1985-1987) also O’Brien and Deacon Karl

Fr. Thomas P. Wilkinson
• John Doe 121B (1974-1978)

Fr. Thomas A. Zotter
• Randal D Lucero - JD96 (1981) also Bruckner and Malloy

Sworn Affidavits by Boston Victims of Paul R. Shanley

These remarkable affidavits below were included in a memorandum submitted to the court by lawyers for Gregory Ford in Ford et al. v. Law et al. They provide very direct descriptions of Shanley's abuse of boys during nearly 30 years (1961–88), often including anal rape. They also offer a group portrait of his courageous accusers, and of the evolving methods and arguments that Shanley used to entrap them when they were children.

• I clearly remember that it was addressed to the Chancery (1961)
• I am an honorably discharged veteran of the Vietnam Conflict (1961-63)
• He offered me money, approximately $1.00 to $5.00, to do this (1963-66)
• Father Shanley also sexually abused me on the evening of my father's funeral after approaching me to express his condolences (1963, 1967-70)
• He showed me a pile of pictures of naked men (1964-74)
• Father Shanley is lying when he says this (1966; the affidavit refers to Fr. Chabot's letter, Shanley's answer, and Shanley's denial)
• It was getting dark and I was scared (1968)
• During each counseling session he sexually abused me (1968–late 1970s)
• He tried to convince me that it was okay for men and boys to sleep together (1969)
• He would have me perform various sexual acts on men who lived in the monastery (1970-74; the affidavit refers to a baptismal certificate and notes written by an archdiocesan staff member)
• I begged Father Shanley to stop (early 1970s)
• I noticed an advertisement in a newspaper placed by a priest (1972)
• When Shanley was finished we left the confessional (1972-73)
• Father Shanley told me it was a 'lens' (1974)
• I gave him the manila envelope (1974-78)
• Father Shanley would explain to me that he was a "worker of God" (1980–84)
• A private colloquy of his views of the Pope (1981)
• He himself had had sex with both boys and girls (1981)
• I was afraid for my safety and that of my family (1983–87)
• On a Sunday morning at the start of CCD (1983–88)

Sworn Affidavits by the Davenport Victims of Janssen and His Circle

These affidavits were submitted to the court by Craig Levien, attorney for James Wells and John Doe III in their suits against James Janssen et al. They document the sufferings of Iowa boys molested by a ring of abusive priests including Revs. James M. Janssen, Francis E. Bass, James W. Murphy, and T. Anthony Geerts. The ring seems to have begun at Kenrick Seminary in St. Louis, from which Janssen, Bass, and Murphy graduated in 1948.

• While at St. Vincent's Orphanage ... (1952–55)
• No, no, don't do it. I have a bad heart. (1953 or 1954)
• The molestation at the hands of my uncle, priest and namesake began on Thanksgiving Day 1953. I was 5 years old. (1953–62)
• There were complaints from four different families (1955)
• Each corpse seemed more horrible than the last (1957–59)
• Both Father Janssen and Father Bass fondled me before and after mass (1957–59)
• He had priest friends in other towns who had his same desires (1958)
• I was terrified of what might happen if I'd stay another night in that cabin (1960)
• We were talking after mass on the concrete steps (1961–65)
• All of my trust, love, self respect and self image were destroyed at that moment (1961–64)
• Pieces come back to me in a recurring dream about that night, always crying and screaming are in the dreams (1964–67)
• He told me Father Janssen had told him that I would not mind if he did this to me (1964–71)
• The acts occurred whenever Janssen wanted to do it (1967–72)
• "Do you trust me? ... Do you trust me?" (1967)
  

Speeches to the U.S. Bishops' Conference in Dallas on June 13, 2002

• I wanted so desperately to be heard (by Craig Martin)
• He told me, "don't tell Mom" (by Paula Gonzales Rohrbacher)
• Does he think about it when he is saying mass? (by Michael Bland)
• I'm here. I've survived. Not all of us do. (by David Clohessy)
• The Experience of the Victim of Sexual Abuse: A Reflection (by Mary Gail Frawley-O'Dea)

Orange Diocesan Complaint File of Rev. Michael Pecharich

The accounts found in diocesan files are often very different from the sworn affidavits presented above. In order to write, the victim or family member must overcome the deference and even awe that bishops are accorded. They must approach a mysterious bureaucracy where the victim's strongest feelings collide—an attachment shaped by upbringing and education, and an aversion to the institution where the violation occurred. The accounts in a diocesan file, even a file that has been sanitized, can also reveal what the bishop knew and when he knew it. Such is the case with the file of Rev. Michael Pecharich, one of many released in the Orange diocese thanks to the determination of survivor Joelle Casteix. [The first year is the date of the abuse. The second date shows when the diocese received the account. The accounts are listed in the order they were received by the diocese.]

• He did not ask if I wanted to be hugged and kissed (1982-83; written 5/16/95)
• Father Michael put his hands in the back pocket of a young boy (1996; written 3/12/96)
• I remember him having an erection (because he rubbed it against me) (1984; written 6/11/96)

• Bishop Brown ("ok +TDB") and Pecharich ("the seriousness of this one complaint") announce Pecharich's resignation (3/2/02)

• On occasions, Fr. Michael would give long hugs and embraces (transcribed 3/2/02)
• Believe it or not though, I forgive Father Mike (late 1970s; written 3/5/02)
• I was shocked to hear that he was being removed due to an old "isolated" incident (1983; written 3/6/02)
• I was incensed when I saw in the news that Father Pecharich denied anything more than one incident. There are several other of my friends, three more for sure, who had similar experiences. (1973-76; transcribed 3/13/02)
• I am sickened - right in my own home. How brazen. (1983-84; written 3/30/02)
• Fr. Michael came up behind her, placed his hands under her arms and started massaging her, brushed her breasts, and then squeezed her "behind" (1980-81; transcribed 5/1/02)
  

Accounts in Depth

• A Statement to "Bishop" John B McCormack Presented at a Meeting with Survivors of Joe Birmingham, by Paul Cultrera, with links to the documents (1964; 1/9/2003); and Dear Mom and Dad, letter by Paul Cultrera to Josephine and Paul Cultrera (1964; 3/17/02). See also the website of the documentary Hand of God; the website of the movie's PBS Frontline broadcast; the assignment record of Rev. Joseph E. Birmingham with links to documents, articles, and survivors' witness; and Pattern & Practice: Birmingham (7/21/03), in Ford et al. v. Law et al., with links to documents.
  
  
• We were befriended by a priest by the name of Richard L. LaVigne – A careful account of the methods of grooming and abuse employed by Rev. Richard L. Lavigne, of the Springfield MA diocese. Lavigne pled guilty to abusing two boys, and was given probation. He remains a suspect in the murder of Danny Croteau, an altar boy who was sexually abused by Lavigne. This account is a document in the Croteau murder investigation file. (1986; 10/9/91)

• Father Paul is perverted – A 13-year-old girl's 1980 account of working at her parish rectory and being abused by Rev. Paul J. Finegan. A cousin was also abused, she said. The girl's older sister forwarded her sister's letter to the Boston archdiocese, which suggested that "an immediate solution for your sister would be to resign her position." A chancery note states that the older sister "called on phone to say that the matter had been resolved," but she later denied this in an affidavit. Despite the complaint, Finegan continued to work at his parish, and unwitting parishioners even protested his eventual transfer. In 1989, renewed complaints, brought to Cardinal Law's attention by a priest, revealed an even broader pattern of abuse. Yet after Finegan was evaluated at Southdown, he remained in his parish for four years and then worked in two others (see assignment record). A 1998 attempt to "red-flag" his file, because he'd admitted abuse and was alleged to have "other victims," was transformed into a "purely administrative" proposal that his "dormant file" be stored in the "strictly confidential" archives and his case closed. Less than a year later, Cardinal Law made Finegan a pastor. In early 2002 his resignation ("what I did, I did") was accepted by Law, only after a nun in the Springfield MA diocese wrote to Law that she "had been informed by a credible young man that he was abused sexually as a minor" by Finegan. Later that year, a woman sued the archdiocese for abuse inflicted on her by Finegan in 1981-84 when she was a minor. Also named in the suit was Rev. Gilbert S. Phinn, the chancery official who had failed to act on the first complaint.
  
  
• Living on a "fault" line – David Coleman's account of his abuse by Rev. Richard T. Coughlin, his meeting with Rev. John B. McCormack to report the abuse, and his later discovery that Coughlin was in ministry in Orange CA. Coleman's recovery led to Coughlin's removal. See also Coleman's affidavit, attorney MacLeish's description of the Coughlin case, our collection of Coughlin documents, and in particular McCormack's "lost" notes and memo of his 1985 meeting with Coleman (1957-63; 12/16/92)

• My Story – Testimony by Donald Bondick before the Ohio state legislature. Bondick recreates the culture of his midwest upbringing and the shock of abuse by Rev. Ted Feely, who is also the subject of a series in the Rock River Times. See our assignment record of Feely. (1969; 11/22/05)
  

Speaking and Healing

• The Truth—and My Voice (by Cynthia Desrosiers, 6/3/99)
• An Invocation—To Paul Shanley, My Abuser (by Arthur Austin, 1/31/02)
• Statement at the First Release of Shanley Documents (by Arthur Austin, 4/08/02)
• What Took You So Long? (by Phil Saviano, 7/20/02)
• You Are Not Alone (by Mark Furnish, 10/12/02)
• Be Careful What You Wish For (by Bill Gately, 1/03)
• Speech in Eden Prairie (by Belinda Martinez, 7/31/03)
• NH Catholics, Why Have You Forsaken Us? (by Peter Pollard, 8/1/03)
• Talk at St. Hugh Parish Voice (by Sr. Sally Butler, 9/22/03)
• Pat Clancy's Story (by Patricia Clancy, 1/31/04)
• Why Would Fr. Brown Do Such an Awful Thing to My Little Brother (testimony by Judy Jones, 12/8/05)
• Did I Ever Confront My Abuser, You May Wonder (testimony by Anna Marie Hanes-Martinez, 12/8/05)
• The Bishop Was More Interested in Money Than in Our Son's Healing (testimony by Helen Schoeppner, 12/8/05)
• I Wanted to Be a Saint (interview of Susan Gallagher in 11/05)
  
• Video Pennsylvania Survivors (produced by SNAP Philadelphia, posted 8/7/06)
  
• I Know from Personal Experience (testimony of Helen Daly on Maryland SB 575, 3/1/07)
• This Was No Holy Man (testimony of David Lorenz on Maryland SB 575, 3/1/07)

Boston and Manchester

• I ran out of his room, down the stairs, out the rectory door and into the street (about Rev. Joseph Birmingham in 1979; written 7/18/03)
• Father Buntel would bring out a box of pornographic material, sit beside the Plaintiff ... (1981-82; written 9/16/02)
• It was suggested that we keep silent to protect the boys (about Rev. John Geoghan in 1982; written 8/10/82)
• Well he may be gone and buried but the pain and suffering that he has caused ... (2002)

Return to the BishopAccountability.org homepage.