Victims ‘out’ five ‘credibly accused priests

They offer fliers to Wausau Catholic church-goers

SNAP: “Abusive clerics are still being hidden here ”

Group blasts Wisconsin diocesan officials on abuse

It wants bishop to post ALL alleged offenders' names online

"The real solution," group insists, "is criminal prosecution & legislative reform "

WHAT

Handing leaflets to church-goers, clergy sex abuse victims and their supporters will disclose that five publicly accused predator priests were or are in central Wisconsin but have attracted little or no media or public attention before in the area.

Holding signs and childhood photos at a sidewalk news conference, they will also write the names of these credibly accused child molesting clerics on a sidewalk.

And the victims will call on local Catholic officials to

--post names of ALL accused priests on their diocesan website,

--include their photos, whereabouts and work histories, whereabouts and state photos, and

--join with victims in pushing for real legislative reform, like repealing Wisconsin's "archaic, predator-friendly statute of limitations" so survivors can expose child molesters in court.

WHEN

Sunday, Sept. 15 at 11:00 a.m.

WHERE

In Wausau, on the sidewalk outside St. Michael Catholic Church, 615 Stark St., Wausau, WI (715 848 0206, http://eastsideparishes.org/east/)

WHO

Two –three abuse victims who belong to a support group called SNAP (the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests) including the organization's former long time executive director, who is a victim himself and whose brother is a predator priest

WHY

1) Most US bishops have released lists of proven, admitted and credibly accused child molesting clerics in their dioceses. Some did so as long ago as 2002.

Though he’s had nearly a decade to do so, LaCrosse Bishop William Callahan (608 788 7700) refuses to do so. SNAP wants him to prominently and permanently post on church websites the names of ALL credibly accused church staff, and include their photos, whereabouts and work histories.

It’s “the bare minimum every bishop should take to help protect kids,” SNAP says. Every day a proven or suspected child molester stays hidden, the group maintains, kids are needlessly at risk of great harm.

“How does Bishop Callahan justify keeping the identities of these potentially dangerous men concealed from police, prosecutors, parents, parishioners and the public,” asks SNAP, “especially when most of his brother bishops have already released such names, some almost 20 years ago?”

2) SNAP has discovered and disclosing names and information about five publicly accused predator priests who are ‘under the radar’ in central Wisconsin. The clerics have been publicly exposed for child sex crimes elsewhere, spent time in the LaCrosse diocese, but are virtually unknown here. They are:

--Fr. John C. Wagner, who is on the Milwaukee archdiocesan website as "Fully Restricted from Priestly Ministry" because of abuse allegations and is/was in Wausau.

https://www.andersonadvocates.com/Documents/Key_Milwaukee_Documents/Final_Sklba_Exhibits.pdf

In the 1993 edition of the Official Catholic Directory, he is shown as "awaiting assignment" and in the 2002 directory as “on leave” (common phrases or euphemisms used regarding predator priests). Fr. Wagner reportedly remained fully restricted from ministry as of 2012. He was defrocked that same year and his personnel files, which show he was in Wausau, were released 2013.

http://www.bishopaccountability.org/assign/Wagner_John_C.htm

https://www.archmil.org/reorg/bardate/ClergyOffenders/JohnWagner.htm

--Fr. Raymond J. Adamsky, who is on the Milwaukee archdiocese's list of priests fully restricted from ministry because of credible allegations of abuse and was, according to church records, in Wausau to receive ‘treatment.’

He retired in 1993 after having worked in 11 parishes in 34 years (and been accused of molestation in 1961, 1964, 1965, 1971 and 1983).

Fr. Adamsky’s case sent to the Vatican ‘for review’ in 2004.

https://www.andersonadvocates.com/Documents/priest_files/Adamsky.pdf

http://www.bishopaccountability.org/assign/Adamsky_Raymond_J.htm

--Fr. Donald Francis Ulatowski, who is listed as a credibly accused predator priest by the Chicago archdiocese and lived in Adams, according to church records. He was ordained in 1956 and died in 1999.

http://www.bishop-accountability.org/resources/resource-files/databases/2006_03_20_list.pdf

http://www.bishop-accountability.org/il_chicago/#ulatowskihttps://www.andersonadvocates.com/Documents/priest_files/ULATOWSKI.pdf

--Fr. Daniel Budzynski, who spent time in Stevens Point and Eau Claire as is a ‘known abuser’ as of 1969, according to BishopAccountability.org. He has admitted molesting at least 30 boys and his name appears on the 2004 Milwaukee Archdiocese list of priests fully restricted from ministry because of credible allegations of abuse.

In 1994, Fr. Dubzynski retired 1994 and by 2007, he had been defrocked.

http://www.bishopaccountability.org/assign/Budzynski_Daniel_A.htm

https://www.andersonadvocates.com/Documents/Key_Milwaukee_Documents/Final_Dolan_Exhibits.pdf

--Fr. Thomas J. Powers, who was put on the Jesuits’ list of credibly accused abusive clerics last year. In 1990-1991 was a chaplain at Fort McCoy in Monroe County WI.

A Jesuit, he also taught at Catholic schools in Chicago and three Ohio cities (Cleveland, Cuyahoga Falls and University Heights).

http://image.jesuits.org/MIDWESTPROV/media/All_Pastoral_Assignments_of_Jesuits_on_Midwest_Jesuits-12-17-18_List_posted_21_Dec_2018.pdf

It’s possible that one or all of these clerics molested youngsters in the LaCrosse diocese, SNAP says, and some may still live in central Wisconsin. So LaCrosse church officials should disclose their presence in the diocese and “aggressively use church bulletins, parish websites and pulpit announcements to beg those with information or suspicions about crimes or cover ups to call law enforcement,” SNAP says.

BACKGROUND

According to an independent, on-live archive called BishopAccountability.org, there are ten proven, admitted or credibly accused child molesting LaCrosse area clerics (not including the clerics SNAP is disclosing today). They are: Bruce E. Ball, Raymond H. Bornbach, Thomas F. Dempsey, “Fr. John Doe, James E. Ennis, Thomas Garthwaite, James E. Mason, Timothy E. Svea, David Szatkowski and Patrick A.Umberger.

The Milwaukee and Green Bay dioceses are the only two in Wisconsin to post such lists. (The LaCrosse, Superior and Madison dioceses have not.)

https://www.gbdioc.org/index.php?option=com_content&id=3183

https://www.archmil.org/reorg/clergy-offenders-info/clergy-offenders.htm

3) SNAP is also urging anyone with information or suspicions about clergy sex crimes or cover ups to contact local law enforcement and Wisconsin’s attorney general who is investigating all of the state’s dioceses.

The LaCrosse diocese includes the city of La Crosse and 19 counties: Adams , Buffalo, Chippewa, Clark , Crawford, Dunn,Eau Claire, Jackson, Juneau, LaCrosse, Marathon, Monroe, Pepin , Pierce, Portage, Richland, Trempealeau,Vernon, and Wood.

The head of the diocese is Bishop ‎William P. Callahan‎ who can be reached at 608 788 7700.

CONTACT

David Clohessy 314 566 9790, davidgclohessy@gmail.com, Zach Hiner 517 974 9009, zhiner@SNAPnetwork.org