Church News and Exposing the misdeeds of Leaders in the Church
Statement of Archdiocese of MiamiRead more HERE
Regarding Fr. Rolando Garcia
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
The Archdiocese of Miami has announced that Fr. Roland Garcia, pastor of St. Agatha Catholic Church, was placed on administrative leave today due to an allegation brought forth against him by Mr. Tony Simmons yesterday, October 22, 2012.
The Archdiocese had no prior notice of this allegation before yesterday's press conference announcing this latest lawsuit against Fr. Rolando Garcia and the Archdiocese of Miami.
Upon learning of this allegation, the Archdiocese, in addition to having placed Father Garcia on administrative leave, the Archdiocese will offer counseling to the alleged victim and conduct an investigation following procedures outlined in Protecting God's Children.
This past August, when an allegation was made against Fr. Garcia, the Archdiocese contacted him while Father was on vacation in Cuba. At that time, Archbishop Wenski placed Father Garcia on administrative leave and instructed that he not return to St. Agatha's until an investigation had been complete. Fr. Garcia was extremely cooperative and voluntarily took a lie detector test that supported his denial of having abused anyone at any time. At that time, the Archdiocese also interviewed the alleged victim.
With the investigation completed and upon the recommendation of the Archdiocesan Review Board, it was determined that the allegation was not credible. Archbishop Wenski returned Fr. Garcia to his parish following his ten-day leave. Upon his return, Fr. Garcia read his statement at every Mass on the August 24-25, 2012, providing full disclosure of the allegation and the outcome of the investigation. Subsequent to these events, lawsuit was filed against Fr. Garcia and the Archdiocese of Miami.
The alleged victim, who wants to remain anonymous, says Father Rolando Garcia of St. Agatha Catholic Church knew that a fellow priest, identified as Father Cristobal De Jesus Puertas, was abusing him as a child and he did nothing to stop it.
"He was paying me to keep it quiet when Father Puertas was raping me," the man said Thursday. "I'm furious...I don't know how they allow it, I don't understand."
The man reached out to attorney Jeff Herman after learning that one of Herman's clients, who was reportedly abused by Garcia about 30 years ago, filed suit against the Archdiocese of Miami. Garcia, who remains at St. Agatha, has adamantly denied the abuse charges.
According to the Archdiocese, a different attorney filed a lawsuit in 2010 against Father Puertas over the alleged abuse, but the victim, during the investigation, stated he never reported the abuse to anyone.
Herman said the lawsuit claims the allegations were covered up by Garcia."That fact, in and of itself, in my opinion makes Father Garcia unsafe to be around children," Herman said.
The allegations that the abuse was covered up by Garcia "were found to be inaccurate," the Archdiocese said in a statement. "There was a settlement involving Fr. Puertas who is no longer a priest in the Archdiocese of Miami but no settlement involving Fr. Garcia."
This priest and his cohorts will see the light of day when God takes over. Just give time, time and God will see the victims get their victory and those who have committed the sins and the cover up will be punished. There really is no way out when God takes over. We can count on that!!"I'm upset this man is preaching to hundreds of people over there and he's wearing a mask," the man said. "This man needs to be removed."
“Bringing these cases is important because until there is accountability it is difficult to begin a journey of healing,” said Anderson, who is also representing victims of former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky. “With the filing of these cases today, these courageous survivors can start to heal.”Let's name the defendants in the eight lawsuits:
Avery, Mulholland and Trauger have been defrocked; Brennan has been out of ministry since January 2006; Feret was found unsuitable for ministry in May 2012; Gallagher was placed on administrative leave following the 2011 grand jury report on sexual abuse by Philadelphia priests; Schmeer’s ministry has been permanently restricted since November 2004; A former Haverford resident, who was removed from active ministry in 2003 Avery pleaded guilty in March to abusing an altar boy in 1999 and is serving a two-and-a-half to five year prison sentence.The claims in the lawsuit state all the other defendants "ignored abuse reports" about Avery for more than 10 years and failed to reveal he was among 35 priests identified by the Archdiocese in 1994 as being "guilty of sexual misconduct with minors.”
Fr. Kelly joined the Stockton diocese in 1973 after completing his seminary studies in Thurles, Co. Tipperary. He returned to Ireland after a civil jury had ruled that Fr. Kelly had indeed molested a young boy. Since it was a civil case, Kelly had broken no law by leaving the country.Fr. Kelly wrote a letter to Bishop Blaire of Stockton, stating his innocence and he says the allegations are affecting his health back then.
“Father Michael Kelly was known by the Diocese of Stockton to have allegations of sexual misconduct with minors lodged against him in the past.
“They ignored their statutory duty to report his crimes to law enforcement and placed him in a position of trust and authority as pastor of St. Andrew Parish. There he used his position to sexually assault my client, who was 12 years old at the time of his abuse.The complaint states that Father Michael Kelly:
“…had previously been accused, by several individuals, on multiple occasions dating back to the 1970’s of engaging in sexual misconduct with minor parishioners of the Diocese of Stockton…” and “…had been sent for psychological evaluation, counseling and treatment as a result of these transgressions.”A California licensed psychologist conducted an evaluation of Fr. Kelly in 1999 and concluded the Fr. Kelly should not minister to children alone or families with children.
On August 6, 2012, a San Joaquin County jury unanimously found Michael Kelly had committed sexual battery against another victim, decorated Air Force officer Travis Trotter, when he was a minor in 1984-1985. The day after the verdict, Michael Kelly fled the United States to his native Ireland and the Diocese subsequently settled the case for $3.5 million.
John Manly, the attorney for Travis Trotter, said, “I call upon law enforcement to track Michael Kelly down and return him to California to answer for his horrible crimes against innocent children.Source
Gary Morgan, pastor of Cowboy Church of Ellis County, applauds any effort to "turn the light on" and expose sexual abuse. He recalled how, in one recent month, three adult women stopped him at the end of Sunday morning worship services, asking to talk about issues that stemmed from their abuse as children. One senior adult told him she was certain she was going to hell because of something that began happening to her as a child and continued through her teen years.Source
"What I never really understood before was how victims take ownership of the abuse, feeling somehow they caused it," Morgan said.
Several weeks ago, he decided to address the issue from the pulpit, talking about the everlasting damage sexual abuse can cause.
In the Old Testament, God set clear parameters for sexual conduct and attached harsh penalties to the violation of sexual boundaries, Morgan said, "because he knows what it does to the soul"—the essence of a person. Every relationship in an abuse victim's life—with parents, a future spouse, any children they have and with God—is affected, he told the congregation.
"It alters fundamentally their relationship with God, because they feel so stained, soiled, dirty, guilty and shameful that they think they must look that way to God, too," he said.
Morgan wanted victims of abuse—both female and male—in his congregation to understand they were not to blame.
"If you have been a victim of sexual abuse in your life at any time … wherever, whenever, however you were abused, it was not your fault," he said in the sermon, emphasizing that the person in a position of authority who abuses trust bears responsibility. "It is never the fault of the victim."
Morgan also addressed abusers and "bystanders"—accomplices who realize abuse occurs but seek to keep it hidden. "You've got to turn the light on. … If you choose not to disclose, the blood is on your hands," he said.
Victims of abuse feel guilt, hopelessness and isolation, he said. They need to hear someone in a position of authority acknowledge what has happened to them, pronounce it as wrong and assure them of God's love for them, he said. Morgan offered no easy answer or guarantee, but he assured victims if they disclose abuse and seek proper help, "it can get better."
