|
The situation in St. Louis in 2019 is very much like Boston
in 2001-2002 when the movie "Spotlight" is set.
But worse.
At a minimum, it’s 18 years later and the Catholic Church and
the Archdiocese of St. Louis still don’t seem to have learned
their lesson.
Perhaps because they’re trying to protect someone?
Or someone's?
The Cardinals of St. Louis
If you're a baseball fan, you know about the St. Louis
Cardinals.
But do you know about the Cardinals of St. Louis?
DOLAN
Timothy Cardinal Dolan is currently putting himself forward
as the solution to the abuse crisis. As one of the good guys.
But, if you knew what he did — and did NOT do — at Immacolata in St. Louis,
you'd see his true nature.
1976
I've known Father, then Bishop, and now Cardinal Dolan for most of my life. He came to Immacolata in 1976,
straight out of the seminary, when I was in 3rd grade. I have a
VERY clear memory of Dolan talking to us in religion class about
Mark 8:22-26. I remember it, in part, because he chose me to
play the role of Jesus.
1977
When I first came forward in this
Aisha Sultan piece in late April 2018...
...later on that day I received a DM via Twitter...
Hello Chris my name is ___ ______, I graduated from
Immacolata in 19__, was a alter boy and had to get “hair
cuts” from Fr. Valentine in his bedroom, so I unfortunately
know too. What angers me as much is several times leaving
Valentines bedroom, fr. Timothy Dolan, now Cardinal Dolan
lived in the room next door & would be standing right there
& never did anything.
This is consistent with my experience with both Valentine and
Dolan.
In fact, were you to ask me, "Why didn't you think that was
weird," I'd answer in large part because Fr. Dolan saw at least
some of it and didn't react.
2002
In early March 2002, it was announced that Fr. LeRoy
Valentine had been accused of sexually abusing three boys…
As a result, the circuit attorney Jennifer Joyce and the
Archdiocese of St. Louis both asked people to come forward with
any information they might have.
So I — and at least one other person — came forward in early
March 2002.
While neither Jennifer Joyce, her office, nor
the grand jury she convened contacted me back,
by then-Bishop Timothy Dolan did. I told him what I remembered
and asked him if he thought it meant anything. Bishop Dolan
IMMEDIATELY — without ANY investigation — told me...
I know Fr. Valentine well. We were at the seminary
together. We lived and worked together at Immacolata. I know
Leroy Valentine didn't do any of the things he's being
accused of. I know he would never do anything to hurt a
child.
In other words, nothing happened.
In fact, it was
IMPOSSIBLE that any of the allegations were true.
But Bishop
Dolan then said...
However, if you still want to talk to someone, I can
arrange something.
I’m not sure why, but I
took Bishop Dolan up on his offer and talked to a woman — a
woman Dolan said was an independent psychologist but who I now
believe was Nancy Brown, the Assistance Coordinator for the
Archdiocese of St. Louis — and she told me I was
“misinterpreting” Fr. Valentine’s actions and/or intentions.
Which is weird given that Fr. LeRoy Valentine resigned a
few days later.
I was never notified that Fr. Valentine resigned, much
less contacted again and offered assistance.
And that's where Raymond Cardinal Burke and Justin Cardinal
Rigali enter the picture.
RIGALI & BURKE
While Cardinals Burke and Rigali weren't directly involved in
my story, they are relevant because of what they did NOT do.
For one thing, Cardinal Rigali simply cut Fr. Valentine loose
after he resigned, allowing him to live, unsupervised and
unsecured, in a private residence for at least a year. And
Cardinal Burke then continued that for another two years.
At least.
I say that because the local SNAP chapter has alleged that
Fr. Valentine was unsupervised and unsecured for eleven years.
Second, while it's possible that Cardinal Dolan hid my
allegations and existence from the Archdiocese of St. Louis in
order to protect himself. However, at a minimum, both Cardinals
Burke and Rigali knew...
- Fr. Valentine had resigned.
- Due to allegations made by multiple people.
However, and unlike what was done at the beginning of March
2002, the people of St. Louis were not told that Fr. Valentine
had resigned and no effort was made to contact, and help, his
survivors.
Maybe they didn't contacted me personally because Dolan hid
me from them, and they didn't know I existed, but why didn't
they proactively try to help Valentine's victims?
Corroboration
If you doubt what I'm saying in terms of who knew what, when,
understand that the Archdiocese of St. Louis has made a number
of public statements that corroborate what I'm saying.
In May 2013, the Archdiocese of St. Louis announced they had
permanently removed my abuser, Fr. LeRoy Valentine, years after
he first resigned in 2002. This
day was horrible and sent me into a depressive cycle that it
took me years to recover from — because the Archdiocese of St. Louis
never called me to warn me, much less help me — but that's on
Archbishop Carlson, not Cardinals Dolan, Burke, and Rigali.
And some good did come out of it.
The Archdiocese of St. Louis put out a number of statements
to the press that were reprinted in their entirety...
...and
that corroborate my claim and help to establish the timeline.
The most important of those statements was reprinted by the
RiverFront Times...
Fr. Valentine was first accused of sexual misconduct in
1995. He was then put on administrative leave while the
allegation was investigated. Ultimately, it was not found to
be credible by an independent Review Board comprised mainly
of lay persons. Fr. Valentine was then returned to active
ministry and a full disclosure was made to the parish of St.
Thomas the Apostle at the time he was assigned there in
1999.
Although the initial accusation of misconduct was not found
to be credible, Fr. Valentine has been monitored and
supervised continuously since 1999.
In 2002, additional allegations of misconduct dating back to the 1980's
were made. Although they were not substantiated, Father
Valentine resigned his position at St. Thomas the Apostle
and retired from public ministry. He lived in a private
residence from 2002-2005 and then moved to a retirement home
in 2005.
The recent allegation, that was found to be credible, took place in 1978.
The allegation involved inappropriate touching of a minor
and was first made to archdiocesan officials in the Summer
of 2012. An investigation began immediately. The Review
Board concluded its process with Archbishop Carlson's
announcement of Fr. Valentine's permanent removal from
public ministry on May 1, 2013.
Fr. Valentine will continue to live in a monitored, secure
environment.
The statement above is helpful because it establishes a
number of facts and places them in the mouths of representatives
of the Archdiocese of St. Louis.
In 2002, additional allegations of misconduct dating back to
the 1980's were made.
I and
at
least one other guy came forward in EARLY March
2002. Then a third guy came forward in LATE March 2002. I can
give you his name and phone number, because I have talked to him
a number of times and I know what he said. And his allegations,
which also named then-Bishop Dolan — making him the THIRD person
to know of the connection between Fr. Valentine and
Father/Bishop Dolan — led the Archdiocese of St. Louis to force
Fr. Valentine to resign.
Although (the allegations) were not substantiated, Father
Valentine resigned his position at St. Thomas the Apostle
and retired from public ministry.
Again, not only isn’t this true, but I wasn't notified
that/when Fr. Valentine resigned, much less offered help
understanding my memories. Also contained in that release that
announced the resignation of Fr. Valentine is a HUGE admission
that confirms the role Rigali and Burke played.
Valentine resigned his position at St. Thomas the Apostle
and retired from public ministry. He lived in a private
residence from 2002-2005 and then moved to a retirement home
in 2005.
Cardinal Rigali was in charge of the Archdiocese of St. Louis
in 2002, when I first came forward and talked to then-Bishop
Dolan. Cardinal Burke then took over in early 2004.
Cardinal Rigali made
the mistake of just cutting Fr. Valentine loose and siccing him
on an unsuspecting public. And Cardinal Burke continued that
policy.
I went back to the Archdiocese of St. Louis in May 2011 with
the intention of asking them one question...
Are you SURE my memories don’t mean anything?
Not only did the Review Team again tell me
nothing happened — all of my problems were my father’s fault —
but they told me they had no record of my 2002 conversations
with Bishop Dolan or Nancy Brown.
I have since talked to Bishop Rick Stika who told me he has
seen the file of Fr. Valentine and that my allegations isn’t in
it.
The allegation involved inappropriate touching of a minor
and was first made to archdiocesan officials in the Summer
of 2012. An investigation began immediately.
I spoke to the Archdiocese of St. Louis on
May 9, 2011, not
during 2012, so I have no idea who this person is or why ArchStL never
contacted me in 2013, given it would seem to make my allegation
more credible.
THE MATRIX
Everything I’ve described up to this point is terrible — if
not unconscionable — but here’s where we get into acts that
verge on the criminal.
In January 2014, UNDER COURT ORDER, the Archdiocese of St.
Louis produced a spreadsheet — what came to be known as the
matrix — of "complaints made between 1983 and 2003." The matrix
was supposed to be comprehensive, but it wasn't.
I know, because my allegation wasn't in it.
I'm no lawyer, but that sounds like Perjury and, perhaps,
even Obstruction of Justice.
While the problems with the matrix may be the sole
responsibility of Archbishop Robert Carlson, the current
archbishop of St. Louis, it could also be due to the misdeeds of
Cardinal Dolan.
|
