2023 June 13

Why do I, a guy from St. Louis, care so much about Knoxville and Bishop Richard "Rick" Stika?

Because Bishop Stika abused me.

NOT sexually.

NOT physically.

Psychologically.

Bishop Stika lied to and manipulated and Gaslighted me.

Badly enough that I have no trouble believing pretty much anything I hear about Bishop Stika and his treatment of survivors.

And, because of Bishop Stika's proximity to The Program, I have wondered if Stika himself has sexually abused people.

Why else was he assigned to MQP, right out of the Seminary?

Bishop Richard Rick Stika and the Catholic Sex Abuse Crisis

In the Summer of 2018, in the weeks before the Pennsylvania Grand Jury Report dropped, I went to Bishop Richard "Rick" Stika, the Bishop of Knoxville, for help with the Archdiocese of St. Louis.

Bishop Stika, on Twitter, at least, seemed like a nice guy and, since he was from St. Louis, and knew all the folks there, I wondered if he might be able to help me with the Archdiocese of St. Louis.

To get them to call off the dogs, and end the Smear Campaign, at least.

That was a HUGE mistake.

Bishop Rick Stika & Child Sexual Abuse

My concerns about Bishop Richard "Rick" Stika and child sexual abuse derive from his presence at Mary Queen of Peace (MQP) in the 1980s, one of the parishes in what I call The Program.

And the parish my abuser was sent to, after abusing me.

My concern that Bishop Stika is himself an abuser are prompted by his being stationed at Mary Queen of Peace (MQP), one of several parishes in St. Louis that the Archdiocese of St. Louis sent KNOWN abusers to.

Including my abuser, Fr. LeRoy Valentine. 

• List of Priests Known to Have Sexually Abused Children Who Were Stationed at Mary Queen of Peace (MQP)

It could be that -- given that then Father Stika was later ordained a Bishop -- he was being subjected to what I've referred to as The Test.

However, it's also possible that then Father and now Bishop Stika was sent to MQP because he was himself an abuser.

Do You Have A Story To Tell About Bishop Stika?

Given what happened to me, and what happened in Knoxville and Gatlinburg, and elsewhere, I'm collecting stories about Bishop Stika. Feel free to contact me. I will keep everything under the strictest confidence.