NY - CHURCH ABUSE - REMOVALS

Associated Press - live feed | July 2, 2002

[NYer]

PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. (AP) _ Four priests from the Roman Catholic Diocese of Ogdensburg, including two in active ministry, have been removed after allegedly sexually abusing minors, church officials said.

Removed were the Rev. Clark White, pastor of St. Patrick's Church in Brasher Falls; the Rev. Theodore Gillette of St. Paul's Church in Black River; Robert Shurtleff, former pastor of Holy Name Church in Tupper Lake and David Wisniewski, an assistant pastor at the Notre Dame Church in Malone during the mid-1980s.

On Monday, church officials released the names of the priests, who were removed last week. Parishioners in the 119-parish diocese learned of the removals Sunday in a letter from Ogdensburg Bishop, the Most Rev. Gerald Barbarito. The letter didn't name the priests or explain why the priests left their churches. ``These were very good men,'' said the Rev. John Yonkovig of St. Peter's Church in Plattsburgh. ``They have been through therapy; they have repented _ these are not child molesters.''

The terminations comply with a resolution of the nation's Catholic bishops at a meeting two weeks ago in Dallas. The bishops agreed to a universal ``zero tolerance'' policy, saying priests who sexually abuse minors must be ``permanently removed from ministry.''

Last week, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany permanently removed six priests. In each case, the substantiated abuse took place 15 to 35 years ago, and no other allegations have surfaced against the priests, diocese officials said.

AP-ES-07-02-02 1451EDT

[NYer]

The body count continues to grow.

[HowlinglyMind-BendingAbsurdity]

said the Rev. John Yonkovig of St. Peter's Church in Plattsburgh. ``They have been through therapy...''

That's...uh...NOT the standard for priestly office. Maybe Fr. Yonkovig needs to be sent back for retraining in Catholicism. Someone who even needs therapy for sex abuse has a psychic disorder, falls into the category of irregularity, and is not fit for holy orders. Had this been known prior to their ordination, they should NOT have been ordained according to canon law. The Church is not some Betty Ford Center for the therapeutically challenged. You have to be mentally, psychologically, cognitively, and emotionally fit for priestly office. Someone who desires sodomite sex with teenage boys does not meet those standards and criteria. Clearly. The priesthood is not some affirmative action Department of Labor work therapy program for the psychologically challenged. They can get plenty of therapy, absolution, and all the fuzzy-wuzzy feel-good liberal sock-puppet understanding anyone wants to give them as laicized former priests.

[Salvation]

BTTT to read later.

[maryz]

Had this been known prior to their ordination, they should NOT have been ordained according to canon law.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't things like illegitimacy (when they still put that on birth certificates), coming from a broken home, etc. count as impediments -- or at least serious red flags -- to the priesthood?

[HowlinglyMind-BendingAbsurdity]

illegitimacy

Not an expert on this, but I believe that was an impediment. To the priesthood, at least. When Thomas Merton admitted he had sired a son out of wedlock prior to his entering the Trappists, that raised some flags, I seem to recall. Having any sort of phsycial deformity such as missing limbs, etc., used to be an obstacle, I believe. The big debate seems to be over whether same-sex attraction constitutes psychic disorders in the canonical sense. There are sound reasons to conclude that. Unusual sexual inclinations are definitely in that orbit and should raise questions about the reason someone is pursuing religious life.It should be investigated properly.

[maryz]

Having any sort of phsycial deformity such as missing limbs, etc., used to be an obstacle, I believe.

Missing the "canonical digits" was an impediment, I'm pretty sure; I never heard of any other missing limb counting. But didn't Isaac Jogues get some kind of dispensation to keep saying Mass after the Indians relieved him of said digits?

[SMEDLEYBUTLER]

``These were very good men,'' said the Rev. John Yonkovig of St. Peter's Church in Plattsburgh. ``They have been through therapy; they have repented _ these are not child molesters.''

I'm sure the parents of the altar boys would strongly disagree with Yonkovig. Zero tolerance means zero tolerance.

Reverend John R. Yonkovig was born on April 10, 1951 in Watertown, New York. He studied for the priesthood at Wadhams Hall in Ogdensburg, New York and Saint Mary's Seminary and University in Baltimore, Maryland. He was ordained to the priesthood on April 30, 1977 by Bishop Stanislaus J. Brzana at Saint Mary's Cathedral in Ogdensburg. He served as parochial vicar at Saint Mary's Cathedral from 1977 to 1980 and parochial vicar at Saint Bernard's Church, Saranac Lake from 1980 to 1986. He was appointed Youth Director of the Diocese of Ogdensburg in 1983. In June of 1984, he was appointed associate director of the Religious Education Department of the Diocese of Ogdensburg. From June of 1986 to June of 1993, he was Director of the Christian Formation Department of the Diocese of Ogdensburg. He was appointed Pastor of Saint Peter's Church in Plattsburgh in June of 1993.

Saint Peter's Church
114 Cornelia St. Plattsburgh, NY 12901
Tel: 518.563.1692
Fax: 518.566.9420
Internet: stpeter@northnet.org

[eastsider]

Saint Mary's Seminary and University in Baltimore, Maryland

Surprise, surprise.

[NYer]

They have been through therapy; they have repented

Sounds like the same drivel we heard here in Albany. Even the parishioners were caught up in "feeling sorry" for the bishop! Puhlease!

[HowlinglyMind-BendingAbsurdity]

Unfortunately, there seems to a mentality that you can pretty much take any joker off the street, regardless of psychological history or sexual inclinations, and - Shazaam! - turn them into a Catholic priest. It just doesn't work that way.

[eastsider]

Even the parishioners were caught up in "feeling sorry" for the bishop!

That's downright frightening.

[Romulus]

Of course, from the POV of negligent or even gay-friendly bishops, this zero-tolerance rule is a godsend (you'll pardon the expression), a sleight-of-hand that allows them to distract attention away from episcopal malfeasance, while "sending a message" that "something's being done." Yes, the predatory priests -- pathetic, emotionally warped, and perhaps not too bright -- are being outed and expelled, but nothing at all's being done about the shrewder and more subtle (and more senior) elements of the lavender mafia, who're counting on being left in peace so long as they never touch a boy under 18 and offer up the occasional weak sister as a sacrificial victim.

[RnMomof7]

Does anyone know if the Rev. White ever served in the Buffalo area..that was the name of the priest that abused the little boy I sent him. I will be furious if it is the same guy. I thought they sent him FAR away!

[RnMomof7]

FYI

[RnMomof7]

He was appointed Youth Director of the Diocese of Ogdensburg in 1983.

Says it all

[Siobhan]

Oy veh

[sinkspur]

He was appointed Youth Director of the Diocese of Ogdensburg in 1983.

Says it all

That's slander. Where's the evidence that Yonkovig is accused of anything untoward with youth?

[RnMomof7]

You are right it was a low blow..sorry

[HowlinglyMind-BendingAbsurdity]

"but nothing at all's being done about the shrewder and more subtle (and more senior) elements of the lavender mafia, who're counting on..."

Yep. A continuing dilemma. They need to face the music - the days of the homosexually active priest will have to end. Or the Catholic Church in America will just disintegrate. "Catholic" Bishops need to make up their mind which way they want to be remembered in history. As faithful Catholics or apologists for sodomy.