Posted on 06/24/2002 6:53:00 AM PDT by Polycarp
The Tribune-Democrat
June 23, 2002
Johnstown, Pennsylvania
New sex-abuse bombshell--
10 local priests tied to cases
By Susan Evans
THE TRIBUNE-DEMOCRAT
Officials of Altoona-Johnstown Roman Catholic Diocese have known of at least 10 priests implicated in sex abuse cases involving hundreds of young boys, according to public records reviewed by the Tribune-Democrat.
But the offenders remained in the priesthood, and the diocese meted out such mild punishments as transfers, therapy or “rest and recreation.”
Not one criminal report was made. Not one priest was arrested.
Only one offender was defrocked Francis Luddy and that came only after a trial and a $2 million-plus assessment against the Church.
Most incidents occurred while now-retired James Hogan was bishop.
But Joseph Adamec, bishop since 1987, has consistently denied a widespread problem, calling the Luddy trial “an isolated case.”
In the meantime, testimony about rampant pedophilia was being whispered privately to Blair County Jude Hiram Carpenter behind closed doors.
Records also show that police knew of the sex scandals but discussed them discreetly with diocese officials instead of making arrests.
More cases emerge
This is the portrait of the Altoona-Johnstown diocese that emerges from an examination of court documents in the 1994 sex abuse trial of now-defrocked Luddy.
The trial is of significance in the context of the national church sex scandal and the disciplinary actions against priests now mandated by the new national bishops’ policy adopted June 15 at its historic meeting in Dallas.
Although the Luddy trial made daily headlines, not all was told in the public courtroom.
But closed-door meetings are part of the public record, which the Tribune-Democrat recently reviewed.
These are some cases, discussed either publicly or privately in judge’s chambers, or both:
*James Skupien, priest and principal of Bishop Guilfoyle High-School in Altoona, was caught naked in his car with a young man. He remained at the school and since has died.
*Dennis Coleman, a priest in Bellefonte, was hypnotizing boys, removing their shoes and rubbing his penis on their feet. He was told to get some “rest and recreation” and was transferred to St. Benedicts Church in Geistown. He was suspended after Hogan retired in 1987.
The father of one of Coleman’s victims was a state trooper, who threatened to shoot Coleman, records show, but criminal charges weren’t filed.
*Thomas Carroll, a priest in Altoona, abused boys and was sent to a psychiatrist, but remained a priest until he died in 1988.
*Joseph Gaborek, a priest in Somerset County, fondled boys in 1984. State police reported it to Hogan, but charges were never filed. Hogan told Gaborek to “keep his big mouth shut.”
Gaborek was suspended after Hogan retired in 1987.
*William Kovach, a priest in Revloc, molested a boy in 1982. He showed the boy pornographic movies, fondled him and performed oral sex. The parents wanted confidentiality, say court records. Kovach remained a priest and since has retired.
The trial records contain references to Francis McCaa, an Ebensburg priest whose sexual molestation of altar boys led to a private financial settlement, and another unnamed priest with a similar settlement. Both are now retired.
After the trial, Joseph Strittmatter, a retired Altoona priest, was sued by a woman who contends he molested her from the ages of 6 to 14.
Luddy, the defendant in the trial, was found to have sexually molested boys and later defrocked.
Even now, Adamec says he is investigating two new complaints and that, under the terms of the new national bishops’ policy, he must remove or otherwise punish at least one or two more priests.
Such an admission breaks the diocese’s tradition of shrouding scandals with secrecy, as the Luddy trial shows.
Details come out
The trial began Jan. 31, 1994.
Three months later, the jury found Luddy guilty of sexual abuse and the diocese negligent for ignoring accusations of sexual abuse.
But the jury and the public didn’t know everything.
Msgr. Phillip P. Saylor did, and that’s why the diocese didn’t want him to testify publicly, diocese attorneys told Carpenter.
During a private session March 18, 1994, in Carpenter’s office, the record shows that the diocese tried to block Saylor’s testimony.
Saylor, former pastor at St. John Gualbert Cathedral in Johnstown and editor of the Catholic Register newspaper for 11 years, was a high-ranking diocese official.
The diocese attorney told the judge he was worried about Saylor testifying because one priest was threatening to commit suicide. Saylor had been called to testify in the cases of Coleman, Carroll and Skupien.
The diocese attorney said that the Coleman case “involved two or three boys who were allegedly hypnotized by Father Coleman, and there was some masturbation, or something going on.”
The diocese attorney told the judge that Hogan removed the priest and “told him to take a little sabbatical, a little R and R., and he came back to the parish in October.”
Carroll had been sent to a psychiatrist for his misconduct, the diocese attorney told the judge.
The attorney said Skupien was principal of Bishop Guilfoyle from 1977 to 1984.
In 1981, Dean Township police Officer David Metzgar found Skupien and a juvenile undressed in a car. Skupien continued to act as a principal and a priest, the attorney said.
The diocese told the judge that Skupien had an alcohol problem, and that is why he was removed from the school.
“Father Skupien is a homosexual and is now attempting to not be an active homosexual because he knows if he does he’s going to be removed. He does not involve himself with pedophiles,” the diocese attorney said.
The diocese wanted all of Saylor’s testimony kept in chambers with a “calm, little hearing” instead of “exposing a lot of people’s names” to the jury.
The judge called Saylor into his chambers and questioned him about the Skupien case.
Saylor said that Blair County Sheriff Larry Field, a personal friend, was a photographer in 1981 when the incident occurred.
“He (Field) indicated to me that the policeman in Dean Township had observed a car down in the woods up on Wopsononock Mountain, and that this policeman discovered that the people in the car were unclothed,” Saylor told the judge.
“And when he called in the license number, the license number was registered to the Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown,” he testified in the closed-door hearing.
Police involved
Saylor said he met with Metzgar, who verified that the car occupants were Skupien and a young man the officer was familiar with from another case.
Saylor’s Testimony:
“I went to Bishop Hogan and told him about it and he asked me if I thought that policeman was a Catholic, and I said no, he was not. And that the policeman was very reluctant to come forward, and he asked me if I could persuade him (the officer) to come see him, so I contacted him (the officer) again and he agreed that he would go to see the bishop.
“So then the bishop asked me to ask him if he would come in on a holy day when nobody else was in the chancery, so they wouldn’t see the policeman coming in.”
Saylor told the judge that Hogan talked to Skupien and then told Saylor “there was nothing to it because Father Skupien explained the situation and the explanation was this:
“He was on a farm up on the mountain with this boy and he was riding a tractor and the tractor upset and he fell into a pond of water.
“And when the policeman came along he was just simply changing his clothes, because the clothes were wet and I remember saying to the bishop you know, then why was the boy changing his clothes, you know. Uh, well, maybe he fell in the pond, too.
“I can remember saying to the bishop, I said bishop, you can’t be serious.”
The judge suggested bringing in the Dean Township officer, but the attorneys said he was a reluctant witness.
“He’s out of state and he informed me yesterday that it was still something he didn’t want to come forward on and be the one to nail a priest,” said the attorney.
If the court ordered Metzgar to appear, “He said he’d make himself lost.”
The attorney said Metzgar had no doubt that the boy in the car was a juvenile.
(When contacted for this article, Metzgar, now a constable in Blair County, said he was not subpoenaed in the Luddy trial. He confirmed that he told the diocese about the Skupien incident.
The diocese attorney challenged the testimony, saying there was no proof that the boy was a minor.
So it never went before a jury.
Saylor also told about Coleman and Carroll, saying parents complained about molestation.
Saylor said he sent Carroll to a psychiatrist when complaints were made about him.
Saylor also recounted police surveillance done by former Altoona police Chief Peter Starr, who developed a list of priests observed picking up young boys near 14th Street. (When contacted for this story, Starr deferred to the court record and said he had no additional comment.)
Saylor told of four boys who were molested in a basement in Altoona, and how the diocese warned a priest to leave the state that night and then allowed him to come back and stay in the diocese.
In each case, top diocese officials, including Hogan, were told, he said.
Hogan testified that state police contacted him about one priest, and that an unnamed Logan Township police officer, and brother of a top-ranking monsignor, contacted him about another.
He said he got help for the priests and kept notes on their misconduct, using a series of dots instead of words in some sentences.
He read one note on court: “Father would engage in immoral familiarity, for example, double beds were never used. Car or basement. Expose and fondle. He with the lad asking the lad to ….”
The plaintiff’s attorney pressed him on what four dots or three dots meant.
The bishop responded that they were symbols for various sex acts.
‘Catholics deceived’
The trial is over, but legal wrangling goes on.
The diocese is appealing the $1 million in punitive damages awarded by the jury.
Carpenter upheld the punitive award, saying it represented just “four months’ profit” for the diocese.
And, he said, the testimony overwhelmingly showed negligence.
Even where sexual molestation was not proven in the criminal sense, the diocese either admitted that it occurred or did not deny that it occurred, the judge said.
That’s why, he said, the diocese could not argue against the punitive verdict “with a straight face.”
Diocese officials did not return phone calls requesting comment on the Luddy trial.
George Foster, a conservative Catholic leader and an Altoona businessman who is also a critic of Adamec, said a retrospective of the Luddy trial shows the deception that has taken place.
“Catholics in this diocese were led to believe that the Luddy case was an isolated incident. We were deceived. As a Catholic, we should never have gone to court. The fact that we scandalized our diocese when we were wrong is beyond comprehension.”
Foster said he was shocked at the number of priests mentioned in the court documents.
“I’m blown out of my socks.”
You're in the belly of the beast. The 'Hampton Roads' area contains some of the worst parishes in the Dreadful Diocese of Richmond. There are a few decent regular parishes there, though, and there's supposed to be a legitimate (Indult) Tridentine Mass parish in Chesapeake. Illegitimati non est carborundum.
AB
Have any of the victims of these homosexual predator priests contracted AIDS?
I didn't think I could be any more sickened by all this than I already was...but the thought that these perverts could have knowingly infected their victims with a deadly virus is so horrifying...I'm utterly shocked and disgusted...I can't think of anything else to say.
After reading thoroughly, you're right! He SHOULD'VE BEEN defrocked.
You're right...you don't know just how right you are. Saint Benedict's Chapel in Virginia Beach is officially a mission of my old Parish , St Gregory the Great in Va Beach. A retired Benedictine, Fr. Damien Abbattachio celebrates Mass and hears Confession before Mass. Father Damien is my ideal Catholic Priest. Ramrod straight, deep voiced and very masculine. He's 84 but looks and acts like a healty 60. Serious, pious, prayerful...yet still alot of fun at a Superbowl party. Our parish has been staffed by Benedictines since it's inception, and priests like Fr Damien were the rule rather than the exception. That, sadly is no longer the case, the last three parochial vicars to come from St. Vincent's Arch Abbey have all been effeminate (one was a 441 yr old ex-hairdresser who dyed his hair every other week...blonde, then black then fright wig orange)and very untraditional. St. Gregory's respect for tradition had always been a hallmark of our parish...no more. I've left for St. John the Apostle in Sandbridge. (Any Tidewater Catholic Freepers looking for a Traditional Catholic Parish should check it out.)
Happily, Walter Sullivan is retiring as Bishop next June...hopefully to be replaced by someone more Traditionally Catholic and in tune with the Holy Father.
"one was a 441 yr old ex-hairdresser who dyed his hair every other week..."
Wow! At that age, it's amazing he had any hair to dye! ;-)
sitetest
AB
Apparently, the bishop is on record admitting that this case was poorly handled, and that is why he referred to it as an isolated case.
In our locaL media, Adamec has repeatedly declared that the Luddy case was an isolated case of pedophilia, and that there were no other past or current cases.
It's clear that the prior bishop of this diocese was at fault to permit him to continue to serve as principal of Bishop Guilfoyle HS from 1977 - 1984.
Yes, quite clear. Skupien was my principle at Bishop Guilfoyle HS when I attended there '80-'84. He was then reassigned to other posts and parishes.
He died, according to official records from cirrhosis (my brother knew where he kept his bottle in his desk drawer in the principal's office, they would occasionally move it to see how long ot took till he got the DT's) but it is well known here he died of AIDS. One of these other priests mentioned in this article has his name on the AIDS quilt that travels around the country.
Regarding the testimonly of Msgr. Saylor, though it's clear it was given in 1994, it isn't at all clear what was the timeframe about which he was testifying.
(Msgr Saylor was my pastor growing up.) The case was limited to testimony of incidents after 1984, because of statutes of limitations (we're working with a big lobbying firm in Harrisburg -they took this case for free- to change PA's statutes, new legislation is passing this week to change the statute age to 30, we're trying for an amendment to it that would raise the statute to 40 for psychyitrists/psychologists/counselors/ministers, and were asking it be titled the "Adamec Amendment ;-)
nothing is reported here about the cases which led to recent removal. What's the story here? Are there cases of priests who were found to be molestors in the timeframe after Bishop Adamec became bishop?
We think there are more from Adamec's reign. However, cases known before Adamec became bishop were still hidden and reassigned by Adamec up till the present.
Adamec declined to be totally truthful about priests who had been removed in the months leading up to the conference. As bishop, Adamec has the ultimate authority and responsibility for the diocese, yet he wasn’t exactly sure how many priests were removed. That is simply unbelievable.
One of these priests "ministered" to my own 9 year old son last fall, before any of us knew any of this. It turns out an old grade school friend of mine was his victim. I have seen the letters hand signed by Adamec to this victim, promising to pay for his counseling, and promising this priest would never have access to boys again. The bishop is a liar. He had access to my own son. Thank God we were there and nothing happened. But apparently he was removed 6 weeks ago because something DID happen.
I spoke to the hospital administration(I'm a physician on staff there too) and asked them to put pressure on the diocese.
How the hell is the hospital supposed to run an effective criminal background check on their chaplains (required by state law) when the bishop lies and hides their crimes and local law enforcement refuses to press charges and victims will not come forward and speak so that we can rid our local population of these SOB's???
Are there cases of priests who were found to be molestors in the timeframe after Bishop Adamec became bishop? Can you relate any information about that?
There are at least 3 more priests currently serving here with histories of pedophilia known to the diocese. Two were removed quietly within the past 8 weeks.
The bishop claims these are "new cases" that have "just surfaced."
He is lying through his teeth. The media knows it. He knows it. He knows we know it, but still he refuses to act.
The newspaper, with this story, is laying the groundwork in the court of public opinion to prove the bishop's history of lies and deceit.
I'm assuming that next week's story will outline more of the most recent cases for which we have proof.
Plus the change in statute of limitation will cause a cascade of new suits by known victims who presently have no legal recourse because they are past age 20.
And there are RICO suits being filed for those already past age 30.
Thank you for filling in some of the details that make the picture more complete, now.
sitetest
My college town. I'm afraid I wasn't a very faithful parishioner at that St. Patrick's (times have changed). Twelve years of "Catholic" education. Need I say more>
Adamec sounds like someone ripe for a public browbeating by the good Governor.
[W]e're trying for an amendment to it that would raise the statute to 40 for psychyitrists / psychologists / counselors / ministers, and were asking it be titled the "Adamec Amendment"LOL!!! : )
VMI? Washington & Lee? Check out their website St. Patrick's church, Lexington Virginia. The links are really interesting, not necessarily the norm for the DDR.
Sounds like an idea to me! Go get 'em, Polycarp!
sitetest
Despicable. Who knew he was such a drama queen?
< / double entendre >
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