When a bishop moves a Catholic priest often, it doesn't necessarily mean that the priest is a predator. However, there seem to be few bishops who keep a predator priest in the same assignment for an extended period of time. And when a predator priest is transferred to a new assignment, he often ends up in a position with roughly the same or even greater access to kids. There's plenty of evidence of these patterns - especially movements across diocesan and even national boundaries - when one looks at child molesting San Diego clerics.
International Movement of Priests
First, take a look at some of the countries from which several San Diego predator priests have come or are later transferred, especially AFTER a report of child sexual abuse is made against them.
- Ireland: Fr. Patrick J. Kearney, Fr. James Creaton, Fr. Thomas Moloney, Fr. Michael K. Higgins, Fr. Michael O'Connor, Fr. Patrick J. O'Keeffe, Fr. Malachy M. McGinn, Fr. Michael Victor Marron, Fr. Peter Joseph Marron, Fr. John Joseph Daly and Fr. Patrick J. Hughes (a.k.a. "Fr. Ioannes" and who pleaded guilty in Ireland in 2010 to abusing a child).
- England: Fr. Thomas Moloney
- Colombia: Fr. Luis Eugene de Francisco
- Canada: Fr. Herman Francis Flynn
- Austria: Fr. Franz Robier (also worked as a missionary priest in Brazil)
- Mexico: Fr. Ephren Cirilio Neri (name also spelled Ephrem) from the Yucatan archdiocese.
- The Philippines: Fr. Nelson C. Damasco and Fr. Edito D. Amora (a.k.a. D'Amora)
Also, two San Diego priests fled the US after being accused of abuse and returned to the countries from which they'd come: Fr. Jose Chavarin of Mexico and Fr. Emmanuel O. Omemaga of the Philippines.
Then there are the San Diego priests who also worked elsewhere in the US:
- Fr. John M. Beatty worked in Peoria, IL.
- Fr. Patrick J. Hughes worked in Seattle, WA.
- Fr. Robert Buchanan worked in Reno, NV.
- Fr. Justin Langille worked in New Jersey.
- Fr. George Lally worked in Providence, RI.
- Fr. Michael French worked in Brooklyn, NY.
- Fr. Adalbert J. Kowalczyk worked in Chicago IL.
- Fr. William D. Spain retired and moved to Hawaii.
- Fr. Michael M. MacCourt worked in Nebraska and New York.
- Fr. Luis Eugene de Francisco worked in Texas and Florida.
- Fr. Michael Raymond O'Donohoe worked in Chicago, IL, and Tucson, AZ.
- Fr. Nelson C. Damasco worked at Fort Hood in Austin, TX, and Jersey City, NJ.
- Fr. Daniel Polizzi also worked in the Santa Rosa area (and died in Haiti).
- Fr. Jose Chavarin worked for 11 years in the San Francisco Archdiocese.
- Fr. Herman Francis Flynn worked in South Carolina, Michigan, and Virginia.
- Fr. Robert S. Koerner worked in Montana and Texas (and died in San Antonio).
- Fr. Mark A. Medaer worked in Richmond, VA, San Antonio, TX, and Philadelphia, PA.
- Fr. Paolino Montagna left the San Diego diocese to return to his religious order in Texas.
- Fr. Robert Daniel Nikliborc (a.k.a. Robert Drew Rand) owned homes in Las Vegas and Palm Springs.
- Fr. Paul Gill reportedly molested a 14-year-old boy on a trip to New Hampshire.
Then there are the child molesting clerics who have or had considerable access to kids in other positions besides simply parish work:
- Fr. Donald F. Doxie worked as a Navy chaplain.
- Fr. Nelson C. Damasco was an Army reserve chaplain on active duty.
- Fr. James T. Booth later became an Episcopal priest.
- Fr. I. Brent Eagen was accused of molesting a girl at an orphanage and later became the Chancellor of the San Diego diocese (a high-ranking position in the diocesan headquarters or 'chancery office').
A number of accused abusive San Diego clerics belong or belonged to religious orders and thus had access to many children, in part because religious orders send their members to a wider range of states and nations:
- Fr. John M. Beatty - the Viatorians
- Fr. John Charles Keith - the Jesuits
- Fr. Malachy M. McGinn - the Salesians
- Fr. Lawrence Kurlandski - the Resurrectionists
- Fr. Peter Joseph Marron - the Augustinians
- Fr. Michael M. MacCourt a.k.a. McCourt) - the Columbans
- Fr. Adalbert J. Kowalczyk - the Resurrectionists
- Fr. Mark A. Medaer - an Immaculate Heart of Mary cleric CICM
So, what's the takeaway here? Parishioners and the public should not assume that a diocesan priest who is sent from one diocese or one country to another is a predator. But it's reasonable to be prudent or even suspicious of priests with unusual transfer patterns. When an accused predator priest is suspended from parish work, we should all be vigilant in trying to track his whereabouts because often he ends up in another position or assignment in which he still has access to children, sometimes, even more access and even more children.
Horowitz Law represents victims and survivors of sexual abuse by Catholic priests and other clergy in the Diocese of San Diego in California. If you need a lawyer because you were sexually abused by a priest in one of California's Catholic dioceses, contact our office today. Although many years have passed, those abused by Catholic clergy in the Diocese of San Diego now have legal options due to a temporary change in the law, but filing deadlines will apply, so do not delay in reaching out to us. Our lawyers have decades of experience representing survivors of clergy sexual abuse in California and nationwide. We can help. Contact us at 954-641-2100 or send an email to adam@adamhorowitzlaw.com to discuss your options today.