Brother Wellington Joseph Stanislaus
Archdiocese of San Francisco/Jesuits
Ordained: 1965
Dismissed: 1972
Assignment History:
- 1968-1971: Juvenile Hall (San Jose, CA)
- 1970-1971: Novitiate Home for Boys (Los Gatos, CA)
- St. Francis Parish (Pheonix, AZ)
Summary of Sexual Abuse Allegations Against Brother Wellington Joseph Stanislaus:
In 2003, Br. Wellington Joseph Stanislaus, known as “Brother Stan”, was arrested on two felony charges of sexually abusing a 16-year-old boy in 1969. According to media reports, the abuse occurred at Novitiate Home for Boys in Los Gatos, California, which Stanislaus ran along with serving as the chaplain at Santa Clara County Juvenile Hall. Around that time, local authorities began investigating allegations of sexual abuse at the boys’ home and even threatened to indict Stanislaus. In response, the Jesuits transferred Stanislaus to another youth program in Phoenix, Arizona, beginning in 1971 and then later dismissed him from the religious order one year later.
According to media reports, the 2003 criminal investigation revealed that church officials first received reports of Stanislaus’ sexual proclivities in the mid-1960s while he was working as a track coach at Bellarmine College Preparatory School in San Jose, California. Despite these reports, church officials allowed Stanislaus to start the residential program for troubled boys in Los Gatos. Following media reports of the charges, several adult men came forward to report that they too had been sexually abused by Stanislaus when they were teenagers residing at Novitiate. Some victims described how Stanislaus would arrange to have them transferred from Santa Clara County Juvenile Hall to Novitiate. Once there, the boys were afraid to resist or report the sexual abuse for fear of being sent back to the detention center.
While the criminal charges were still pending, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the 1994 California Law that retroactively extended the statute of limitations for prosecuting sex crimes against children. Consequently, the charges against Stanislaus were dismissed.
Stanislaus was included on the Jesuits West Province of the Society of Jesus’ “List of Jesuits from Jesuits West Province with Credible Claims of Sexual Abuse of a Minor or Vulnerable Adult,” in the section “Deceased and Former California Province Jesuits with Credible Claims”. He was also included on the Diocese of Pheonix list.
It is believed that Br. Stanislaus died in 2018.
Horowitz Law is a law firm representing victims and survivors of sexual abuse by Catholic priests and other clergy in the Archdiocese of San Francisco 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 Archdiocese of San Francisco now have legal options due to a voluntary compensation fund created by the Archdiocese of San Francisco, 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.
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