A member of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests
held a sign outside the local diocese’s Elliot Street headquarters on
Thursday to protest the way the church publicized the names of priests
who had credible allegations of abuse made against them.
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield recently posted the names on its website.
According to the website, it lists “all living diocesan priests/former
diocesan priests who have had a credible allegation made against them
while they were still living.”
The allegations were investigated by a church Review Board. Fifteen men are named.
In a prepared statement, the advocacy group argued the list was not posted prominently enough and was incomplete.
William J. Nash, of Ashfield, who reached a settlement with the
Xaverian Missionary Fathers after he said he was abused by a missionary
priest while a seminary student in Wisconsin, held a sign that said,
“Publish all the Names.”
Nash said he believes the correct number of credibly-accused priests
who hail from this diocese is closer to 50. He based the estimate on
records filed in Hampden Superior Court in connection with a lawsuit
against the diocese and other internal communications made public
through legal proceedings.
Plus, he said, the public has to hunt for the list to locate it. “It’s sort of embedded and hard to find,” Nash said.
The list includes the now-defrocked Richard R. Lavigne who admitted
molesting two boys in 1992 and has been accused by at least four dozen
others who reached financial settlements with the diocese after filing
claims of abuse. Lavigne is also the only publicly identified suspect in
the murder of an altar boy during the 1970s.
The website brings up the matter of The Rev. Thomas L. Dupre, former
Springfield bishop, who abruptly retired after abuse allegations
surfaced. He has since reached an out-of-court settlement with two
accusers.
According to the website, “Church law dictates very specifically
that any actions regarding allegations of misconduct brought against a
bishop can only be handled by the Congregation for the Doctrine of
Faith.”
The list can be found at www.diospringfield.org and by clicking on the categories of communications/news and public affairs.
Mark E. Dupont, spokesman for the Roman Catholic Diocese of
Springfield, said the list has been in the works for about a year and
includes all credibly accused priests and deacons, if they are living.
“The posting on our Web site was part of an ongoing reorganization
of that site to be more informative ... It has long been our stated
policy to work with all victims who come forward through our Review
Board process, extending all necessary help that is warranted,” Dupont
said.