San Antonio Archdiocese Publishes List Of 55 Accused Priests

A new report released by the Archdiocese of San Antonio names a total of 55 clergy members who have been the subject of sexual abuse allegations. The list stretches back to 1940, with the most recent names arising from claims of sexual abuse said to have occurred between 2000 and 2009. The Archdiocese says no new allegations have been made from 2010 to 2019.

55 Priests Accused Of Sexual Abuse In Archdiocese Of San Antonio

San Antonio is one of 15 dioceses in Texas, all of which have committed to making their investigations of sexual abuse public. San Antonio’s list includes a total of 55 names, all but one of which represent priests. The single non-priest is James Orr, a deacon who was removed from the clergy in 2017 and died in 2019. 

All of the clergy members but one have already been removed from the clergy or prosecuted by law enforcement officials. Donald Ruppert, accused of sexual abuse in a 2003, remains in active ministry, having been assigned to a parish in the Diocese of Victoria.

San Antonio’s report is notable because the Archdiocese says it has listed all priests who have become the subject of sexual abuse allegations, not just those allegations that Catholic officials have deemed “credible.” Most other reports (and there have been many) include only “credible” sexual abuse allegations. In performing its investigations, the Archdiocese of San Antonio used the same definition of “sexual abuse of a minor” as is contained in the Texas penal code.

For more information from our legal team, visit: https://abuseguardian.com/sexual-assault-lawyer/texas/

Accused Priests Included In The Report

• John Fiala – From 2005 to 2008, Fiala, a member of the Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity, was assigned to St. Anthony in Harper and Sacred Heart of Mary in Rocksprings. A sexual abuse survivor’s family reported suspicious behavior in 2008, leading to a criminal investigation on a charge of interference in the custody of a minor. Fiala was convicted of child sexual abuse; he died in prison in 2017. Through later investigations, the Archdiocese of San Antonio discovered that the Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity concealed a previous sexual abuse allegation against Fiala in recommending him for ministry. As a result, members of the religious order are no longer allowed to exercise priestly ministry within the Archdiocese.
• Jerzy Sieczynski – Ordained in 2000, assigned to St. Matthew in San Antonio between 2000 and 2003. Removed from this assignment in 2003 after an allegation of indecent exposure (not involving a child). In 2004, child pornography was discovered on his computer. He was convicted of possessing child pornography and served three years in prison. Sieczynski is now a registered sex offender in Texas and has been permanently restricted from exercising any ministry.
• Jose Aviles – Ordained in 1990; assigned as chaplain to the Catholic Community on Scouting, as well as St. Margaret Mary in Antonio and St. Mary Magdalen in San Antonio, and to St. Joseph South San between 1990 and 2004. In 2003, Aviles was accused of sexually abusing a teenage boy in 1984 or 1985, before he became ordained as a priest. He was removed from ministry in 2004. A second allegation emerged soon after, this time regarding an alleged incident in 1994. Aviles died in 2008, having never regained the ability to practice ministry.
• Theo Clerx – Order priest of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Between 1960 to 1992, Clerx was assigned to St. Jude in San Antonia, Immaculate Heart of Mary in Pearsall, St. Joseph in Devine and St. John Berchmans in San Antonio. In 2002, a sexual abuse allegation emerged, dating back to the early 1960s. The San Antonio Police Department was notified of the allegation. Clerx died in 2003. After his death, six more sexual abuse allegations were made against the priest, including abuse said to have occurred in the 1990s.
• John Davila – Ordained in 1984. Between 1984 and 1993, Davila was assigned to Sacred Heart in Uvalde, Our Lady of Guadalupe in Carrizo Springs, St. James in San Antonio, Our Lady of Peace in Kenedy, St. Cecilia in San Antonio and Holy Family in San Antonio. In 1993, the Archdiocese learned from law enforcement that Davila had been accused of sexually abusing two girls. He was suspended from his assignment as pastor and ultimately pleaded guilty to the abuse, receiving a seven year probated sentence. He was laicized (removed from the clerical state) in 1999.
• Carlos Lozano – Ordained in 1993 for the Oblates of Mary Immaculate. Between 1993 and 1994, he was assigned to the high school seminary of St. Anthony in San Antonio. While there, several allegations emerged that he had sexually abused students. Lozano was then convicted on sexual abuse charges, leading to a 20-year prison sentence. He was dismissed from the clerical state in 2003 and died in prison.
• James Orr – Ordained as a deacon in 1997. Between 1997 and 2016, he was assigned to Our Lady of the Atonement in San Antonio. In 1992 or 1993, a child claimed that Orr had sexually abused him at a neighborhood pool, when Orr was a volunteer for the parish. It was only 23 years later that Father Christopher Phillips, the former pastor of Our Lady of the Atonement, acknowledged that he had received the complaint, but found it unfounded. He failed to inform the archbishop of the allegation, both at the time and later, when he recommended Orr for ordination to the permanent diaconate. In 2007, a second survivor came forward against Orr, alleging sexual abuse in 1995. Eight years later, in 2015, the Archdiocese was contacted by a psychologist who said that one of her clients had disclosed sexual abuse committed by Orr that occurred in the 1990s. Soon after, Orr requested retirement and resigned from active ministry. In 2017, a civil lawsuit was filed against the Archdiocese over Orr’s abuse, which the Archdiocese has now acknowledged is credible. Orr died in 2019.
• Javier Ortiz Dietz – Ordained in 1978. Between 1979 and 1992, he was assigned to St. Joseph in Yoakum, St. Gregory in San Antonio, Sacred Heart of Mary in Rocksprings, Our Lady Queen of Heaven in Macdona and Sacred Heart in Von Ormy. The first allegation against Ortiz-Dietz came in 1992. He was removed from ministry and sent for psychiatric treatment. He was indicted for abusing three boys in 1993 and convicted the next year. Ortiz-Dietz received 20 years in prison. He was laicized (removed from the clerical state) in 2005. In 2014, he was released from prison and deported to Mexico.
• Anthony Ozzimo – Order priest for the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits). Between 1987 and 1994, he was assigned to Our Lady of Guadalupe in San Antonio. In 1995, a woman stepped forward to claim that Ozzimo had abused her daughter, a child, during the 1990s. She notified the San Antonio Police Department, but no indictment was brought against the priest. In 2016, the survivor, now an adult, came forward to repeat the allegations against Ozzimo. The Archdiocese notified the Bexar County District Attorney’s Office, including all information known from 1995.
• Jose Luis Contreras – Ordained in Mexico as a member of the Claretians in 1967. Between 1983 and 1988, he was assigned to Sacred Heart in Uvalde, St. Jude in San Antonio and Methodist Hospital as a Chaplain. In 1987, it was alleged that Contreras had inappropriately touched the genitals of a 17-year-old male patient. His assignment was terminated and he was sent for psychiatric evaluation and treatment. In 1998, when his treatment had completed, his faculties to exercise ministry were removed. He returned to Guadalajara to live with his sister.
• Federico Fernandez Baeza – Franciscan priest and member of the Chicago-St. Louis Province of the Franciscans. Between 1981 and 1987, he was assigned to St. Leonard in San Antonio and St. Clare in San Antonio. In 1983, Fernandez Baeza was accused of exposing himself to two teenage girls at a public school. Beginning in 1987, a total of six allegations of child sexual abuse were brought against him, claiming misconduct between 1984 and 1987. Fernandez Baeza was indicted on two criminal counts of indecency with a child, but the charges were dropped. Soon after, the Chicago-St. Louis Province of the Franciscans removed Fernandez Baeza from San Antonio at the request of the archbishop. It was later discovered that he was ministering in Bogota, Colombia. He was eventually removed from ministry in Colombia in 2015 and his case was referred to the Vatican. According to newspaper reports, the Archdiocese of San Antonio took two months to report two 1987 allegations of sexual abuse to law enforcement authorities and was not specific in its reporting.
• Richard Garcia – Ordained in 1974. Between 1974 and 1985, he was assigned to Sacred Heart in San Antonio, St. Cornelius in Karnes City, St. Timothy in San Antonio, St. Patrick in Bloomington and St. Jude in San Antonio. He died in 1985. After his death, a civil lawsuit was filed against the Archdiocese, alleging sexual abuse on the part of Garcia. The Archdiocese says it found the survivor’s story credible.
• Ramon Gomez – Priest of the Diocese of Tapachula, Mexico. Between 1984 and 1987, he was assigned to St. Matthew in Jourdanton and Our Lady of Guadalupe in Carrizo Springs. In 1987, Gomez was asked to leave the Archdiocese after police from California informed the pastor at Our Lady of Guadalupe of allegations of child sexual abuse against him in California. Gomez then moved to Jalisco, Mexico, but continued to visit Carrizo Springs to exercise ministry, despite having no priestly faculties there. In 1991, a teenager reported that he and two other minors had been abused by Gomez during one of his visits to Carrizo Springs. Law enforcement was informed of the allegations.
• Benigno David Gonzalez Zumaya – Ordained in 1977. Between 1977 and 1998, he was assigned to Our Lady of Grace in San Antonio, Our Lady of Sorrows in San Antonio, Sacred Heart in Uvalde, St. Patrick in Batesville, Sacred Heart in Crystal City, St. Gregory the Great in San Antonio, San Fernando Cathedral, Our Lady of Guadalupe in Carrizo Springs, St. Mary Magdalene in Brackettville, St. Joseph in Nixon and St. Philip in Smiley. In 1997, a sexual abuse survivor came forward with allegations against Gonzalez-Zumaya, saying he had been sexually abused by the priest as a teenager in 1982. The Archdiocese concluded that the allegation was credible and removed him from ministry in 1997. Gonzalez-Zumaya left the country, returning to Guadalajara, Mexico. Since then, eight other allegations of child sexual abuse have been leveled against him, all dating back to the 1970s and 1980s. Gonzalez-Zumaya died in 2013.
• James Khoury – Ordained in 1975 for the Eparchy of St. Maron in the Maronite Catholic Church. Between 1977 and 1985, he was assigned to St. George Maronite Church in San Antonio, and served as the president of Antonian High School between 1981 and 1983. In the mid-1980s, a survivor came forward with a claim of sexual abuse against Khoury to the Eparchy of St. Maron, saying the priest had abused him as a student. The survivor entered into a settlement with Khoury in 1985, after which the Eparchy removed Khoury from the San Antonio area. The survivor brought the allegation to the Archdiocese of San Antonio in 2004, then brought a lawsuit against the Archdiocese. The survivor’s lawsuit was subsequently dismissed. Even so, the Archdiocese says it found the survivor credible. Khoury died in 2016.
• Mario Martinez – Ordained in 1977. In 1977, he was assigned to Immaculate Conception in San Antonio and Sacred Heart in Floresville. He left the same year, without permission, saying he was going to take care of his sick mother in Mexico. He only returned in 1984, when he was assigned to a convent of religious sisters. He was subsequently sent to a treatment facility for alcoholism. He left the treatment without authorization and returned to San Antonio. Soon after he was accused of sexually abusing a child. A warrant was issued for his arrest but he returned to Mexico without authorization. The archbishop removed his faculties to priestly ministry and he died in 1994. Then, in 2008, two more allegations of child sexual abuse were made against Martinez, which the Archdiocese found credible.
• Edward Pavlicek – Ordained in 1983. Between 1983 and 2018, he was assigned to St. Ann in San Antonio, St. Leo in San Antonio, St. Benedict in San Antonio, Sacred Heart in Floresville, St. Mary in Somerset, Ghood Shepherd in Schertz and St. Thomas the Apostle in Canyon Lake. In 2018, the Archdiocese received a sexual abuse allegation against Pavlicek, which was alleged to have occurred between 1986 and 1988. The Bexar County District Attorney’s Office was notified of the allegation. The Archdiocesan Review Board ultimately discovered sufficient evidence to suggest that the allegation was true, and referred the case to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith for possible laicization.
• Alfredo Prado – Order priest of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate. Between 1959 and 1983, he was assigned to Our Lady of Good Council in San Antonio, Sacred Heart in Del Rio, St. Timothy in San Antonio and the Oblate high school seminary of St. Anthony in San Antonio. Beginning in 2002, five survivors came forward with child sexual abuse allegations against Prado, stemming from incidents between 1965 and 1980. He was dismissed from the Oblates in 2004 and dismissed from the clerical state in 2006.
• Louis White – Ordained in 1975. Between 1975 and 1988, he was assigned to St. Ann in San Antonio, Sacred Heart in Floresville, St. Joseph in Yoakum, Notre Dame in Kerrville, San Fernando Cathedral, St. Luke in Loire and St. Vincent de Paul in San Antonio. In 1980, White was reported to the Archdiocese for having sexually abused a child. He was sent for psychiatric evaluation and treatment. Upon completing his treatment, he was again assigned to ministry in 1981 and then found to have abused another child. He completed a second round of psychiatric treatment and was reassigned to ministry again, this time with a restriction on his engagement with young adults and children. He was ultimately laicized (removed from the clerical state) in 1989.
• Albert Wilwerding – Ordained as a priest for the Diocese of Des Moines, Iowa in 1956. Between 1982 and 1984, he lived in the Archdiocese of San Antonio without formal assignment. He assisted with Masses for a time and lived at St. Alphonsus in San Antonio. In 1984, Wilwerding was investigated by the San Antonio Police Department for sexually assaulting an adult male. He was then sent for psychiatric treatment by his bishop. He died in 2004. In 2018, a woman claimed that her deceased husband had seen Wilwerding sexually abusing a teenage boy in 1983 or 1984.
• Thomas Behnke – Order priest of the Discalced Carmelites. Living in the Archdiocese from 1950 to 1978 and 1989 to 1992, Behnke was assigned to Our Lady of Mount Carmel and St. Terese in San Antonio, as well as Immaculate Heart of Mary in Pearsall. In 2017, a survivor accused Behnke of sexually abusing him as a child in the 1970s. Behnke died in 2008.
• David Connell – Incardinated into the Archdiocese of San Antonio from the New York Province of the Carmelite Fathers in 1980. Between 1976 and 1995, he was assigned to Antonian High School as an instructor, vice-principal and principal, as well as to St. Thomas More in San Antonio. In 1976, a student from Nativity High School in Pottsville, Pennsylvania claimed that Connell had made a sexual advance on him, which the victim rejected. Later the same year, the Diocese of Allenstown terminated their contract with the Carmelite Fathers. Connell sought an assignment in San Antonio and, despite being aware of the allegations against him, Archbishop Francis Furey assigned him to the Archdiocese. The Archdiocese of San Antonio only learned of the allegations after the Pennsylvania grand jury report was published, after which point two more San Antonio survivors came forward to accuse Connell, who died in 1995, of abuse.
• Francisco Gomez – Ordained in 1976. Between 1976 and 1991, he was assigned to San Juan de los Lagos in San Antonio, Immaculate Conception in San Antonio and Holy Family in San Antonio. Gomez died in 1998. In 2004, a survivor came forward claiming that, in the late 1970s, Gomez sexually abused him when he was a teenager.
• Michael Harrold – Ordained in 1950. Between 1950 and 1982, he was assigned to St. Mary’s in Victoria, Our Lady of Grace in La Coste, St. Anthony in Pacios, St. Cecilia in San Antonio, St. Patrick in Bloomington, St. Joseph High School in Victoria, Our Lady of Victory in Victoria and as a campus minister for Victoria Junior College and the University of Houston Victoria campus. Harrold died in 2015. In 2018, an allegation was made that Harrold sexually abused a minor teenage girl in the 1970s.
• Antonio Gonzalez Hernandez – Order priest of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate. Between 1974 to 1980, he was assigned to St. Patrick in Sabinal, St. Joseph in Knippa, Our Lady of Refuge in Eagle Pass, St. Joseph in Eagle Pass and as a chaplain to Baptist Memorial Hospital in San Antonio. He was laicized (removed from the clerical state) in 1987. In 2003, a survivor came forward to claim that Hernandez sexually abused her when she was a teen in the 1970s. Hernandez admitted to the abuse. He died in 2016.
• Lawrence Hernandez – Ordained in 1978. Between 1978 and 1984, he was assigned to St. James in Gonzalez, San Fernando Cathedral and St. Paul in San Antonio. In 1985, he left the Archdiocese and joined the Order of the Most Holy Trinity. In 2008, a survivor came forward to allege that Hernandez sexually abused him as a child in 1978. A second allegation was made after the first was publicized. The Archdiocese informed the Bexar County District Attorney’s Office. The Order of the Most Holy Trinity removed Hernandez from the ministry, subsequently finding sufficient evidence to substantiate the sexual abuse allegations.
• Michael Kenny – Ordained in 1973. Between 1973 and 1997, he was assigned to St. Vincent de Paul in San Antonio, St. Luke in San Antonio, Resurrection of the Lord in San Antonio and St. Margaret Mary in San Antonio. In 2000, a survivor came forward with allegations that Kenny had sexually abused her when was a teenager in the 1970s. Kenny was removed from the ministry in 2000.
• Bruce MacArthur – Ordained in 1953 for the Diocese of Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Between 1979 and 1984, he was assigned to St. James in San Antonio and St. Dominic in San Antonio. In 2004, a survivor stepped forward to claim that MacArthur had sexually abused her as a child in the late 1970s. MacArthur died in 2008. The Archdiocese found the survivor to be credible in her allegations, also discovering convictions for attempted rape of a vulnerable date and sexual intercourse with a child in MacArthur’s past. The Archdiocese says of these prior convictions: “it is clear that Archbishop Flores knew of the attempted rape of the vulnerable adult when assigning MacArthur to minister in San Antonio. It is unclear if he was aware that MacArthur had abused children, and our records do not indicate that he had any communication with the Sioux Falls Diocese about MacArthur.”
• Alfred Harry Martin – Ordained in 1966 for the Diocese of Belize. Between 1972 and 2002, he was assigned to St. Agnes in Edna, the Bexar County Jail (as a chaplain), Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Selma, Christ the King in San Antonio, St. Vincent de Paul in San Antonio and Audi Murphy Veteran’s Administration Hospital. In 2002, a survivor came forward to accuse Martin of sexually abusing him as a minor teenager between 1975 and 1977. Martin voluntarily left the priestly ministry soon after.
• John McMahon – Order priest of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate. Assigned to the high school seminary of St. Anthony in San Antonio during the 1970s. According to the Oblates, two survivors have made credible sexual abuse allegations against McMahon.
• Patrick McNulty – Ordained in 1966 for the Society of Mary. Between 1966 and 1982, he was assigned to St. Joseph High School in Victoria, Holy Rosary in San Antonio and Our Lady of Guadalupe in Helotes. In 2002, a survivor came forward to accuse McNulty of sexually abusing her as a child in the 1970s. McNulty died in 1984.
• Thomas Aquinas McSwiggan – Ordained in 1967. Between 1967 and 2005, he was assigned to St. Cecilia in San Antonio, Our Lady of Grace in San Antonio, Our Lady of Victory in Victoria, Sts. Peter and Paul in New Braunfels, St. Mary Magdalene in Brackettville and St. Patrick in San Antonio. In 2000, a survivor claimed that McSwiggan had sexually abused him when he was a teenager in the 1970s. McSwiggan died in 2014.
• Eusebio Pantoja Segura – Ordained in 1969 in Mexico as a member of the Claretians. He lived in the Archdiocese of San Antonio in the early 1970s, assisting with the Spanish Cursillo. In 2002, two people came forward to claim that Pantoja-Segura had sexually abused them as children in the early 1970s. The Archdiocese says he is known to have sexually abused other children elsewhere. He was separated from the Claretians in 1973 and removed from public ministry by the Diocese of Celaya, Mexico in 2004.
• Jose Luis Sandoval – Ordained in 1974. Between 1974 and 1998, he was assigned to Our Lady of Grace in San Antonio, St. James in San Antonio, Sacred Heart in Uvalde, St. Patick in Sabinal, St. Lawrence in San Antonio and St. Alphonsus in San Antonio. He was accused of sexual abuse by multiple people, but fled the country. There is substantial evidence that officials for the Archdiocese failed to properly address Sandoval’s abuse.
• William Sprigler – Ordained in 1975. Between 1975 and 1976, he was assigned to St. Mary in Fredericksburg and St. Luke in San Antonio. In 1976, allegations emerged that Sprigler had sexually abused two boys. He was sent for psychiatric care.
• Joseph Angeli – Priest of the Diocese of Tacna, Peru. From 1960 to 1962, he was assigned to St. John the Evangelist in San Antonio, Sacred Heart in San Antonio and St. John the Evangelist in Hondo. He died in 1993. Abuse allegations were made after his death, which the Archdiocese found to be credible.
• John Flynn – Ordained in Ireland in 1952. Between 1952 and 1997, he was assigned to St. Ann in San Antonio, St. Henry in San Antonio, Sacred Heart in Hallettsville, St. Mary Magdalen in San Antonio, St. Michael in Cuero, Saints Peter and Paul in Meyersville, St. John the Evangelist in San Antonio, Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Selma, St. Helena in San Antonio and St. Matthew in San Antonio. In 1997, a survivor stepped forward to accuse Flynn of sexually abusing her as a minor in the 1960s, and again as a young adult in the 1970s. There is substantial evidence that then-Archbishop Flores lied about the case at the time. In 1997, Flynn resigned from all ministry. Archbishop Flores removed his faculties shortly thereafter. Even so, Flynn was soon back in ministry, after being assigned to the Diocese of Tyler by Bishop Edmond Carmody.
• Edward John Jansky – Ordained in 1930. Between 1930 and 1974, he was assigned to Saints Cyril and Methodius in Cistern, St. Andrew in Hillje, Saints Peter and Paul in Plum, Holy Rosary in Hostyn, St. Joseph in Yoakum and St. Joseph in Inez. He retired in 1974 and died in 1979. In 2002, a survivor came forward to claim that Jansky had abused her and another child in 1957. In 2013, the Archdiocese found another allegation against Jansky on file from 1962. The Archdiocese found the two allegations credible.
• Jose Alfonso Madrid – Ordained as a member of the Society of Jesuits in 1950. Between 1966 and 1970, he was assigned to Our Lady of Guadalupe in San Antonio. In 1968, it was reported that he had inappropriate contact with a 9-year-old boy. Since 2014, five additional survivors have come forward to allege abuse by Madrid in the late 1960s. Madrid died in 1982.
• Galeb Mokarzel – Ordained for the Oblates of Mary Immaculate in 1959. Between 1959 and 1997, he was assigned to the Oblate high school seminary, St. Anthony, in San Antonio, St. Joseph Retreat Center in San Antonio, St. Joseph in Del Rio and San Juan de los Lagos in San Antonio. He retired from the ministry in 1997. In 2019, a survivor alleged that he was sexually abused by Mokarsel as a minor in the 1960s. The Oblates of Mary Immaculate consider this to be a credible allegation.
• Michael J. O’Sullivan – Ordained in 1955. Between 1955 and 1965, he was assigned to St. Mary in Fredericksburg, St. Peter in San Antonio, St. Mary in Victoria, Blessed Sacrament in San Antonio and St. Vincent de Paul in San Antonio. The first known allegation of child sexual abuse against O’Sullivan was made in 1962, while he was assigned at Blessed Sacrament. Upon the advisement of a psychiatrist, he was re-assigned to St. Vincent de Paul, where a second sexual abuse allegation emerged. He was sent to a residential treatment center in Georgia. After a year of treatment, his doctor wrote the Archdiocese of San Antonio to say that reentering the ministry would be beneficial for his psychotherapeutic efforts. The Archdiocese declined the suggestion, but said that another Diocese, “with full knowledge of Father’s problem,” could take him on. The Diocese of Savannah, Georgia assigned him to parish work in 1965, learning five years later, in 1971, that he had again sexually abused children. The Diocese of Savannah removed his authorization for priestly ministry and asked him to leave. He moved back to his native Ireland, where he continued to practice ministry. To date, at least four sexual abuse allegations have emerged against O’Sullivan in Ireland, all stemming from the 1970s. He died in 2013.
• Austin N. Park – Priest of the Society of Jesus. Between 1957 and 1963, he was assigned to Our Lady of Guadalupe in San Antonio, dying in 2013. In 2013, a family member of Park informed the Archdiocese that Park had sexually abused two children while he was in Texas in the late 1950s and early 1960s.
• Jesus Jeremias Rojas – Priest of the Archdiocese of Huancayo, Peru. For less than a month in 1962, he was assigned to Our Lady of Sorrows in San Antonio. While there, a young girl accused him of sexual abuse. Rojas admitted to the misconduct and was asked to leave the archdiocese immediately.
• Marion T. Swize – Ordained in 1959. Between 1959 and 1969, he was assigned to St. Benedict in San Antonio, St. Michael in San Antonio, St. John the Evangelist in San Antonio, St. Margaret Mary in San Antonio, St. Rose of Lima in Schulenburg and St. Agnes in San Antonio. In 1969, he left the ministry and married. In 2005, the Archdiocese of San Antonio was sued by a woman who claimed to have been sexually abused by Swize as a minor in the 1960s. Swize denied the allegation, but the Archdiocese finds the claims credible.
• Marshall Gherman – Redemptorist priest and member of the New Orleans Vice-Province of the Redemptorists. Between 1940 and 1957, he was assigned to Our Lady of Perpetual Help in San Antonio. He died in 1959. In 2004, two survivors stepped forward with claims of sexual abuse dating back to the 1950s. One of the survivors identified three other victims in her report.
• Gabriel Hentrich – Ordained for the Order of Discalced Carmelites in 1940. Between 1942 and 1987, he was assigned to Our Lady of Mount Carmel in San Antonio, St. Terese in San Antonio and Immaculate Heart of Mary in Pearsall. He died in 1992. In 2018, a survivor came forward to allege that he had been sexually abused by Hentrich in the 1950s. The Archdiocese considers the allegations credible.
• Hubert Joseph Janak – Ordained in 1941. Between 1941 and 1985, he was assigned to Sacred Heart in Hallettsville, St. Joseph in Yoakum, St. Mary in Fredericksburg, St. Joseph in Moulton, St. John the Evangelist in Hondo, St. Joseph in Inez, St. Cornelius in Karnes City, St. Patrick in San Antonio, St. Rose of Lima in Schulenburg and Blessed Sacrament in Poth. He retired in 1985 and died in 1994. In 2010, a survivor claimed that Janak had sexually abused her as a minor in the 1950s.
• John Francis Keane – Ordained in 1957. Between 1957 and 1961, he was assigned to St. Margaret Mary in San Antonio, St. Mary in Victoria, Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Ganado, St. Rose of Lima in Schulenburg, Sacred Heart in Hallettsville and St. Ann in San Antonio. The Archdiocese is in possession of a police report from 1957 identifying Keane as the subject of a sexual abuse investigation by the San Antonio Police Department. No charges appear to have been filed, but the allegations are credible. Keane was dismissed from the Archdiocese in 1961 after being caught in a women’s restroom wearing a dress. He was sent to Ireland for psychiatric treatment. Records suggest that he continued to function as a priest in Ireland and Great Britain. He died in 2001.
• William Lievens – Priest of the Congregation of the Immaculate Heart of Mary ordained in 1954. Between 1957 and 1972, he was assigned to Immaculate Concepcion in San Antonio, San Juan Capistrano in San Antonio, St. Joseph in Device and St. John Berchmans in San Antonio. In 2018, a survivor came forward to accuse Lievens of sexual abuse when the victim was a child in the 1950s. Lieves died in 1972.
• Emmet Malone – Ordained for the Franciscans in 1947. Between 1950 and 1952, and again in 1957, he was assigned to St. Joseph South San. Between 1990 and 1991, he lived at the same parish. In 2001, a survivor came forward to allege that he and his brother were sexually abused as children by Malone in the 1950s. Malone died in 1994.
• Jose Leoca dio Cayetan de los Dolores Romero – Ordained in 1926. Between 1926 and 1978, he was assigned to St. Phillip in El Campo, St. Helena in Pierce, St. John Seminary in San Antonio, St. John the Evangelist in Hondo, St. Peter Prince of the Apostles in San Antonio, Notre Dame in Kerrville, St. Andrew in Pleasanton and the Teresian Novitiate. In 2015, a survivor stepped forward to claim that he had been sexually abused by Romero as a child in 1952 or 1953. Romero died in 1978.
• Albert Storme – Ordained for the Congregation of the Immaculate Heart of Mary in 1940. Between 1955 and 1985, he was assigned to St. John the Evangelist in San Antonio, San Juan Capistrano in San Antonio, Immaculate Conception in San Antonio, St. Jude in San Antonio, St. Martin de Porres in San Antonio, St. Gabriel in San Antonio, St. Joseph in Devine, St. Joseph in Dilley and Immaculate Heart of Mary in Pearsall. In 2004, two survivors claimed that Storme had sexually abused them as children in 1949 and the 1950s. Storme died in 1990.
• Paul Van Houtteghem – Ordained for the Congregation of the Immaculate Heart of Mary in 1948. Between 1949 and 1988, he was assigned to St. John the Evangelist in San Antonio, St. Agnes in San Antonio, St. Philip Benizi in Poteet, St. Joseph in Devine, St. Andrew in Lytle, Our Lady of Sorrows, Baptist hospital (as a chaplain), Santa Rosa Hospital (as a chaplain) and St. Joseph in Nixon. In 1998, a survivor came forward to allege that Van Houtteghem sexually abused her as a child in the 1950s. Her allegation was found to be credible and Van Houtteghem was sent for treatment and removed from the Diocese. He died in 2001 in Belgium.
• Francis Sales Strobel – Ordained in 1905 for the Diocese of Little Rock, Arkansas. Between 1914 and 1957, he assigned to St. Mathias in Columbus, Sacred Heart in Red Rock, St. Stanislaus in Bandera, Blessed Sacrament in Poth and St. Joseph in Honey Creek. He retired, moving to Germany in 1958, and died in 1969. In 2003, a survivor reported that she had been sexually abused by Strobel as a child in 1941.
• Virgilio Elizondo – Ordained in 1963. Between 1963 and 2015, he was assigned to various parishes in the Archdiocese of San Antonio, dying in 2016. In 2015, a man filed a lawsuit against the Archdiocese, claiming to have been sexually abused by a priest named Jesus Dominguez as a teenager in the early 1980s. In legal documents, the man also claimed that, after reporting the incident to Church superiors, Elizondo kissed and fondled him. After being served with the lawsuit, the Archdiocese informed the Bexar County District Attorney’s Office of the allegations. The lawsuit is ongoing.
• Donald Ruppert – Ordained in 1978. Between 1978 and 1982, he was assigned to St. Ann in San Antonio, St. Luke in San Antonio, Our Lady of Victory in Victoria and the Catholic Committee on Scouting as associate chaplain. In 2003, a lawsuit filed against the Archdiocese claimed that Ruppert had sexually abused the plaintiff in 1978. Ruppert denied the allegations, and the lawsuit was dismissed for want of prosecution. Father Ruppert is currently assigned to priestly ministry in Victoria.

New Report Shines Light On Priest Misconduct

San Antonio’s report is perhaps the most comprehensive yet released by a Catholic diocese. While many Catholic dioceses have released reports on “credible” sexual abuse allegations, few are as detailed or thorough as the new report from the Archdiocese of San Antonio. Alongside the names of accused priests, the report provides contextual information on the allegations, something other reports have shied away from. The report also provides detail on how several cases were handled by the Church, including actions taken by Bishops.

How Is Priest Sexual Abuse Dealt With?

Also outlined in the report are the current guidelines for reporting and addressing childhood sexual abuse in the Archdiocese:

When an allegation of child sexual abuse is made against a member of the clergy, the chair of the Archdiocesan Review Board is notified without delay. If the person against whom the allegations is made is alive, law enforcement is also promptly notified. In most cases, the law enforcement notified is the appropriate district attorney. If the victim is still a minor, notification is also made to Child Protective Services. If the cleric is a member of the Archdiocese, the review boards meets to determine if there is a semblance of truth to the allegation (if it is possible that the alleged abuse occurred). If it is found that there is, the Board advises the archbishop to open a preliminary canonical investigation. The Board also considers whether the cleric is in a ministry setting that may pose any risk to children. If it is determined that he may be, the Board advises the archbishop to remove him from ministry during the preliminary investigation.

The San Antonio Archdiocese provides pastoral support for parishes in the Texas counties of Atascosa, Bandera, Bexar, Comal, Edwards, Frio, Gillespie, Gonzales, Guadalupe, Karnes, Kendall, Kerr, Kinney, Medina, McMullen, Real, Uvalde, Val Verde and Wilson.

Archdiocese Claims To Have Received No New Reports

None of the allegations represented by the Texas Archdiocese’s report come from the period between 2010 and 2019. The bulk of the allegations – 15 – come from the period between 1970 and 1979. Texas prosecutors will struggle to follow up on most of the allegations. In a statement to reporters, Bexar County District Attorney Joe Gonzales said, “what’s important to note is that every crime has a statute of limitations – that is a period after which you may not be able to prosecute, especially when it comes to sexual assaults against children.”

Under current Texas law, any childhood sexual abuse occurring before September of 1987 can no longer be prosecuted. In his statements introducing the clergy sex abuse report, San Antonio Archbishop Gustavo Garcia-Siller writes, “As a Church, we have made meaningful progress, especially since 2002, dealing appropriately with clergy sexual abuse of children.”

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Advocates Say It’s A Step To Healing

Patti Koo, leader of the San Antonio chapter of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, or SNAP, said the report was important for survivors of sexual abuse. “For the victims of sex abuse,” Koo told reporters, “it’s very important because it validates them. Oftentimes, they haven’t felt listened to or believed. It also empowers them. They feel like they are no longer alone. It empowers them to come forward.” Archbishop Garcia-Siller made similar comments in announcing the report’s publication, saying that he hopes the report will “help survivors who have been ignored or even rejected by their family or by the Church.” Garcia said that, while the report “brings tension and pain,” disclosing the Archdiocese’s history of sexual abuse had also filled him “with serenity and peace.” Garcia-Siller acknowledged that “allegations of sexual misconduct by bishops is tearing this church apart.” He says the “challenge for us as a church is to renew our commitment to holiness and justice.”