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COMMUNITY
April 2, 2019 | The Valley Catholic
Diocese of San Jose Announces Additions to Clergy Disclosure List
Bishop Patrick J. McGrath and
Coadjutor Bishop Oscar Cantú, an-
nounced on April 2 the addition of
one name to the Diocese of San Jose’s
original Clergy Abuse Disclosure List.
In the spirit of accountability and
transparency, the Diocese has also
added two new sections to its Disclo-
sure List.
The first new section includes
Non-Diocesan Clergy who ministered
within the Diocese of San Jose’s terri-
tory (Santa Clara County) and received
a credible allegation of sexual abuse of
children, which occurred elsewhere
or in a non-Diocesan institution or
ministry in Santa Clara County.
The other new section lists all non-
Diocesan clergy who ever resided at
a religious order’s seminary, retreat
house or retirement home, located
within Santa Clara County and have
received a credible allegation of sexual
abuse of children, which occurred else-
where. These allegations in both of the
new sections were not investigated by
the Diocese of San Jose, but have been
confirmed by the cleric’s Religious Or-
der, Arch/diocese, or civil authorities.
“With this updated list, the Dio-
cese acknowledges and expresses
our sorrow over the failings of the
past and the damage done,” said
Bishop McGrath. “I hope that this list
demonstrates our commitment to do
everything in the Diocese of San Jose’s
power to confront the evil of clergy
sexual abuse, to support and help
victims, and to prevent abuse from
happening in the future.”
These additional names are the
result of recent disclosures by other
arch/dioceses and religious orders
as well as an independent review of
our clergy files that was undertaken
by Kinsale Management Consulting,
beginning in November 2018.
Kinsale’s exhaustive review of over
1,000 files on clergy and religious who
have served in a Diocese of San Jose
parish or diocesan ministry has now
been completed. Overall Kinsale spent
more than 700 hours reviewing those
files. More information, including a
letter from Kinsale summarizing their
work, can be found on page 7 and at
www.dsj.org/protecting-gods-children/
clergy-disclosure-list.
“I once again ask for your prayers
for all the victims of sexual abuse
from whatever source, but in particu-
lar those who have been abused by a
priest, deacon or another representative
of the Church,” said Bishop McGrath.
Bishop McGrath renewed his call for
other victims/survivors to come for-
ward. Anyone who has been a victim
of sexual abuse by anyone working on
behalf of the Church is urged to contact
civil authorities (police department or
sheriff’s office) and then to contact the
Office for the Protection of Children
and Vulnerable Adults at (408) 983-0113
or opcva.ethicspoint.com.
Several religious orders and arch/
dioceses are currently in the process
of conducting their external review
with the goal of publishing their lists
sometime in the future. When reli-
gious orders or other dioceses publish
or update their lists or credible allega-
tions are confirmed by the Diocese of
San Jose, the Diocese will update its
list accordingly.
Fall Listening Sessions Feedback Summary
On September 13, 2018, Bishop Pat-
rick J. McGrath announced a series of
listening sessions to hear from those
who have been victimized as children
by clerical sexual abuse either directly
or in their families and to seek input
from people in the pews on the path-
way to reform and healing actions.
Bishop McGrath was joined at the
sessions by Coadjutor Bishop Oscar
Cantú, Anthony Gonzalez, Director of
the Office for the Protection of Children
and Vulnerable Adults (OPCVA), and
Griselda Cervantez, Victim Assistance
Coordinator and Prevention Advocate.
The dates and locations of these
sessions were:
• September 22 at Our Lady of the
Rosary Hall in Palo Alto
• October 2 at Most Holy Trinity
Parish in San Jose
• October 12 at Saint Martin of
Tours Parish in San Jose
• October 17 at Santa Teresa Par-
ish in San Jose
It is estimated that 300 people at-
tended across all sessions. The sessions,
each of which lasted approximately
two hours, began with a brief opening
statement from Bishop McGrath. Then
the floor was opened for all present
to come to the microphone and to ask
questions and/or share their thoughts
with the Bishop and all present.
Rosemary Ellmer, MDiv, Ph.D. was
asked to facilitate four Listening Ses-
sions and take notes of each session and
to provide an overall summary. Ellmer
wrote that, in reviewing her notes of
all four sessions, it was clear that there
was much overlap in issues that were
brought forward at each session. Her
summary was presented according to
10 thematic categories of feedback that
were evident across all sessions. These
categories are based on the specific
statements of the participants.
Listed below are the ten general
categories of feedback:
I. The painful experiences of vic-
tims and their families
II. The lack of trust and faith in the
institutional Church
III. The need for reform of the cleri-
cal culture in the Church
IV. The need for reform in the se-
lection, training, and monitor-
ing of clergy
V. The need for on-going behav-
iors that demonstrate contrition
and behavioral change by the
church and concern for victims
and families
VI. The need for reform in the role
of the laity in the Church
VII. The need for reform in the
treatment of women in the
Church
VIII. Concern for the future of the
Church
IX. Other future actions desired
by the laity
X. Concern about the handling of
reports of abuse at Presentation
High School
These listening sessions were part
of ongoing actions the Diocese of San
Jose has taken to support healing and
accountability and to improve upon
the vigilance, training, and prevention
efforts. On October 18, 2019, the Bishop
released the list of clerics with credible
allegations and expressed his deepest
apologies for the actions of those who
were in positions of authority and who
violated that sacred trust by abusing
children.
Throughout the fall and winter, Dr.
McChesney and her team from Kinsale
Management Consulting, completed
an in-depth independent review of
the personnel files pertaining to the
sexual abuse of children committed
by any cleric appointed by the Bishop
of San Jose or, in the years before our
founding in 1981, by the Archbishop
of San Francisco.
This month, the Diocese of San Jose
will update its Clergy Abuse Disclo-
sure List as the result of the informa-
tion received from Kinsale’s review of
personnel files and recent disclosures
by other arch/dioceses and religious
orders.
Bishop McGrath and Bishop Cantú
are continuing to look into ways to
improve the health and well-being of
our clerics; along with ways for clerics
to become more transparent and ac-
countable for their misconduct.
The Bishops have encouraged other
victims/survivors to come forward.
Anyone who has been a victim of sexu-
al abuse by anyone working on behalf
of the Church is urged to contact civil
authorities (police department or sher-
iff’s office) and then to contact the Of-
fice for the Protection of Children and
Vulnerable Adults at (408) 983-0113 or
opcva.ethicspoint.com.
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