June 24, 2020
A statement from Thomas M. Mengler, J.D., St. Mary’s University President:
Today, I share a joint statement from the Marianist Ministries in the San Antonio area with the link to the names of Marianist vowed religious members credibly accused of sexual abuse of minors. No Marianist brother or priest who is provided in the list is currently at St. Mary’s, nor will any be allowed to live in any of the Marianist residences near or on our campus or to visit the University.
Dear members of our Marianist communities:
The Catholic Church crisis regarding sexual abuse of minors by vowed religious members entrusted with the pastoral care of our children and young adults has been devastating to us and our communities. The Marianist Province of the United States has taken another step in addressing this crisis by releasing the names of Marianist brothers and priests, living and deceased, who were found to have sexually abused a minor since 1950 in the United States.
Over the past two years, the Province has reviewed approximately 2,500 personnel files of Marianists who have served since 1950 in the Province of the United States, which includes its four predecessor provinces (Cincinnati, New York, Pacific and St. Louis) before their merger in 2002. Today, to be accountable and transparent, the Province has published the names of these individuals on their website at marianist.com/healing. Some of those individuals lived and worked at one or more of our institutions in San Antonio or at Tecaboca in Mountain Home, Texas.
As leaders of Catholic Marianist organizations in the area, we believe this is important to reestablishing trust and promoting justice and compassion for the survivors and their families. As members of our Marianist communities, together we are called to be healers for those who have been wounded by these evil acts and to be defenders of the dignity and protection of every person. The sexual abuse of a minor or any vulnerable person by another is an unspeakable violation of human decency. Our organizations will report any credible accusation of sexual abuse of a minor by any member of our community to law enforcement and immediately remove the individual from his or her position, pending an investigation. We also continue to be vigilant in our efforts to comply with safety protocols, background checks and training for individuals working within our communities.
The Marianist Province has undertaken sound measures to ensure a safe environment for protecting minors. They have in place policies and procedures that have been validated by Praesidium, a third-party organization that helps youth-serving organizations protect those in their care. All Marianists receive ongoing training on ensuring the safety of youths and vulnerable adults.
The Province is committed to cooperating with law enforcement for any reports of sexual abuse. They encourage anyone who has been a victim of sexual abuse by a Marianist to report it to their Pastoral Assistance Coordinator at pastoralassistancecoordinator@sm-usa.org or 314-285-2322 or to law enforcement authorities.
We continue our prayers for healing and hope that tomorrow will allow us to rebuild the trust of the faithful.
Sincerely,
Thomas M. Mengler
President, St. Mary’s University
Rev. John Thompson, S.M.
Pastor, Holy Rosary Parish
Paul Garro
President, Central Catholic High School
Kay Tally-Foos
Executive Director, Tecaboca