By BECKY KISER
Hays Post
The pews in Hays’ St. Nicholas of Myra Catholic Church were nearly filled Tuesday evening as people gathered for a public listening session about substantiated allegations of clergy abuse of minor children in the Salina diocese.
Salina Bishop Jerry Vincke opened and closed the 90-minute session with prayers.
“We (the Catholic Church) messed up,” he said after the first remarks were made by an attendee.
Joining Vincke were Fr. Christopher Popravak, Provincial of the Denver Province of Capuchins, and Fr. Joseph Mary Elder, O.F.M.Cap., Director of Communications, Denver.
The Capuchins are a Catholic religious order with a strong presence within the Salina Diocese, particularly in the Hays and Victoria area.
Popravak opened with an apology.
“I’d like to offer my deepest apologies to everyone here for the harm some of our brothers have inflicted on the community. We Capuchins have always treasured people here in Ellis County.”
Popravak said he served in Hays at the then-Thomas More Prep Catholic high school for boys and the St. Joseph parish “many, many years ago.”
“This is very distressing for all of us about the abuse that occurred,” Popravak continued, “and I’m here to publicly ask for your forgiveness, and for your prayers, especially for those that suffered the abuse and the after-effects of the abuse.”
Late last week the Capuchins and the Salina Diocese released separate lists of clergy who have been investigated for “substantial” or “credible allegations” of sexual abuse of a minor.
Thirteen Capuchin friars are listed. Of the 13, two are deceased and five have since left the order. None are in active ministry. Twelve of the 13 suspects had ties to Hays or Victoria.
The 13 listed clergy from the Salina Diocese served in more than 16 other northwest Kansas towns in various capacities.
Eleven of the clergy are deceased; two have been laicized – removed from the status of being a clergy member. The alleged abuses took place between 1907 and 2002, with most occurring in the 1960s and 1970s.
More than 20 people talked about the abuse allegations, including one gray-haired man who identified himself as Elmer saying he had been molested many years ago by one of the named clergy.
Elmer’s family did not believe it happened.
“I was told I was stupid, that I didn’t know what I was talking about, by my own mother,” Elmer recalled. The bishop at the time wrote a letter to Elmer saying “it was none of my business.”
“People are going through suicides. It’s tough,” Elmer said. He asked Bishop Vincke “how to forgive somebody.”
“It’s just incredibly tragic,” Vincke responded. “You’ll never forget.” After a long pause with his eyes cast down, Vincke looked up and thanked Elmer for sharing his story.
“I appreciate your courage for coming forward. I really admire you.” Vincke then offered a prayer for Elmer about his mistreatment. “Lord, fill him with your peace.”
Vincke said he has often heard from victims that they are not believed. “They and their parents are often also so embarrassed about what happened.”
Encouraging children to report abuse and helping families to believe them is paramount to stopping sexual child abuse, Ellis County Attorney Tom Drees told the crowd.
RELATED: Ellis Co. Attorney: ‘Only way to attack child abuse is to lift that veil of silence’
Many times the crimes are reported years after the abuse and the Kansas statute of limitations has changed over time.
“Today, if you have a rape or if you have a aggravated criminal sodomy, that would be unlimited. So that’s within a lifetime, if you find that out, you can prosecute it,” explained Drees.
But that’s a fairly recent change in state law. Previously, the statute of limitations was 10 years.
Other sexual violent crimes against children can be prosecuted until the victim turns age 18, or 28 if a suspect is identified through DNA. There are some exceptions, Drees noted.
Rev. Ron Gilardi, who taught at Thomas More Prep-Marian High School in Hays, was charged in 2001 with criminal sodomy, indecent liberties with a child, and other sexual offenses of a male student who left the school in 1994.
A five-year statute of limitations existed at that time.
RELATED: Missouri diocese spent $700K settling abuse claims
Although the charges were made beyond the five-year statute of limitations, “we were able to prosecute Gilardi because it was a repressed memory recall situation made with the victim’s psychologist.” The victim recalled the abuse during a counseling session in 1999.
Again, the statute of limitations has changed since then, and charges can only be filed in a repressed memory recall case until the victim turns 28.
Gilardi was subsequently removed from the ministry and is currently under supervision, according to the abuse report.
Two audience members identified themselves as they talked about sexual abuse of the relatives by men on the list.
One man wanted to know why the identified priests and friars have not apologized for their sexual abuse of children.
“We have tried to contact them but got no response,” Bishop Vincke said. Gilardi is one of the two accused Diocesan clergy still living.
“They have not accepted responsibility for what they’ve done, I’m sorry to say,” added Fr. Popravak about the Capuchins.
“I think people are feeling there’s still a cover-up right now,” Vincke said in an interview after the meeting.
“There was a major cover-up many years ago,” Vincke acknowledged, “but I think we’ve corrected that and we’re not trying to cover up anything anymore.
“We’re trying to be open about everything that’s happened. All of our sins, we’re laying out for the people.”
Vincke also thinks the Catholic Church needs to do a better job of relating to the public what abuse has happened in the Church, when it happened, and what is now being done about it.
The bishop liked the suggestion from a man in the audience that the laity – people of faith distinct from the church – get more involved in the church.
“We’re doing that but I think we could use more of their incredible resources for the good of our church as well,” Vincke smiled.
One young woman at the meeting talked about the good memories of priests she has from attending Catholic schools.
“We have some great priests,” Vincke agreed, “doing incredible work and service for the people. And we have some great seminarians. They’re excited to get started. They know what happened in the Church but they want to be part of the solution. They really want to help.”
