The Capuchin Franciscan Province of St. Conrad today released a list of names of friars with credible accusations of the sexual abuse of a minor or vulnerable adult. The list includes the names of 13 members or former members.

Of the 13, two are deceased and five have since left the order. None are in active ministry.

Of the 13, 12 had pastoral assignments in Hays or Victoria.

“As friars and followers of St. Francis of Assisi, our vocation is to serve as lesser brothers. Therefore, the abuse of a minor by someone in such a sacred position of trust is all the more egregious,” said Provincial Minister, Fr. Christopher Popravak, O.F.M.Cap, who commissioned the release. “I have personally met with numerous victims and can attest to the devastation wreaked upon their lives and those of their families. Though the words may ring hollow as many other Church leaders are voicing similar sentiments, I can only say that I am sorry from the depths of my heart.

“I have asked the friars of our Province to commit to serious penance and reparation on behalf of the misdeeds of our brothers and for the healing of victims. The results of the audit we are releasing today is only the first step in a new age of transparency. We are striving to be vigilant and have taken serious steps in the last fifteen years to ensure the careful and diligent screening of candidates to our way of life. We must persevere in our efforts to ensure that such a scandalous series of violations never occurs again.”

The 12 friars with Hays or Victoria connections included: Gregory Beyer, deceased; Benignus Scarry, who left the order in 2016; Felix Shinsky, who was removed from ministry/under supervision; Charles Wolfe, dismissed from order in 1987; Ron Gilardi, who was removed from ministry/under supervision; David Gottschalk, who was removed from ministry/under supervision; Julian Haas, who was removed from ministry/under supervision; Finian Meis, decased; Thaddeus Posey, deceased; and Matthew Gross, who was removed from ministry/under supervision.

The 13th friar listed, David Jones, was dismissed from the order in 1987. No pastoral assignments were released.

Details of the pastoral assignments can be seen here.

The territory of the St. Conrad Province, which was established in April 1977, comprises the States of Colorado, Kansas and Missouri and the Diocese of Belleville, Peoria and Springfield, each in the State of Illinois. The Province also has two houses outside of the Province territory in San Antonio.

The release followed an independent audit of the Province’s personnel files and other relevant documents by an outside group of qualified professionals.

The audit consisted of a review of the personnel and other files retained by the Province, including a total of 226 personnel files reviewed. Of note, the auditors also reviewed the five active Safety Plans of Capuchin members under supervision for credible allegations of abuse, consulted with the Provincial Minister and the Safe Environment Coordinator. Of note, no significant areas of concern were noted with supervision over and compliance with the Safety Plans. The auditors also found a marked increase and improvement in documentation regarding allegations and attention to issues related to training and sharing of information with the Province’s leadership team.

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An allegation is deemed credible if an administrative investigation determines that in the opinion of the investigators it is more likely than not based on the facts presented that the alleged abuse occurred. Inclusion on this list does not imply that the allegations are true or that the accused member has been found guilty of a crime or is liable for civil claims. Every effort has been made to ensure the list is accurate. In most instances, the claims were made many years after the alleged abuse, making it difficult to conduct a complete investigation.

The list HERE is broken down into three categories: members with a single, credible accusation of the sexual abuse of a minor; members with more than one credible accusation of the sexual abuse of a minor; and, members with credible accusations of the sexual abuse of a vulnerable adult. All three categories include the individual’s name, birth date, current status, and former assignments.

All allegations of sexual abuse of a minor or vulnerable adult are reported to the appropriate authorities.

Click HERE to read the entire release.