Diocese names priests

Alexis Barker
NLJ News Editor
 
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Cheyenne released the names of 10 priests and one bishop who face substantial claims of sexual abuse against minors or vulnerable adults, two of whom once served at Corpus Christi Catholic Church in Newcastle. 
The list was released Wednesday, June 12, in the diocese’s newsletter, the “Wyoming Catholic Register,” and was accompanied by a letter from Bishop Steven Biegler explaining why the church felt it was important to release the names and what can be done to protect victims moving forward. 
“In this issue of the Wyoming Catholic Register, we are making public a list of all Catholic clergy with substantiated allegations of sexual abuse of minors or vulnerable persons for whom we have files and who were in active ministry from 1950 to the present in the Diocese of Cheyenne,” Biegler said in the letter. 
He noted that sexual abuse by clergy is an “appalling sin and a reprehensible crime” that “contradicts everything we stand for.”
“Each name on this list represents a betrayal of trust, a violation of the innocent and a human tragedy,” he said. 
The list includes priests and a bishop who served across the state between 1957 and 2003 with 29 minors and one vulnerable adult falling victim to the sexual abuse of these individuals. 
Cletus Prado and George Tellez, two priests named on the list were assigned for a time to Corpus Christi. 
Prado was born in 1928 and ordained in 1958; the abuse claims against him were estimated to have occurred in 1958-63 and 1977-79. He was reported in 1993 and 1999, and his status is listed as faculties removed, retired and deceased. 
Tellez was born in 1935 and ordained in 1961; abuse claims against him were estimated to have occurred between 1966 and 1971. He was reported in 2002 and 2004, and his status is listed by the church as resigned from ministry to marry, laicized, married.  
Biegler, on behalf of the church, apologized to each victim for not only the misconduct of those who committed the sexual abuse, but also for the failure of any church leader who did not take appropriate actions when receiving reports of an allegation. 
According to Biegler’s letter, there are several reasons the church decided to publicly release the names of the accused, including the Catholic Church’s commitment to transparency in the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People, which states, “Dioceses are to be open and transparent in communicating with the public about sexual abuse of minors by clergy.” 
He noted that in the past this information had been kept confidential, and as a consequence, other children were harmed.
“Transparency helps prevent future abuse because it makes it almost impossible for those of us in church leadership to backslide on our promise of zero tolerance,” Biegler said. “It is, we hope, a means of restoring trust with the laity. Credibility depends upon open and honest communication.”
He added that he prays the publication of this list of offenders with “substantiated claims” will be a clear signal that things have changed within the church and allegations will be taken seriously. 
“Transparency creates an atmosphere in which victims can breathe a sign of relief and know that they can speak about this horrible experience,” Biegler said. 
According to Biegler, he had hoped to share this list of substantiated allegations earlier but that the “review of each file is a tedious process that requires diligent and careful study of the facts.”
To help with the process, the diocese engaged the services of Nussbaum Speir PLLC, a law firm with expertise and experience in conducting similar reviews. At the request of the diocese, the firm provided them with an “impartial and comprehensive assessment” of 303 files going back to 1950 of Catholic clergy of the Diocese of Cheyenne, including 5 bishops, 253 priests and 45 deacons. 
Biegler noted that the date 1950 was selected with a focus on victims who may still be living and also because of the availability of historic files that may contain allegations of abuse. This date, according to Biegler, also coincides with an earlier study of sexual abuse conducted by the John Jay College of Criminal Justice. 
“The list that we are providing today is as accurate as we can make it based on the information we now possess. However, in some cases we were not able to ascertain whether or not an allegation was substantiated,” Biegler said. “If new information comes to light, the list will be updated.”
He noted that a priest who has a substantiated allegation of sexual abuse of a minor or vulnerable person will not be allowed to do an public ministry. Biegler added that in the next few months a new procedure will be implemented for allegations against bishops. 
Biegler’s complete letter can be found at dioceseofcheyenne.org/protect.