Oblates of St. Francis de Sales

Fall/Winter DeSales World Newsletter

Contact: Rev. Kevin M. Nadolski, OSFS
Director of Communications
(mobile) 202-498-6000
knadolski@oblates.org

Oblates Respond to Lawsuit
June 18, 2009—Wilmington, DE—Rev. James J. Greenfield, OSFS, provincial of the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales, today expressed his deep sadness over allegations of sexual abuse in the early 1990s against the late Rev. John M. McDevitt, OSFS, a priest in his community who died in 1999. The allegations are listed in a lawsuit filed today in Delaware; the abuse is alleged to have occurred when the priest was a teacher at Philadelphia’s Father Judge High School.

“Sexual abuse is always wrong and causes long-standing pain,” Fr. Greenfield said. “Although the alleged perpetrator may have died, the suffering of those abused lives on. If these allegations are true, we will work hard to help this victim heal and will apologize for the harm. Justice is essential to healing,” he said.

Although the Oblates first learned this morning of this lawsuit filed by Richard F. Green, the community was aware of the allegations through its Office of Victim Assistance that has offered counseling, pastoral care, and other services to Mr. Green. Unable to comment on specific cases, the Oblates continue to provide those alleging abuse with these resources as part of their effort to help with healing.

The Wilmington-Philadelphia Province of the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales, the province to which Fr. McDevitt belonged, is fully accredited by Praesidium, a Texas-based independent national leader in abuse risk management. This agency requires compliance with 25 standards, from reporting and investigation of abuse allegations to education and background screening of members. The Oblates continue to be in full compliance with these standards.

“The accreditation process required all of us Oblates to be trained, and our policies of admitting and practices of training new members to be evaluated to ensure protection from any sort of abuse,” Fr. Greenfield said.

“As pastors in the Church, we safeguard our responsibility to care for all people, especially children and young people. This is a central dimension of the Gospel that we are committed to,” he said.

The Oblates strongly encourage anyone who has been sexually exploited or abused by a priest, religious brother or sister, or any lay person employed by their community to seek help, and to report the abuse to law enforcement authorities and to the Oblates. The Oblates reiterate their commitment to care for the emotional, pastoral, and spiritual well-being of those who have suffered abuse by their members. If you or someone you know has been a victim of child sexual abuse, the Oblates urge you to contact the police and Ms. Kate McCauley, victim assistance coordinator for the Oblates, at 703-525-1555.

The Oblates of St. Francis de Sales is a religious community of priests and brothers who serves to connect the Gospel with the lives of people in the gentle and humble example of their patron, St. Francis de Sales. The Wilmington-Philadelphia Province works in schools, parishes, and other ministries from Boston to Southwest Florida.

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Contact: Rev. Kevin M. Nadolski, OSFS
Director of Communications
(mobile) 202-498-6000
knadolski@oblates.org

Oblates Respond to Allegation of Sexual Abuse by the late Rev. Richard Grant
May 11, 2009—Wilmington, DE—In response to allegations of sexual abuse against a member of his religious community who served at Salesianum School, Rev. James J. Greenfield, OSFS, provincial of the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales, today again acknowledged the deep pain, anguish, and anger that victims of childhood sexual abuse experience.

“This lawsuit continues to speak to the intense suffering that is felt when someone is sexually abused,” Fr. Greenfield said. “If our members are responsible for causing it—even if it is a long time in the past, we are responsible for healing such pain. This newest suit prompts me to repeat an important belief I hold as a priest and church leader: If these allegations are true, we will offer our full apology to the victims because healing is essential to justice, and sexual abuse is wrong and cannot be tolerated,” he said.

“I realize that this suit alleges abuse from an Oblate priest who has died. Sexual abuse is so serious an offense that its impact lives well beyond the life of the abuser. If this abuse occurred, we must work to be ministers of healing,” Fr. Greenfield said.

Filed late on Friday, May 8, the lawsuit is based on allegations against the late Rev. Richard Grant, OSFS, who served at Salesianum School in a variety of roles, including academic dean and principal. The alleged abuse occurred during his service as dean. Fr. Grant died in 1993.

The Oblates strongly encourage anyone who has been sexually exploited or abused by a priest, religious brother or sister, or any lay person employed by their community to seek help, and to report the abuse to law enforcement authorities and to the Oblates. The Oblates reiterate their commitment to care for the emotional, pastoral, and spiritual well-being of those who have suffered abuse by their members. If you or someone you know has been a victim of child sexual abuse, the Oblates urge you to contact the police and Ms. Kate McCauley, victim’s assistance coordinator for the Oblates, at 703-525-1555.
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Contact: Rev. Kevin M. Nadolski, OSFS
Director of Communications
(mobile) 202-498-6000
knadolski@oblates.org

Victims of Abuse Invited to Come Forward
Having learned of an allegation of sexual abuse of a minor by the late Rev. John McDevitt, the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales announce the places and dates of his various ministry assignments and ask anyone who may have been abused by him to contact us.

The Oblates are committed to caring for the pastoral, emotional, and spiritual well-being of anyone abused by an Oblate of St. Francis de Sales. Please contact Ms. Kate McCauley, victim assistance coordinator, at 703-525-1555, and she will help to begin a process of healing.

Assignments of Rev. John M. McDevitt, OSFS
Born: 03-12-1924
Ordained: 10-01-1966
Died: 10-03-1999
1967 – 1968: Salesianum School, Wilmington, DE

1968 – 1980: Northeast Catholic High School, Philadelphia, PA

1980 – 1982: Bishop McDevitt High School, Harrisburg, PA

1982 – 1989: Salesianum School, Wilmington, DE

1989 – 1994: Father Judge High School, Philadelphia, PA

1994 – 1999: Villa St. Joseph Retirement Home, Pittsgrove, NJ

The Wilmington-Philadelphia Province of the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales is fully accredited by Praesidium, a Texas-based independent national leader in abuse risk management. This agency requires compliance with 25 standards, from reporting and investigation of abuse allegations to education and background screening of members. The Oblates continue to be in full compliance with these standards.

Contact: Rev. Kevin M. Nadolski, OSFS
Director of Communications
(mobile) 202-498-6000
knadolski@oblates.org

Oblates Respond to Latest Allegation
April 23, 2009—Wilmington, DE—Rev. James J. Greenfield, OSFS, provincial of the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales, today expressed his profound sorrow at the filing of another lawsuit that alleges sexual abuse in the 1980’s against Rev. Dennis Killion, OSFS, a priest in the religious community.

“The accumulation of these lawsuits speaks to the pain felt among the people who allege abuse,” Fr. Greenfield said. “Regardless of how long ago people may have been abused, we are responsible for healing their suffering if our brothers caused their pain. I stand by what I have said about the earlier lawsuits: If these allegations are true, we will offer our full apology to the victims because healing is essential to justice, and sexual abuse is wrong and cannot be tolerated,” he said.

“It is clear to me that there was not a culture of trust 25 years ago when these actions were alleged to have occurred.” Fr. Greenfield said. “As church leaders, we Oblates see the urgency of building this trust among our students, alumni, and parishioners through our commitment to healing and the safety and protection of young people today. This is central to our mission of the Gospel,” he said.

This newest lawsuit, John BM Doe v. Killion, et al., filed today in New Castle County Court, brings the number of plaintiffs to eleven of those who have alleged sexual abuse against Killion. All of these allegations are claimed to have occurred during the same time as those named in the prior suits when the plaintiffs were all high school students at Salesianum School in Wilmington, DE.

The Wilmington-Philadelphia Province of the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales, the province to which Fr. Killion belongs, is fully accredited by Praesidium, a Texas-based independent national leader in abuse risk management. This agency requires compliance with 25 standards, from reporting and investigation of abuse allegations to education and background screening of members. The Oblates continue to be in full compliance with these standards.

Fr. Killion lives at the religious community’s retirement facility in Childs, MD, where he was assigned after the first lawsuit was filed last summer. “Respecting the standards that protect children from abuse, we immediately removed Fr. Killion from ministry in August when the first lawsuit was filed. We are fully cooperating with the legal process where both parties discover the facts of the case,” Fr. Greenfield said.

“The accreditation process required all of us Oblates to be trained, and our policies of admitting and practices of training new members to be evaluated to ensure protection from any sort of abuse,” Fr. Greenfield said.

“As pastors in the Church, we safeguard our responsibility to care for all people, especially children and young people. This is a central dimension of the Gospel that we are committed to,” he said.

The Oblates strongly encourage anyone who has been sexually exploited or abused by a priest, religious brother or sister, or any lay person employed by their community to seek help, and to report the abuse to law enforcement authorities and to the Oblates. The Oblates reiterate their commitment to care for the emotional, pastoral, and spiritual well-being of those who have suffered abuse by their members. If you or someone you know has been a victim of child sexual abuse, the Oblates urge you to contact the police and Ms. Kate McCauley, victim’s assistance coordinator for the Oblates, at 703-525-1555.

The Oblates of St. Francis de Sales is a religious community of priests and brothers who serves to connect the Gospel with the lives of people in the gentle and humble example of their patron, St. Francis de Sales. The Wilmington-Philadelphia Province works in schools, parishes, and other ministries from Boston to Southwest Florida.
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Contact: Rev. Kevin M. Nadolski, OSFS
Director of Communications
(mobile) 202-498-6000
knadolski@oblates.org

Oblates Respond to Latest Allegations
April 16, 2009—Wilmington, DE—Rev. James J. Greenfield, OSFS, provincial of the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales, today repeated his heartache at the filing of additional lawsuits that allege sexual abuse in the 1980’s against Rev. Dennis Killion, OSFS, a priest in the religious community.

“Even though these incidents of sexual misconduct are alleged to have occurred a quarter of a century ago, they still can cause pain today,” Fr. Greenfield said. “If people are in pain because of the misdeeds of our brothers from years ago, we will work to heal their suffering today. As I have said with the former suits, if these allegations are true, we will offer our full apology to the victims because healing is essential to justice, and sexual abuse is wrong and cannot be tolerated,” he said.

“While we continue to work hard to ensure the safety of children and young people today, we do have a responsibility to heal those abused in past years,” Fr. Greenfield said. “Obviously, the limits of the legal system prevent active efforts to reach out to the alleged victims now, but we are no less committed to this healing. In fact, such action impels all Church leaders to build a culture of trust among our people,” he said.

These newest lawsuits, John BS Doe v. Killion, et al. and Kevin P. Cuff v. Killion, et al., filed today in New Castle County Court, bring the number of plaintiffs to ten of those who have alleged sexual abuse against Killion. All of these allegations are claimed to have occurred during the same time as those named in the prior suits when the plaintiffs were all high school students at Salesianum School in Wilmington, DE.

The Kevin P. Cuff v. Killion, et al. suit also alleges sexual misconduct against a deceased Oblate priest, Rev. John McDevitt, who died in October 1999.

Fr. Killion lives at the religious community’s retirement facility in Childs, MD, where he was assigned after the first lawsuit was filed last summer. “Respecting the standards that protect children from abuse, we immediately removed Fr. Killion from ministry in August when the first lawsuit was filed. We are fully cooperating with the legal process where both parties discover the facts of the case,” Fr. Greenfield said.

The Wilmington-Philadelphia Province of the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales, the province to which Fr. Killion belongs, is fully accredited by Praesidium, a Texas-based independent national leader in abuse risk management. This agency requires compliance with 25 standards, from reporting and investigation of abuse allegations to education and background screening of members. The Oblates continue to be in full compliance with these standards.

“The accreditation process required all of us Oblates to be trained, and our policies of admitting and practices of training new members to be evaluated to ensure protection from any sort of abuse,” Fr. Greenfield said.

“As pastors in the Church, we safeguard our responsibility to care for all people, especially children and young people. This is a central dimension of the Gospel that we are committed to,” he said.

The Oblates strongly encourage anyone who has been sexually exploited or abused by a priest, religious brother or sister, or any lay person employed by their community to seek help, and to report the abuse to law enforcement authorities and to the Oblates. The Oblates reiterate their commitment to care for the emotional, pastoral, and spiritual well-being of those who have suffered abuse by their members. If you or someone you know has been a victim of child sexual abuse, the Oblates urge you to contact the police and Ms. Kate McCauley, victim’s assistance coordinator for the Oblates, at 703-525-1555.

The Oblates of St. Francis de Sales is a religious community of priests and brothers who serves to connect the Gospel with the lives of people in the gentle and humble example of their patron, St. Francis de Sales. The Wilmington-Philadelphia Province works in schools, parishes, and other ministries from Boston to Southwest Florida.
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Contact: Rev. Kevin M. Nadolski, OSFS
Director of Communications
(mobile) 202-498-6000
knadolski@oblates.org

Oblates Respond to Latest Allegations
April 1, 2009—Wilmington, DE—Rev. James J. Greenfield, OSFS, provincial of the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales, today voiced his heartache at learning of additional alleged instances of sexual abuse in the 1980s against Rev. Dennis Killion, OSFS, a priest in the religious community.

These two lawsuits, John SJ Doe v. Killion, et al. and Patrick J. Kenney v. Killion, et al., filed yesterday in New Castle County Court, bring the number of plaintiffs to eight of those who have alleged sexual abuse against Killion. All of these allegations are claimed to have occurred during the same time as those named in the prior suits when the plaintiffs were all high school students at Salesianum School in Wilmington, DE.

“I am sad and devastated to learn of these recent allegations,” Fr. Greenfield said. “We take seriously anyone who alleges sexual misconduct against an Oblate priest or brother, and we remove that man from ministry and work to learn the facts. If these allegations are true, we will offer our full apology to those victims in the case because healing is essential to justice, and sexual abuse is wrong and cannot be tolerated,” he said.

“These allegations are disturbing on many levels, but two reasons are chief among them,” Fr. Greenfield said. “First, if these are true, it is devastating to know that this could happen to any young person. Such dreadful things should never occur in the lives of our youth. Second, this points to the need for a culture of trust whose absence may have caused these men to suffer for 20 years,” he said.

“As ministers entrusted with leadership in the Church, especially since these scandals have broken, I believe we Oblates are working to build the necessary culture of trust in our schools and parishes. I will continue to cooperate with all processes—legal and pastoral—to understand all the dimensions of what is necessary to bring healing and peace to anyone abused by an Oblate,” he said.

As a result of an earlier lawsuit filed last summer alleging abuse against Fr. Killion, Fr. Greenfield has assigned him to the religious community’s retirement facility in Childs, MD, where he remains. “Respecting the standards that protect children from abuse, we immediately removed Fr. Killion from ministry in August when the first lawsuit was filed. We are fully cooperating with the legal process where both parties discover the facts of the case,” Fr. Greenfield said.

The Wilmington-Philadelphia Province of the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales, the province to which Fr. Killion belongs, is fully accredited by Praesidium, a Texas-based independent national leader in abuse risk management. This agency requires compliance with 25 standards, from reporting and investigation of abuse allegations to education and background screening of members. The Oblates continue to be in full compliance with these standards.

“The accreditation process required all of us Oblates to be trained, and our policies of admitting and practices of training new members to be evaluated to ensure protection from any sort of abuse,” Fr. Greenfield said.

“As pastors in the Church, we safeguard our responsibility to care for all people, especially children and young people. This is a central dimension of the Gospel that we are committed to,” he said.

The Oblates strongly encourage anyone who has been sexually exploited or abused by a priest, religious brother or sister, or any lay person employed by their community to seek help, and to report the abuse to law enforcement authorities and to the Oblates. The Oblates reiterate their commitment to care for the emotional, pastoral, and spiritual well-being of those who have suffered abuse by their members. If you or someone you know has been a victim of child sexual abuse, the Oblates urge you to contact the police and Ms. Kate McCauley, victim’s assistance coordinator for the Oblates, at 703-525-1555.

The Oblates of St. Francis de Sales is a religious community of priests and brothers who serves to connect the Gospel with the lives of people in the gentle and humble example of their patron, St. Francis de Sales. The Wilmington-Philadelphia Province works in schools, parishes, and other ministries from Boston to Southwest Florida.
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Contact: Rev. Kevin M. Nadolski, OSFS
Director of Communications
(mobile) 202-498-6000
knadolski@oblates.org

Oblate Provincial Responds to Recent Allegations against
Rev. Dennis Killion, OSFS
February 4, 2009-Wilmington, DE-Rev. James J. Greenfield, OSFS, provincial of the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales, today repeated his regret and sadness at learning of an additional alleged instance of sexual abuse in the 1980's against Rev. Dennis Killion, OSFS, a priest in the religious community. As a result of two previous lawsuits filed in August and September 2008 that alleged abuse against Fr. Killion, Fr. Greenfield has assigned him to the religious community?s retirement facility in Childs, MD, where he remains.

The allegations, listed in the lawsuit, Joseph P. Duffany v. Killion, et al., filed today in New Castle County Court, add a sixth plaintiff alleging sexual abuse as those named in the August suit when they were all high school students at Salesianum School in Wilmington, DE, in the 1980's.

"Our sadness and regret are deepened today as we hear that there may be another victim of abuse caused by one of us Oblates," Fr. Greenfield said. "We remain committed to protecting children from harm and abuse, and we are cooperating with the legal process to determine how best to heal from the suffering that may have been caused by the allegations against Fr. Killion."

"Respecting the standards that protect children from abuse, we immediately removed Fr. Killion from ministry in August when the first lawsuit was filed. We are fully cooperating with the legal process where both parties discover the facts of the case," Fr. Greenfield said.

The Wilmington-Philadelphia Province of the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales, the province to which Fr. Killion belongs, is fully accredited by Praesidium, a Texas-based independent national leader in abuse risk management. This agency requires compliance with 25 standards, from reporting and investigation of abuse allegations to education and background screening of members. The Oblates continue to be in full compliance with these standards.

"The accreditation process required all of us Oblates to be trained, and our policies of admitting and practices of training new members to be evaluated to ensure protection from any sort of abuse," Fr. Greenfield said.

"As pastors in the Church, we safeguard our responsibility to care for all people, especially children and young people. This is an essential dimension of the Gospel that we are committed to," he said.

The Oblates strongly encourage anyone who has been sexually exploited or abused by a priest, religious brother or sister, or any lay person employed by their community to seek help, and to report the abuse to law enforcement authorities and to the Oblates. The Oblates reiterate their commitment to care for the emotional, pastoral, and spiritual well-being of those who have suffered abuse by their members. If you or someone you know has been a victim of child sexual abuse, the Oblates urge you to contact the police and Ms. Kate McCauley, victim's assistance coordinator for the Oblates, at 703-525-1555.

The Oblates of St. Francis de Sales is a religious community of priests and brothers who serves to connect the Gospel with the lives of people in the gentle and humble example of their patron, St. Francis de Sales. The Wilmington-Philadelphia Province works in schools, parishes, and other ministries from Boston to Southwest Florida.
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Contact: Rev. Kevin M. Nadolski, OSFS
Director of Communications
(mobile) 202-498-6000
knadolski@oblates.org

Oblates Respond to Latest Allegation
September 9, 2008-Wilmington, DE-Rev. James Greenfield, OSFS, provincial of the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales, today expressed his regret and sadness at learning of another alleged instance of sexual abuse in the 1980's against Rev. Dennis Killion, OSFS, a priest in the religious community. As a result of an earlier lawsuit filed last month alleging abuse against Fr. Killion, Fr. Greenfield has assigned him to the religious community's retirement facility in Childs, MD, where he remains.

The allegations, listed in the lawsuit, James Marsilii v. Killion, et al., filed today in New Castle County Court, adds a fifth plaintiff alleging sexual abuse during the same year as those named in the August suit when they were all high school students at Salesianum School in Wilmington, DE, in 1986.

"We take seriously anyone who alleges sexual misconduct against an Oblate priest or brother, and we remove that man from ministry and work to learn the facts," Fr. James J. Greenfield, OSFS, said. "If these allegations are true, we will offer our full apology to those victims in the case because sexual abuse is wrong and cannot be tolerated," he said.

"Respecting the standards that protect children from abuse, we immediately removed Fr. Killion from ministry in August when the first lawsuit was filed. We are fully cooperating with the legal process where both parties discover the facts of the case," Fr. Greenfield said.

The Wilmington-Philadelphia Province of the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales, the province to which Fr. Killion belongs, is fully accredited by Praesidium, a Texas-based independent national leader in abuse risk management. This agency requires compliance with 25 standards, from reporting and investigation of abuse allegations to education and background screening of members. The Oblates continue to be in full compliance with these standards.

"The accreditation process required all of us Oblates to be trained, and our policies of admitting and practices of training new members to be evaluated to ensure protection from any sort of abuse," Fr. Greenfield said.

"As pastors in the Church, we safeguard our responsibility to care for all people, especially children and young people. This is an essential dimension of the Gospel that we are committed to," he said.

The Oblates strongly encourage anyone who has been sexually exploited or abused by a priest, religious brother or sister, or any lay person employed by their community to seek help, and to report the abuse to law enforcement authorities and to the Oblates. The Oblates reiterate their commitment to care for the emotional, pastoral, and spiritual well-being of those who have suffered abuse by their members. If you or someone you know has been a victim of child sexual abuse, the Oblates urge you to contact the police and Ms. Kate McCauley, victim's assistance coordinator for the Oblates, at 703-525-1555.

The Oblates of St. Francis de Sales is a religious community of priests and brothers who serves to connect the Gospel with the lives of people in the gentle and humble example of their patron, St. Francis de Sales. The Wilmington-Philadelphia Province works in schools, parishes, and other ministries from Boston to Southwest Florida.
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Contact: Rev. Kevin M. Nadolski, OSFS
Director of Communications
(mobile) 202-498-6000
knadolski@oblates.org

Oblates Remove Priest After Allegations of Abuse
August 4, 2008-Wilmington, DE-The Provincial of the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales today placed Rev. Dennis Killion, OSFS, on administrative leave after learning this morning about a lawsuit alleging abuse by the priest when he was a teacher at Salesianum School in Wilmington, DE. Fr. Killion has been assigned to the religious community's retirement facility in Childs, MD, pending an investigation.

Fr. Killion had completed his ministry assignment at Bishop Verot High School in Ft. Myers, FL, and was preparing to work as an assistant pastor at St. Bede Church, Bucks County, PA. This parish assignment has been withdrawn.

"I have assigned Fr. Killion to our retirement center so that we may complete the necessary investigation," Fr. James J. Greenfield, OSFS, said. "Respecting the standards that protect children from abuse, we immediately removed him from ministry and will authorize an independent investigation to learn the facts surrounding the allegations," Fr. Greenfield said.

The Wilmington-Philadelphia Province of the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales, the province to which Fr. Killion belongs, is fully accredited by Praesidium, a Texas-based independent national leader in abuse risk management. This agency requires compliance with 25 standards, from reporting and investigation of abuse allegations to education and background screening of members. The Oblates continue to be in full compliance with these standards.

"The accreditation process required all of us Oblates to be trained, and our policies of admitting and practices of training new members to be evaluated to ensure protection from any sort of abuse," Fr. Greenfield said. Prior to his recent election as Provincial, Fr. Greenfield led the Oblates through the accreditation process.

"Allegations of abuse by our members are taken seriously, and if they are determined to be true, that priest or brother is no longer able to minister in the name of the Oblates," Fr. Greenfield said. "As pastors in the Church, we safeguard our responsibility to care for all people, especially children and young people. This is an essential dimension of the Gospel that we are committed to," he said.

The Oblates strongly encourage anyone who has been sexually exploited or abused by a priest, religious brother or sister, or any lay person employed by their community to seek help, and to report the abuse to law enforcement authorities and to the Oblates. The Oblates reiterate their commitment to care for the emotional, pastoral, and spiritual well-being of those who have suffered abuse by their members.

The Oblates of St. Francis de Sales is a religious community of priests and brothers who serves to connect the Gospel with the lives of people in the gentle and humble example of their patron, St. Francis de Sales. The Wilmington-Philadelphia Province works in schools, parishes, and other ministries from Boston to Southwest Florida.
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