SNAP 

The other day as I was trying to ignore the irritating noise of a leaf blower outside my window I thought, “Sometimes it takes making a lot of noise to get things cleaned up”
That’s one lesson I’ve learned over the past couple of years! That ‘s why I’m here today--to make some noise that will be irritating enough to lead to clean-up action by church leaders in this diocese. 

Once I had exhausted all “inside” tracks to getting my concerns addressed regarding outreach to victims of Fr. Rodrigue in the San Bernardino Diocese, I finally MADE SOME NOISE and told my story to the press. Suddenly the Diocese of San Bernardino did what I had been asking them to do for almost a year, namely notifying the parishes where Anthony Rodrigue had lived or worked!! I hope speaking to you today will have a similar positive effect here in this diocese.

I met Anthony Rodrigue, Fr. Tony to me, in 1976 when I was helping out at Our Lady of Soledad Parish in Coachella. I was told he had a history of molesting little boys, was to be kept away from children and was a guest in the rectory while he waited to enter a rehabilitation center. Boys often came to the rectory door asking for him. One of the priests complained about Fr. Tony taking neighborhood boys out for drives.

In the spring of 2002 I read about a woman in southern CA who reported being sexually assaulted by a priest. She was told by church officials they couldn’t help her since the priest in question was a visitor or guest, and they had no way of verifying who he was. 
That’s when a light went on in my head! I knew Fr. Tony was also a “guest” passing through - not officially assigned to Our Lady of Soledad Parish and I knew it was likely he had molested boys there. So I wrote to Bishop Barnes about this priest possibly named “Anthony” whose last name I couldn’t remember. I simply wanted to connect his name with Our Lady of Soledad Parish for the sake of any victims who might come forward.

In the course of my quest, first for information and later for outreach to victims, I experienced many of the now “classic” tactics clergy abuse survivors have described for years: forgetting to follow up, stalling, claiming lack of access to files, ignoring, even questioning my sanity..... It took 10 months for Msgr. Lopez, Vicar General, Head of Priest Personnel, Moderator of the Curia to finally verify Rodrigue’s presence in 1976 at OL S through an on-site check of parish records, Something that could have been accomplished in a few minutes by a simple phone call to the pastor or parish secretary. Not only did he drag his feet in checking the records, he failed to inform the current pastor of what he had found!!

Msgr. Lopez told me a year ago that he could not give me a list of parish assignments of Fr. Rodrigue because he had to go through the Chancellor of San Diego to get that information. About a month ago, in an article in the Riverside Press Enterprise, I read that Chancellor Rodrigo Valdivia declined to comment on the Rodrigue case SAYING THAT RODRIGUE’S RECORDS WERE TURNED OVER TO SAN. B. IN 1978 WHEN THE D. OF S.B. WAS FORMED. I was surprised to read further that the San Bernardino diocese is now saying they sent copies of the files on Rodrigue back to S.D. in early Feb. of this year --2004!!!! 

Well, I sure don’t know who has the files! But If I have been able to find information on Rodrigue, I doubt that access to files is really a problem in either diocese!

Today WE are doing what the bishops seem unwilling to do--
--Telling the story of Fr. Anthony Rodrigue’s victimization of young Catholic boys for decades.
We do this for the sake of those he abused-- most of whom have been ignored by church leaders for too many years as this story has somehow been kept quiet.

Those who were sexually abused as children by Fr. Tony may believe they are isolated cases OR that they were somehow to blame for what was done to them. They may have been intimidated to remain silent.,They may have even been called liars or troublemakers when they tried to tell what happened to them. 
Parents, parish volunteers, church secretaries, rectory housekeepers, nuns and fellow priests may have been assured he would be taken out of circulation, but instead he was sent on to other parishes where his record wasn’t known and was given access to more children.

Rodrigue’s many transfers and his multiple stays at rehabilitation clinics prove his transgressions were well known by his superiors. By his own admission Fr. Rodrigue victimized over a hundred young boys!! 

I wish that Bishop Brom and Bishop Barnes were standing here today to give you this information! Acknowledging the truth of this awful story would help survivors.  It would show respect for the people of the Church. It would be a historic demonstration of the bishops’ active commitment to accountability and transparency. 

It is clear now that the Bishops Buddy and Furey in San Diego knew Fr. Anthony Rodrigue was a child molester in the 1960’s. In 1976 when I was told that he abused little boys, Bishop Maher was aware of his history.  Bishop Straling in the Diocese of San Bernardino knew about Rodrigue’s history when he was arrested in 1979 and when he was laicized in 1992. Bishop Barnes knew he was a serial sexual predator when he was arrested in 1997 and sent to jail in 1998. Before I ever contacted the diocese of San Bernardino in 2002, Rodrigue’s history was well known among diocesan official and was even mentioned to the press after a “complete and exhaustive review” of priest personnel records was conducted, going back 50 years. In early 2003 they knew exactly which child abusing priest I might be talking about, and tried to convince me otherwise.

Now in 2004 Mr. Valdivia has declined to speak about a case that affects a lot of people who probably still live in this diocese. It’s time to specifically acknowledge the harm done by Anthony Rodrigue and also by Church leaders who for decades failed to take action to protect innocent children. It’s past time to end the silence and to stop making excuses. It’s time to act like pastors who are concerned with finding and making amends to these victim/ survivors and their families.
 

"Whistleblower" Catholic Employee Assigned To Monitor Serial Child Molester Blasts Bishop

SNAP to Bishop Brom, “Protect Kids, Not Abusers”

WHAT:  Holding signs, the, brother of convicted abusive priest and a courageous Catholic "whistleblower" employee will hold a news conference and hand deliver a letter urging Bishop Brom to reach out to find all the victims of Tony Rodrigue and others hurt by abusers in the church. 

WHEN:  Wednesday, March 31st, Noon

WHERE: Outside San Diego Catholic Chancery,  3888 Paducah Dr San Diego, CA

WHO: The brother of a convicted child molester, a brave Catholic "whistleblower" employee, and victims of clergy sexual abuse and their supporters who are also members of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, the nations largest support group for men and women victimized by clergy

 DETAILS:
Tom Rodrigue, brother of the convicted molester, Fr. Tony Rodrigue, will talk about what he alleges the San Diego church officials knew about his brother's criminal behavior. 

A Catholic employee, Margaret Schettler of Tarzana, CA, was once assigned to help monitor Rodrigue. She will speak out about how San Diego church leaders covered up Rodrigue's crimes.  San Diego and San Bernadino church officials repeatedly rebuffed her efforts learn about this molester and find other victims still trapped in shame and silence.  (see Washington Post, Jan 3, 2004, Section C)

Rodrigue has admitted to molesting more than 150 victims, but only 20 have filed lawsuits.  After his first conviction, he was not laicized. Numerous complaints were made early in his ministry and church leaders simply transferred Rodrigue from parish to parish giving him access to more children.  The group hopes to persuade anyone who suspects, witnessed or experienced abuse to contact criminal authorities, expose molesters and protect kids.
 

CONTACT:

Jaime Romo, San Diego SNAP leader 760 519-0823 cell 
Mary Grant, Western Regional Director 626 419-2930 cell
David Clohessy, National Director314-566-9790