Category:Vermont Dioceses

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Vermont Dioceses General

Vermont investigation Attorney General's office of Vermont investigated charges of misconduct against eight recently practicing priests. No report.

Diocese of Burlington

• See also Diocese of Burlington embezzlement

Diocese of Burlington State-wide diocese.

Diocese of Burlington abuse First reported the diocese had received “a few” allegations of abuse against priests, all dating back decades, 1 January 2002. Then in June 2002, Bishop Angell announced he had allowed six accused priests to stay on the job in Vermont, then later gave their names to the state attorney general and suspended them. He would not identify them publicly. Vermont’s Roman Catholic Church has not cooperated fully with the state’s investigation into abuse allegations against church employees, while the church became more forthcoming than it had originally announced it would be, “we have not gotten everything we’ve asked for,” Attorney General William Sorrell said, 13 July 2002. Sorrell said there appeared to be gaps in some of the documents the church has provided to state investigators looking into sexual abuse allegations against 20 priests. National Audit found credible allegations of sexual abuse against 25 Vermont priests, 14 February 2004.

Diocese of Burlington settlements Diocese spent more than $400,000 to settle claims of sexual abuse by its priests 2003-04.

Diocese of Burlington lawsuits Faces at least 10 priest misconduct lawsuits seeking liens on church property that could total up to $30 million.

1. Misconduct lawsuits 17 new priest misconduct lawsuits, charging five former Vermont priests with child sexual abuse, for up to $1 million, March 2006.
2. Gay settlement Michael Gay of South Burlington was paid $965,000 to settle his molestation claim, 20 April 2006.
3. Morrissette settlement Diocese agreed to a $135,000 settlement to resolve claims brought by Neil Morrissette of St. Johnsbury, April 2007.

Diocesan lawyer withdraws Longtime lawyer for the diocese, who faced possible sanctions for alleged misconduct in a suit charging sex abuse by a priest, withdrew from the case. Jerome O'Neill, the lawyer representing people who have charged they were sexually abused by Vermont priests, had asked the court to impose penalties on O'Brien, saying the lawyer who had represented the diocese for 16 years had “willfully” hid church documents and ignored requests to find diocesan paperwork that O'Neill had a right to see, 20 November 2006.

Kane affair Rev. Thomas Kane of Whitinsville, Mass., church therapist hired by Vermont's Roman Catholic diocese to treat the Rev. Edward Paquette for fondling boys in Burlington in the 1970s was himself a child molester, engaging in sex acts with an Uxbridge, Mass., boy for nine years, beginning in 1968 and ending in 1977. At the time of the alleged sexual abuse, Kane was executive director of the House of Affirmation in Whitinsville, where Paquette was sent to be treated in 1974 after the Vermont diocese learned he had molested two boys in Rutland.

(alphabetical listing)

[25 offenders identified, 9 listed]

Anon affair Vermont’s Catholic diocese heard of an unpublicized case of a man who says a priest sexually abused him as an altar boy in the late 1960s and early 1970s, March 2003.

McShane affair Rev. James J. McShane of Rutland confirmed he had been placed on leave, June 2002, having been accused of abuse of boy, sued 2002. Diocese settled for $120,000 spring 2004.

Madden case Rev. Michael K. Madden (d. 2000) convicted of lewd conduct with minor 1989.

Milanese affair Rev. John Milanese of Randolph confirmed he had been placed on leave, June 2002.

Paquette affair Rev. Edward O. Paquette, formerly a priest accused of molesting “hundreds of boys” in Mansfield and New Bedford while the diocese shuffled him between parishes. In 1963, after serving first at St. Mary Church in Mansfield, the priest was removed from his post at St. Kilian's Church in New Bedford by Bishop James L. Connolly of the Diocese of Fall River, “for reasons of a most grave nature and the attending scandal.” The move followed a series of allegations brought to the bishop's attention that involved more than a dozen boys.

1. Burlington period Burlington recruited Paquette in 1972 even though there were allegations he had molested boys in Indiana. Paquette worked in Burlington, Montpelier and Rutland from 1972 to 1978, before being stripped of his priestly duties and sent into forced retirement in 1980. Police investigation into the priest's activities met a dead end when St. Kilian's parents refused to cooperate and finally when Rev. Paquette was suddenly removed. Paquette Jr. retired, but maintained his innocence.
2. Paquette lawsuit I Accused of abuse incidents in 1977 and 1978 in a civil lawsuit that contends the diocese knew Paquette had a history of molesting boys before it assigned him to the Burlington parish, church officials in Massachusetts warned Paquette about his behavior as early as 1963, filed against the diocese September 2004.
3. Paquette lawsuit II Sued again for abusing a second child in Vermont. “He was doing it with virtually every altar boy he could literally get his hands on," said attorney Jerome O'Neill of Burlington, Vt., who filed suit on behalf of the second former altar boy who says he was molested at Christ the King Church in the 1970s. "Edward Paquette probably molested hundreds of boys.” “I deny all the allegations until I talk to a lawyer,” he told the Burlington Free Press. “I'm innocent.”
   1. Anon accusation Former alter boy who attended Christ the King school suing in lawsuit II, testified he never reported his abuse because he believed that priests were the next thing to God. The 40-year-old man described for jurors the way he says Paquette would give him and other alter boys "pony rides," groping them and pressing them against his genitals.
   2. Babel accusation Former altar boy Perry Babel testified Paquette abused him dozens of times over a two-year period at Christ the King church in Burlington in the late 1970s
   3. Waitsfield man accusation As an altar boy at Christ the King Church in Burlington in 1977 and 1978, he was fondled by the Rev. Edward Paquette between 20 and 50 times.
4. John Doe accusation Montpelier altar boy he was repeatedly molested by the Rev. Edward Paquette in the mid-1970s. Settled July 2008.

Paulin affair Rev. George A. Paulin of Ludlow was a serial pedophile who exchanged victims with Rev. Richard R. Lavigne, of the Lavigne affair.

1. Lavigne connection Massachusetts priest Richard R. Lavigne, of the Lavigne affair, drove Babeu to Vermont to leave him alone with Paulin. Babeu has also filed a suit in Massachusetts against the Diocese of Springfield alleging that he was abused by Lavigne.
2. Morrissette accusation Neil Morrissette (1959-) of Newport alleges that Paulin sexually abused him when he was a 13-year-old member of his hometown St. Mary Star of the Sea Church in 1971-72. Paulin was the parish priest at St. Mary at the time. Under settlement terms, Morrissette will receive $120,000, 2007.
3. Babeu accusation Accused by Paul Babeu (1969-) that when he was 15 in late 1984 and early 1985, when he was taken by Rev. Richard R. Lavigne to northern Vermont where he was left overnight with the Rev. George Paulin. “I fought off his advances, Babeu testified, ‘Apparently Father Lavigne hasn’t broken you in,’ ” Paulin said. Babeu told Vermont’s Catholic diocese of his claim in 1987 and received a letter back saying it would “be taken seriously.” He went on to tell authorities in Massachusetts in 1993 and “they assured me they would inform officials in the state of Vermont.” Nothing was done until Paulin was put on administrative leave under the direction of Bishop Angell, June 2002. Settlement was made 15 October 2003.
4. Babeu accusation In 2003, the diocese paid $20,000 to settle a case brought by Paul Babeu of Massachusetts, who alleged Paulin sexually abused him in late 1984 and early 1985 during an overnight visit to a home in the Northeast Kingdom.

Ward affair Rev. Donal Ward of Vergennes confirmed he had been placed on leave, June 2002, admitted abuse, resigned 2002.

Willis affair Rev. Alfred Willis, former priest in Burlington, Milton and Montpelier, who Bishop John Marshall transferred from St. Augustine's Parish in Montpelier, despite allegations that the priest had engaged in sexual misconduct with boys during his time at that parish and in a previous assignment at St. Anthony's Parish in Burlington. Sued 2003, the diocese settled for $150,000, the largest such payment in state history, spring 2004.

1. Douglas accusation Willis was accused when he was at St. Ann's Parish in Milton, Vt., by Robert Douglas II of Burlington, Vt. of sexual abuse in 1979 when he was 13 and he sued the diocese in April 2002 which settled for $170,000 after the diocese agreed to sign a statement acknowledging it was warned that Willis was sexually involved with altar boys at parishes in Burlington and Montpelier before his transfer to a Milton parish in 1979.
2. Turner accusation James Turner, whose brother was a priest, claims that Rev. Alfred Willis performed a sex act on him in a Latham, NY, motel room when he was a teenager in 1977 and tried to molest him a second time at a home in Milton later that year. Turner settled out of court with Willis.
3. Anon accusation Civil trial jury determined that the Diocese fo Vermont did not protect a former teen parishioner from Rev. Willis three decades earlier, awarded $15,000, December 2007.
4. Perrotte accusation Former altar boy John Perrotte (1966-) was 14 years old in St. Anne's Parish in Milton when Willis sexually abused him, 1980. Civil case filed, January 2008.
5. Willis cover-up Willis was found guilty in 1981 of sexual offenses with minors by a secret canonical tribunal, removed from active ministry and defrocked in 1985. The diocese admitted in writing it knew Willis had faced sexual misconduct charges as early as seminary, but transferred him repeatedly without telling churchgoers of his problematic history, even when it asked the Vatican to defrock him after determining he was guilty of child abuse.

Wyhsolmerski affair Rev. Benjamin Wyhsolmerski (deceased) settled, alleged abuse.