The bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Cheyenne has published the names of 11 clergy who have "substantiated allegations of sexual abuse" of minors or vulnerable adults, including where they worked.

"Our clergy are expected to be shepherds who guard and protect the flock, especially the least among us," Bishop Steven Biegler wrote in the Wyoming Catholic Register on Wednesday.

"They are called to imitate the Good Shepherd who laid down his life for the sheep," Biegler wrote. "Therefore, sexual abuse by clergy is an appalling sin and a reprehensible crime. It contradicts everything we stand for. Each name on this list represents a betrayal of trust, a violation of the innocent and a human tragedy."

Among those listed is retired Bishop Joseph Hart.

In August, Biegler announced there was "credible and substantiate" evidence that a person came forward and alleged Hart abused him in 1980, making this the third instance of abuse. Hart, through his attorney Tom Jubin, has denied the allegation.

Biegler wrote that the Catholic Church has committed itself to transparency, that past suppression of names has led to clergy abusing more victims, and that priests have the unique role of being mediators between God and people.

"Transparency creates an atmosphere in which victims can breathe a sigh of relief and know that they can speak about this horrible experience," he wrote.

The Catholic Church has no official definition of "substantial allegation" of sexual abuse, but Biegler offered this definition -- "one which has been determined to have reasonable probability or even certainty based on a convincing level of proof" -- and six criteria:

  • If the accused has admitted to the conduct in whole or in part.
  • If victims speak with consistency while offering information about the alleged offender and other relevant facts.
  • If there is corroborating evidence.
  • If others offer knowledgeable testimony.
  • If multiple, independent allegations manifest similar patterns.
  • If there was prior grooming with sexual content; and other factors.

The diocese hired the Colorado Springs-based Nussbaum Spier PLLC, to review 303 files of diocesan records dating to 1950 of clergy: five bishops, 253 priests and 45 deacons.

"The Church has a responsibility to be transparent about sexual misconduct with minors by those in Church leadership, and I have an obligation to protect those entrusted to my pastoral care," Biegler wrote.

"At the same time, I have a responsibility to protect the good names of clergy, who have served with selfless dedication, from having their reputations harmed by sincere but unsubstantiated accusations," he wrote. "It is difficult to discern the truth of an event that allegedly happened decades ago, especially if the accused is deceased or the memories of others, who could have provided helpful information, have faded."

Biegler concluded his article with a call for prayer and healing: "During the next six months, I ask you to join me in praying for the healing of victims, for the repentance and forgiveness of abusers, and for the Catholic Church to become a place of healing for anyone who has been abused. Also, please pray for me and all bishops, that we may be granted wisdom, counsel, courage and hope."

This is the list of clergy determined to have had substantial allegations of sexual abuse:

CHLEBORAD, GERALD

Affiliation: Diocese of Cheyenne

Birth: 1934.

Ordination: 1960.

Status: Suspended, faculties removed, retired.

Reporting Victims: Three adolescent males.

Estimated Time of Abuse: 1984-1985, 1995, 2003.

Date(s) Reported: 1995, 2003, 2016.

Assignments:

  • St. Joseph, Cheyenne.
  • Holy Name, Sheridan.
  • St. Mary's Cheyenne.
  • St. Matthew, Gillette.
  • St. Joseph, Lovell.
  • St. John the Baptist, Buffalo.
  • St. Patrick, Kemmerer.
  • St. Margaret, Riverton.
  • Ss. Cyril & Methodius, Rock Springs.
  • Our Lady of the Mountains, Jackson.
  • St. Ann, Saratoga.

 

COLIBRARO, PHILIP

Birth: 1930.

Ordination: 1957.

Status: Deceased.

Reporting Victims: One adolescent male.
Estimated Time of Abuse: 1965.

Date(s) Reported: 2005.

Assignments:

  • Holy Name, Sheridan.
  • Our Lady of Sorrows, Rock Springs.
  • St. Patrick, Kemmerer.
  • St. Paul, Pine Bluffs.
  • Ss. Cyril & Methodius, Rock Springs.
  • St. Mary Magdalen, Evanston.
  • St. James, Douglas.
  • Our Lady of Fatima, Casper.

 

HART, JOSEPH

Affiliation: Diocese of Cheyenne.

Birth: 1931.

Ordination: 1956.

Status: Retired; Pope Francis imposed restrictions and authorized a penal process.

Reporting Victims: Three adolescent males.
Estimated Time of Abuse: 1977-1980.

Date(s) Reported: 2002, 2018.

Assignments:

  • Priest in the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph.
  • Auxiliary Bishop of Diocese of Cheyenne.
  • Ordinary Bishop of Diocese of Cheyenne.

 

JABLONOWSKI, ANTHONY

Affiliation: Diocese of Covington(1970 -1980), Diocese of Cheyenne (1980-2000), Diocese of Steubenville (2000 -2006).

Birth: 1937.

Ordination: 1970.

Status: Dismissed from clerical state and released from prison.

Reporting Victims: Four adolescent males.
Estimated Time of Abuse: 1983-1988.

Date(s) Reported: 2003.

Assignments:

  • St. Anthony, Guernsey.
  • Our Lady of Lourdes, Glendo.
  • St. Leo, Lusk.
  • Holy Rosary, Lander.

 

JOHN MURRAY

Affiliation: Diocese of Cheyenne.

Birth: 1933.

Ordination: 1960.

Status: Retired; prohibited from active ministry.

Reporting Victims: Two adolescent females.
Estimated Time of Abuse: 1976-1977.

Date(s) Reported: 2005.

Assignments:

  • St. Mary’s, Cheyenne.
  • St. Anthony, Casper.
  • Ss. Cyril & Methodius, Rock Springs.
  • Our Lady of Fatima, Casper.
  • St. Joseph, Cheyenne.
  • Our Lady of Peace, Pinedale.
  • St. Anthony, Guernsey.
  • St. Edmund, Ranchester.
  • Holy Name, Sheridan.
  • Holy Rosary, Lander.
  • St. Patrick, Wheatland.
  • Our Lady of Sorrows, Rock Springs.
  • St. Ann, Saratoga.
  • St. James, Douglas.
  • St. Patrick, Kemmerer.

 

PERONE (C.S.P.), ROCCO

Affiliation: Paulist Fathers.

Birth: 1920.

Ordination: 1949.

Status: Deceased.

Reporting Victims: One adolescent male. Others reported elsewhere. (See the Paulist Fathers website.)
Estimated Time of Abuse: 1957.

Date(s) Reported: 2002.

Assignments:

  • St. Anthony, Casper.

 

POWER, JAMES

Affiliation: Diocese of Cheyenne.

Birth: 1915.

Ordination: 1939.

Status: Deceased.

Reporting Victims: Five adolescent males.
Estimated Time of Abuse: 1958-1972.

Date(s) Reported: 1980, 2003.

Assignments:

  • St. Thomas, Monarch.
  • St. Matthew, Gillette.
  • St. John the Baptist, Buffalo.
  • St. Patrick, Casper.
  • St. Rose, Torrington.

 

PRADO, CLETUS

Affiliation: Diocese of Cheyenne.

Birth: 1928.

Ordination: 1958.

Status: Faculties removed; retired; deceased.

Reporting Victims: Two adolescent males.
Estimated Time of Abuse: 1958-1963; 1977-1978.

Date(s) Reported: 1993, 1999.

Assignments:

  •  St. Joseph, Rawlins.
  • Our Lady of Sorrows, Rock Springs.
  • St. Margaret, Riverton.
  • St. Barbara, Powell.
  • St. Paul, Sundance.
  • St. Anthony, Upton.
  • Corpus Christi, Newcastle.
  • Holy Rosary, Lander.
  • St. John the Baptist, Buffalo.
  • St. Patrick, Wheatland.
  • St. Mary Magdalen, Evanston.

 

TELLEZ, GEORGE

Affiliation: Diocese of Cheyenne.

Birth: 1935.

Ordination: 1961.

Status: Resigned from ministry to marry; laicized.

Reporting Victims: Three adolescent females.
Estimated Time of Abuse: 1966-1971.

Date(s) Reported: 2002, 2004.

Assignments:

  • St. Joseph, Rawlins.
  • Our Lady of Fatima, Casper.
  • Corpus Christi, Newcastle.
  • St. Laurence O’Toole, Laramie.
  • St. Edmund, Ranchester

 

GORMLY, CHARLES (Abused in the Diocese of Duluth)

Affiliation: Diocese of Cheyenne.

Birth: 1910.

Ordination: 1936.

Status: Deceased.

Reporting Victims: One preadolescent and four adolescent females.
Estimated Time of Abuse: 1960-1961.

Date(s) Reported: 2014.

Assignments:

  • Our Lady of Sorrows, Rock Springs.
  • St. Paul, Pine Bluffs.
  • Holy Rosary, Lander.
  • St. Laurence O’Toole, Laramie.

 

 

STOLCIS, RONALD ( Abuse of a vulnerable adult)

Affiliation: Diocese of Cheyenne.

Birth: 1942.

Ordination: 1968.

Status: Retired; restricted from public ministry.

Reporting Victim: One male.

Estimated time of abuse: 1995-1997.

Date(s) reported: 1997, 2002.

Assignments:

  • St. Barbara, Powell.
  • St. Anthony, Casper.
  • St. Margaret, Riverton.
  • Sacred Heart, Greybull.
  • St. Mary Magdalen, Worland.
  • Holy Name, Sheridan.

 

 

 

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