Columbus Diocese adds 8 names to priest sex-abuse list
Posted on: April 10, 2020 Catholic Church Sexual Abuse
In September of 2019 the Roman Catholic Diocese of Columbus Ohio added the names of eight priests who have been “credibly accused” of sexual abuse of minors to their published list. This brings the total number on their list to 48. Those eight new clergy added include:
- Revs. John J. Gamba
- Stuart Campbell
- Joseph Herlihy
- James Kilkenny
- Thomas McCarthy
- Joseph McGuiness
- Robert Pelkington
- John Powers
The majority of the eight names added to the list are in the category of “extern” which covers clergy members who served in Columbus but were accused of abuse elsewhere. Of the eight added to the list, Rev. John J. Gamba is the only one accused of clergy sexual abuse while serving in Columbus. All eight, except for Gamba, served in the Order of Dominican Friars Province of St. Joseph and all have died. The Columbus Diocese Credibly Accused List was first released on March 1, 2019 and had 34 names on it. Two additional names were added on March 5, 2019 and another four on May 23, 2019.
The Rev. Carleton Jones, also a member of the Dominican Order was not included on the list. He was recently accused in a lawsuit of molesting an 8-year-old boy in New York City about 30 years ago. The suit was filed on Aug 21, 2019 in New York Supreme Court. Rev. Jones served at St. Patrick Catholic Church in Columbus from 1992 to 1995.
Monsignor Robert Brown was recategorized on the Columbus list. Originally, he was listed in the category of outside clergy members who served in the diocese but were accused elsewhere. He has been placed in the category of clergy members who became priests in the Diocese of Columbus and were accused after their deaths. Monsignor Brown was accused of sexual abuse in a parish that was part of the diocese at the time. That parish moved in 1944 into the newly created Diocese of Steubenville.
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Columbus also announced on its website, and in its publication The Catholic Times, that it is creating a task force to review practices related to sexual abuse.
Advocates are also calling for names to be added and for more information about the listed priests to be included. Specifically, they would like to see the priest’s assignment history in the diocese and their current location if they are not deceased.
The entire article can be viewed here.
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