Disclosure of priest’s record urged
A national victim's advocacy group is calling for Catholic Church officials in Nevada to make public the records of a former Las Vegas priest convicted of sexually assaulting boys in Milwaukee.
Chicago-based Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, or SNAP, demanded that Catholic Church officials in Nevada determine whether John Patrick Feeney victimized anyone during his brief time in Las Vegas in the 1980s.
Feeney, now 81, was convicted in 2004 of sexually assaulting two adolescent brothers in Wisconsin in 1978 and is serving a 15-year sentence.
"The bishop here has a duty to reach out to anyone who might have been hurt and encourage them to report any information they may know to the police," said SNAP President Barbara Blaine at a news conference outside the Guardian Angel Cathedral in Las Vegas.
Blaine said she didn't know of any allegations against Feeney while he worked here.
She provided documents -- which could not be authenticated by the Review-Journal -- that indicate Wisconsin church officials knew of Feeney's past when they moved him to more than a dozen churches.
The two brothers molested by the priest filed a lawsuit Wednesday in Wisconsin alleging that the overseeing diocese knew Feeney had a history of abusing children, but allowed him to continue working there as a priest.
Blaine said Bishop Joseph Pepe, the head of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Las Vegas, has "fostered a climate of secrecy and loyalty" among priests in Southern Nevada.
Rachel Wilkinson, a spokeswoman for the Las Vegas Diocese, confirmed that Feeney worked at St. Francis De Sales in 1984 and with the prison ministries through St. Joan of Arc in 1986, both in Las Vegas.
She said she knew of no allegations against Feeney during his time in Las Vegas. She did not know when Feeney stopped working in Las Vegas or the circumstances surrounding his departure.
Wilkinson said local church officials will help if any victim comes forward. "If people come forward, they'll act appropriately on those allegations," Wilkinson said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report. Contact reporter Antonio Planas at aplanas@reviewjournal.com or (702) 383-4638.
