Catholic Diocese of Baton Rouge names clergy credibly accused of sexually abusing minors

The Catholic Diocese of Baton Rouge named 37 clergy members who have faced credible accusations of sexual abuse involving children while serving in the diocese since its inception in 1961.

Bishop Michael Duca spoke to the media for over 30 minutes Thursday afternoon, naming the accused clergy members and explaining what the next steps are for the accused and their victims.

“This is not easy. No words to express the depth of shame,” Bishop Duca said before reading off the list of names of the accused.

The diocese named 24 clergy members that have been credibly accused of sexual abuse of minors:

John Berube, Clarence J Biggers, Daniel P Brady, Carmelo I Camenzuli, David W Chaloux, David J Clark, James P Clement, John Coyne, Daniel M Drinan, Bryan J Fontenot, James Funnel, George D Gensler, Antonio Gonzales, Bryan K Gray, Rodrigue A Hemond, Gerard J Howell, Myles J Kearney, Clyde B Landry, Daniel P Lemoine, Nicholas J Martrain, Salvador N (Butch) Moran, Jesse R Ortego, Christopher J Springer, and Joseph V Sullivan

“This is a dynamic list we will continue to update it as information comes in and add names if they arise in the future or if new information comes forward,” Bishop Duca said.

Duca said the diocese will offer counseling for victims. The phone number for the Diocesan 24-hour sexual abuse hotline is 225-242-0250.

“We journey with them if they wish us to journey with them,” he said.

The other 13 allegations result from clergy members that were either from another dioceses that was originally New Orleans or clergy members that had connections to the Baton Rouge area, but are not accused of impropriety in the Baton Rouge area.

Accused clergy members from the region that were once considered part of the New Orleans Diocese include Pierre C Cambiaire, John Franklin, Michael Hurley, Ralph Lawrence, Malcolm Strassel, and Lawrence Hecker.

Accused clergy members with ties to Baton Rouge, but who are not accused of abuse in Baton Rouge include Jody Blanchard, Thomas Naughton, C Richard Nowery, and Joseph Pelletieri.

The accused priests who are still alive were notified their names would be on the list.

Brennan Tomeny claims to have been abused in the 70s and 80s in Baton Rouge by one of the priests on the list.

“As long as it’s public and not hidden to people. As long as the issues that are facing the church are not hidden and not just getting over it and waiting til the next one comes along, that’s a happy time," said Tomeny after hearing Thursday’s press conference.

Bishop Michael Duca told reporters Thursday, Jan. 31 all of the cases have been turned over to Baton Rouge District Attorney Hillar Moore, regardless of whether the accused clergy member is now deceased or not.

DA Hillar Moore’s Office released a statement Thursday afternoon saying:

“You can get past it. It’s not easy. If you want the easy way out, sit in your room and do nothing and be miserable. If you want to get over it, get therapy,” Tomeny said. “Everyone says, ‘When’s it going to go away?’ and it’s never. Sometimes, other things happen that cause new things to come up, so it’s a continual process.”

Tomeny says dispute being abused, he still attends church.

“I’ve had some moving things happen in my life and I can’t attribute it to anything but God," he said. “I know where I need to be and I need to be in church every Sunday and a part of the church, helping it get better and not condemning it for everything wrong. There are good parts to it. There are good things that happen.”

The following statements will be read at all Sunday masses at St. Aloysius Parish and St. Thomas More Parish:

By releasing the names, the diocese joins more than 70 dioceses and Catholic religious organizations across the country, including both the

and the

in Louisiana, to release lists of clergymen accused of sexual abuse.

The independent review of allegations was announced Nov. 10 in a

issued on behalf of the diocese and Bishop Michael Duca.