DENVER — A Denver-based Catholic order identified 13 friars with credible sexual abuse allegations against them Thursday.
The Capuchin Province of St. Conrad is based in Denver and covers Colorado, Kansas and Missouri. It also includes the diocese of Belleville, Peoria and Springfield in Illinois as well as two houses in San Antonio, Texas.
All of the allegations involve either a minor or a vulnerable adult.
Of the 13 friars accused, three are dead and four have left the order. One of the deceased left the order prior to his death. According to the order, none are in active ministry.
Nine of the 13 friars worked in Colorado. They were assigned to churches in the Denver and Colorado Springs areas.
In a press release published Thursday, Provincial Minister Fr. Christoper Popravak, O.F.M.Cap issued the following statement:
“As friars and followers of St. Francis of Assisi, our vocation is to serve as lesser brothers. Therefore, the abuse of a minor by someone in such a sacred position of trust is all the more egregious. I have personally met with numerous victims and can attest to the devastation wreaked upon their lives and those of their families. Though the words may ring hollow as many other Church leaders are voicing similar sentiments, I can only say that I am sorry from the depths of my heart. I have asked the friars of our Province to commit to serious penance and reparation on behalf of the misdeeds of our brothers and for the healing of victims. The results of the audit we are releasing today is only the first step in a new age of transparency. We are striving to be vigilant and have taken serious steps in the last fifteen years to ensure the careful and diligent screening of candidates to our way of life. We must persevere in our efforts to ensure that such a scandalous series of violations never occurs again.”
The order said the list was published following an audit from “an outside group of qualified professionals.”
According to the order, auditors did not find significant areas of concern with supervision over and compliance with the order’s safety plans for friars who are under supervision for credible allegations of abuse.
“The auditors also found a marked increase and improvement in documentation regarding allegations and attention to issues related to training and sharing of information with the Province’s leadership team,” the press release states.
Moreover, the Capuchin order said that an allegation is deemed credible if “an administrative investigation determines that in the opinion of the investigators it is more likely than not based on the facts presented that the alleged abuse occurred.” It said that a friar’s inclusion on the list does not imply that the allegations against him are true or that a crime has been committed. However, the order said that “every effort has been made to ensure the list is accurate.”
“In most instances, the claims were made many years after the alleged abuse, making it difficult to conduct a complete investigation,” the press release states.
The Archdiocese of Denver sent the following statement to FOX31 and Channel 2:
“The Capuchin Province of St. Conrad serves within the Archdiocese of Denver with the permission of the Archbishop of Denver, but all matters relating to its friars are handled by the province. Any criminal allegation reported to the archdiocese involving a member of a religious order would be immediately reported to local authorities and the religious order.”
Anyone who was abused by a Capuchin member is encouraged to contact law enforcement and Jason Faris, the safe environment coordinator for the province. He can be reached at: 303-477-5436 or jason.faris@capuchins.org.
A list of the friars accused is below. Beyer, Jones, Scarry, Shinsky and Wolfe all have one credible allegation of sexual abuse against a minor. Colucci, Gilardi, Gottschalk, Haas, Meis and Posey all have more than one credible allegation of sexual abuse against a minor. Gross has more than one allegation of sexual abuse against a vulnerable adult.
Gregory Beyer (died 2010)
Estimated timeframe of abuse: 1970s
Pastoral assignments:
St. Bonaventure Friary, Hays, Kansas
Sacred Heart Friary, Atwood, Kansas
St. Fidelis Friary, Victoria, Kansas
St. Conrad Friary, Lawrence, Kansas
St. Joseph Friary, Hays, Kansas
Annunciation Friary, Denver
Solanus Casey Friary, Colorado Springs, Colorado
David Jones
Status: Dismissed from order in 1987
Estimated timeframe of abuse: 1986
Pastoral assignments: None
Benignus Scarry
Status: Left the order in 2016
Estimated timeframe of abuse: 1980s
Pastoral assignments:
St. Joseph Friary, Hays, Kansas
St. Bonaventure Friary, Hays, Kansas
St. Crispin Friary, St. Louis
St. Conrad Friary, Lawrence, Kansas
San Damiano Friary, Denver
San Antonio Friary, Denver
St. Francis of Assisi Friary, Denver
Our Lady of Angels Friary, Colorado Springs, Colorado
Felix Shinsky
Status: Removed from ministry/under supervision
Estimated timeframe of abuse: 1977
Pastoral assignments:
St. Mary Friary, Herman, Pennsylvania
St. Fidelis Friary, Victoria, Kansas
St. Conrad Friary, Annapolis, Maryland
Mother of Divine Shepherd Friary, Mendi Papua New Guinea
Queen of the Friars Minor Friary, Kagua, Papua New Guinea
St. Fidelis Friary, Nipa, Papua New Guinea
Santa Clara Friary, Denver
St. Elizabeth Friary, Denver
St. Francis of Assisi Friary, Denver
Charles Wolfe
Status: Dismissed from order in 1987
Estimated timeframe of abuse: 1976
Pastoral assignments:
St. Bonaventure Friary, Hays, Kansas
Good Shepherd Friary, Shawnee, Kansas
St. Joseph Friary, Hays, Kansas
Holy Cross Friary, Thornton, Colorado
Bennett Colucci
Status: Removed from ministry/under supervision
Estimated timeframe of abuse: 1970s-1980s
Pastoral assignments:
Fraternidad San Conrado, Ponce, Puerto Rico
Fraternidad San Miguel, Utuado, Puerto Rico
Fraternidad Santa Cruz, Trujillo Alto, Puerto Rico
Fraternidad San Joaquin, Adjuntas, Pennsylvania
Fraternidad Santa Maria de los Angeles, Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico
Annunciation Friary, Denver
Alverno Friary, Denver
Holy Cross Friary, Thornton, Colorado
Santa Clara Friary, Denver
St. Joseph Friary, Hays, Kansas
St. Fidelis Friary, Victoria, Kansas
Ron Gilardi
Status: Removed from ministry/under supervision
Estimated timeframe of abuse: 1990s
Pastoral assignments:
St. Bonaventure Friary, Hays, Kansas
St. Joseph Friary, Hays, Kansas
St. Fidelis Friary, Victoria, Kansas
David Gottschalk
Status: Removed from ministry/under supervision
Estimated timeframe of abuse: 1970s
Pastoral assignments:
St. Fidelis Friary, Victoria, Kansas
St. Francis Friary, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
St. Francis Friary, Washington
Good Shepherd Friary, Shawnee, Kansas
St. John Friary, Lawrence, Kansas
St. Conrad Friary, Allison Park, Pennsylvania
St. Francis Friary, Denver
Our Lady of Angels Friary, Colorado Springs, Colorado
Julian Haas
Status: Removed from ministry/under supervision
Estimated timeframe of abuse: 1970s-1980s
Pastoral assignments:
St. Mary Friary, Herman, Pennsylvania
St. Bonaventure Friary, Hays, Kansas
St. Joseph Friary, Hays, Kansas
St. Lawrence of Brindisi Friary, Rome
Annunciation Friary, Denver
Capuchin Historical Institute Friary, Rome
St. Crispin Friary, St. Louis
St. Patrick Friary, St. Louis
Solanus Casey Friary, Colorado Springs, Colorado
General Curia Friary, Rome
St. Francis of Assisi Friary, Denver
Our Lady of Angels Friary, Colorado Springs, Colorado
Finian Meis (dead; date not provided)
Status: Left Order in 1992
Estimated timeframe of abuse: 1960s-1970s
Pastoral assignments:
St. Fidelis Friary, Victoria, Kansas
St. Joseph Friary, Hays, Kansas
Good Shepherd Friary, Shawnee, Kansas
St. Conrad Friary, Kansas City, Missouri
Thaddeus Posey (died 2013)
Estimated timeframe of abuse: 1980s
Pastoral assignments:
St. Francis Friary, Washington
Annunciation Friary, Denver
Alverno Friary, Denver
St. Conrad Friary, Kansas City, Missouri
St. Patrick Friary, St. Louis
University of St. Thomas, St. Paul, Minnesota
St. Fidelis Friary, Victoria, Kansas
Daniel Schartz
Status: Left the Order in 1980
Estimated timeframe of abuse: 1970s
Pastoral assignments:
St. Bonaventure Friary, Hays, Kansas
St. Joseph Friary, Hays, Kansas
Matthew Gross
Status: Removed from ministry/under supervision
Estimated timeframe of abuse: 2000s-2010s
Pastoral assignments:Our Lady of the Angels Friary, Erave Papua New Guinea
St. Conrad Friary, Burani, Papua New Guinea
St. Francis Friary, Tari, Papua New Guinea
Mary Queen of the Friars Minor Friary, Kagua, Papua New Guinea
St. Clare Friary, Ialibu, Papua New Guinea
Mother of Divine Shepherd Friary, Mendi, Papua New Guinea
St. Joseph Friary, Hays, Kansas
Annunciation Friary, Denver
Solanus Casey Friary, Colorado Springs, Colorado
St. Francis of Assisi Friary, Denver
Our Lady of Angels Friary, Colorado Springs, Colorado
