Diocese reaches out to victims of abuse

The Diocese of Hono­lulu remains tight-lipped on recent lawsuits alleging sexual abuse by Catholic clergy and teachers in Hawaii, but its general response to nationwide scandals that surfaced in the past 10 years has been to acknowledge that violations have occurred, and to offer support to the victims.

The diocese plans to continue to publish an ad that it ran last April in newspapers and parish bulletins statewide, said Patrick Downes, diocese spokes­man and editor of the Hawaii Catholic Herald.

The ad reads in part, "The Diocese of Hono­lulu, which encompasses the Roman Catholic Church in the State of Hawaii, wishes to acknowledge the pain, anger and confusion caused by the sexual abuse of minors by clergy, religious or church workers. The Diocese of Hono­lulu remains committed to the promotion of safety, healing, reconciliation and the maintenance of safe environments for our children and young people."

The ad also publicized a victims assistance coordinator to provide "support and services for adult survivors of child sexual abuse by clergy, religious or church workers," Downes said.

The coordinator is Edwina Reyes, a Catholic Charities Hawaii therapist. Her role is to refer victims to mental health professionals and help victims report complaints to the diocese for action. Reyes can be reached at 524-4673, 527-4981 or edwina.reyes@catholiccharities­hawaii.org.

Reyes would not say how many people have contacted her since she became coordinator in 2010. Downes said he did not have the number but said it is "very, very few."

"It is difficult to ascertain the effect of these public announcements over the years," Downes said in an interview. "There has not been a flood of phone calls to the victim assistance coordinator. But it is hoped that a message is being sent that, as the bishop’s charter states, the diocese, in reaching out to victims, seeks to demonstrate a sincere commitment to their spiritual and emotional well-being."

The advertisements were run in compliance with a 2002 edict by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops called the "Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People," he said. Primary responsibilities of the coordinator would be to document allegations and "report to civil authorities any allegation that involves a crime," Downes wrote in a Herald story July 23, 2010.

Hawaii’s more recent allegations of abuse have surfaced in response to a state law that temporarily suspends a statute of limitations to allow victims to sue church entities in Hawaii for molestations long ago.

On Aug. 12 former students of Damien Memorial School filed claims they were abused by clergy in the 1960s, ’70s and ’80s. On Feb. 21 six plaintiffs filed a lawsuit against the diocese and other defendants, claiming abuse at St. Anthony Church in Kailua, Damien Memorial School and St. Patrick Church from the 1950s to the ’70s.

Greg Owen, one of the latest plaintiffs, told the Star-Advertiser he sought help from the diocese, which provided him valuable counseling several years ago, according to a Feb. 22 news story.

Owen claims two priests molested him when he was an altar boy at St. Anthony Church when he was 8 or 9 years old.

Downes said the Hono­lulu diocese in October was found to be in compliance with the U.S. bishops’ charter, based on the 2011-2012 audit by StoneBridge Business Partners, an independent Rochester, N.Y., firm. Dioceses are audited every few years. StoneBridge made seven recommendations on how the diocese could improve on implementing the charter, including renewing background checks for clergy, employees and volunteers every five to seven years and requiring letters of suitability for all visiting priests, whether temporary or relocating here.