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Members of the Religious Congregation of the Legionaries of Christ Who Were Active in Ministry with Substantiated Sexual Abuse Allegations in the United States:
Members of the Religious Congregation of the Legionaries of Christ who were active in ministry with substantiated sexual abuse allegations in the United States:
Francisco Cardona (religious in formation, deceased): Investigators concluded that he abused students during his tenure as a formator at the Immaculate Conception Apostolic School, in Center Harbor, New Hampshire, in the 1980s.
David Consoli (religious in formation now laicized): Investigators concluded that he sexually abused students when he served on the formation staff of Immaculate Conception Apostolic School, in Center Harbor, New Hampshire, in the mid-1990’s.
Fernando Cutanda (former member now laicized): Investigators concluded that he abused students during his tenure as a formator at the Immaculate Conception Apostolic School, in Center Harbor, New Hampshire, in the 1980s.
Guillermo Izquierdo (deceased): Investigators concluded that he abused minors under his charge as novice director in Cheshire, Connecticut, 1982-1993.
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UPDATE, ATLANTA, March 22, 2021.
As part of the Congregation’s ongoing commitment to help victims heal, prevent future abuses, and continue with the ongoing purification within the Congregation the Legionaries of Christ in the North American Territory updated this list with four other names and makes available the Legionaries of Christ 2020 Annual Report: Truth, Justice, and Healing, on the steps taken to care for victims and the development of safe environments.
Shane Patterson (religious in formation, returned to lay life and never ordained): Investigators concluded that he abused a pre-candidate during his tenure as assistant dean of students in Cheshire, Connecticut in the mid-1990s when he was serving in his internship at the Immaculate Conception Apostolic School’s Legionary pre-candidacy program.
Jeremiah Michael Spillane (Dispensed of religious vows in 1998): He was arrested charged and convicted for soliciting an undercover police officer posing as a teenager through an online chat forum. At the time, this case received media attention. The Legionaries of Christ have had no contact with Spillane in more than two decades.
Oscar Juan Turrión (former member now laicized): Investigators concluded that Oscar Turrión (while a religious, not yet ordained) sexually abused a student at Immaculate Conception Apostolic School, Center Harbor, New Hampshire when he worked there on the formation staff in the early 1990’s.
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OTHER RELEVANT UPDATES
UPDATE, Atlanta, April 19, 2023.
The Congregation of the Legionaries of Christ in the North American Territory, in a continued effort to seek truth, justice, and healing, updates the entry of Fr. Benjamin Cieply in the list of substantiated allegations. In 2018, Father Cieply’s name was included in this list based on the findings of a third-party investigation and the input of the Legion of Christ Review Board, which demonstrated the high probability that sexual abuse of a minor occurred, yet the judgment of the competent authority was still pending. Recently, the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, the competent ecclesiastical authority for judging cases of sexual abuse of a minor, has decided to close the case for now and not to proceed with a penal administrative process. For more details on the case, follow this link.
UPDATE, Atlanta, January 16, 2024.
Father Timothy Meehan’s name was previously included on the list of substantiated abuse allegations, but upon further review, this matter does not meet the criteria to be included on this list. Father Meehan’s name and all associated text have been removed in January 2024. Father Timothy is not considered a sexual abuser of a minor. Father Meehan remains a priest in good standing.
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We encourage anyone who has been abused by a member of the Legionaries of Christ to contact the appropriate authorities, regardless of when the alleged abuse occurred, and to contact the Legionaries of Christ’s Program Coordinator for Pastoral Care, Abby Saunders. If anyone has a question about safe environment policies or a complaint regarding misconduct or sexual abuse of a minor or vulnerable adult by a Legionary, contact Nikki Hittle, MSW, at the contact information below. The Congregation has also established a channel for listening to concerns and responding to accusations at 0abuse.org.
Abby Saunders, Program Coordinator for Pastoral Care
Email: asaunders@arcol.org
Phone: (678) 467-9348
Address: 30 Mansell Court, Suite 103, Roswell, GA, 30076
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*Last updated: March 22, 2021
** Last Updated April 19, 2023
