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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:
The Congregation of the Legionaries of Christ is firmly committed to creating and maintaining safe environments for minors and vulnerable adults who come into contact with us and who participate in our activities. Since 2014, we have established preventive measures and clear procedures to act immediately on any complaint that is made and report it to the authorities. We are focused on the well-being and healing of victims and the prevention of abuse.
In a continued effort to seek truth, justice, and healing, the Congregation of the Legionaries of Christ in the North American Territory will review, supplement, and/or edit its website disclosure of priests with substantiated allegations of sexual abuse of minors as necessary on a regular basis and will continue to make announcements at key stages of individual cases, consistent with our policy (Protect and Heal 27-29). The inclusion of a name on any list or press release does not imply that he is guilty of a crime or liable for any civil claim unless specifically stated otherwise, respecting his right to the presumption of innocence until proven guilty.
The Legion is unwavering in its continued willingness to discuss information with respect to the accused member of the Legion with individual survivors of abuse. We encourage anyone who has been harmed by a member of the Legionaries of Christ to contact the appropriate authorities, regardless of when the alleged harm occurred, and to contact the Legionaries of Christ’s Program Coordinator for Pastoral Care, Abby Foley at the contact information below, or through 0abuse.org.
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.
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 30, 2025.
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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 Foley, Program Coordinator for Pastoral Care
Email: afoley@arcol.org
Phone: (678) 467-9348
Address: 30 Mansell Court, Suite 103, Roswell, GA, 30076
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*Last updated: January 30, 2025
