Br. Andre's #MeToo Moment
HOW THE PRIOR OF THE ST. BENEDICT CENTER IN NEW HAMPSHIRE TRIED TO BLOCK A CHURCH INVESTIGATION INTO THE SEXUAL MISCONDUCT OF THE COMMUNITY'S RESIDENT CHAPLAIN
The Accusation Against Andre
In summary, Br. Andre Marie Villarrubia, MICM, is accused of making a hostile and vaguely threatening telephone call to the Rev. Brian W. Capuano, (see photo above) a priest of the Catholic Diocese of Richmond, Virginia, USA, in the early days of September, 2017, with the intention of intimidating a female complainant into withdrawing the charges of sexual misconduct that she had made against Fr. Rudolf Grega, then the chaplain to the St. Benedict Center in Richmond, New Hampshire, USA. In Virginia, the priest who took Andre's call was the pastor and confessor of Mary Jo Anger, the woman who had complained against Grega.
In late August of 2017, on her own initiative, Anger had contacted the Diocese of Manchester, New Hampshire, USA, and the Archdiocese of Montreal, Quebec, Canada, both of which shared responsibility for Fr. Grega, to complain that the priest had made sexual advances towards her. After contacting Church authorities, she had petitioned her local pastor, Fr. Capuano, to act as informal intermediary between herself and the Diocese of Manchester and/or the Archdiocese of Montreal. He agreed to do so.
After having made her complaints to the two dioceses and securing her local pastor's cooperation to assist her in the matter, Mary Jo Anger contacted Br. Andre. Her purpose was to inform the prior of the St. Benedict Center that the community chaplain had disgraced his office through sexual misconduct. Initially, Andre received Anger's communications with courtesy but rapidly changed his attitude. A day or two after Anger had contacted him, Andre made his threatening call to her pastor. According to the testimony of Fr. Capuano, Andre was determined to keep his dirty chaplain. Who is Fr. Rudolf Grega?
Priest Wanted
This is the advert posted by Br. Andre Marie Villarrubia, MICM, for a priest to fill in at the St. Benedict Center until a "fine," Canadian priest could receive his R1 visa from the American government and begin serving as resident chaplain to the New Hampshire Feeneyites. The Catholic priest waiting for his visa is the Rev. Rudolf Grega, a French-Canadian incardinated in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Montreal. Father Grega had been visiting the SBC on and off beginning sometime around April or May of 2016.
The Problem with Fr. Grega
Fr. Grega had been dismissed from the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter because he had failed to observe clerical celibacy (fornication) during his assignment in Virginia. This is the parish bulletin of St. Joseph Catholic Church in Chesterfield County (Richmond), Virginia, in which the pastor, the Rev. Robert Novokowsky, announces Grega's discontinuation of discernment with the FSSP. Unfortunately, no reason was given, so parishioners did not know that it was due to dismissal. The circumstances surrounding the departure of the French-Canadian priest from the Fraternity were a mystery.
In this letter, the North American District Superior of the FSSP, the Rev. Gerard Saguto, admits that further explanation regarding Fr. Grega's departure from the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter could have been given. It should be noted that back in 2012, Fr. Saguto was NOT the District Superior. Fr. Eric Flood held that office at the time of Fr. Grega's dismissal. No blame whatsoever should be assigned to Fr. Saguto. Instead, Fr. Saguto deserves thanks for his integrity and candor. It takes humility to admit to shortcomings.
"Priests are public people. Priests are supposed to be servants...A man effective at hiding vow breaking behavior should not be protected because of 'but privacy!'”.~Fr. Joseph Krupp via Twitter
Return to Montreal
Screenshot from a now outdated version of www.diocesemontreal.org, a website of the Catholic Church of Montreal. It is published as one of the Fair Dealing Exceptions to the Canadian Copyright Act.
Screenshot from a now outdated version of www.diocesemontreal.org, a website of the Catholic Church of Montreal. It is published as one of the Fair Dealing Exceptions to the Canadian Copyright Act.
As mentioned in the bulletin of St. Joseph Catholic Church in Richmond, Virginia, Fr. Rudolf Grega, after leaving (in actuality, being dismissed from) the FSSP, returned to the Archdiocese of Montreal. Archbishop Lepine addressed the problem of the fornicating priest by sending the cleric overseas to spend some weeks on spiritual retreat. Although Grega had failed to meet the Fraternity's standards of conduct, the archbishop considered the sexually licentious priest to be good enough for parishes in Montreal.
It is worth noting that the sexual misconduct of Fr. Rudolf Grega that occurred during his assignment in Virginia could, in other American states, be considered criminal. For example, in the state of Arkansas, the penal code reads as follows:
5-14-126. Sexual assault in the third degree.
(a) A person commits sexual assault in the third degree if the person [is]:
(B) A professional under Ark. Code Ann. 12-12-507(b) or a member of the clergy and is in a position of trust or authority over the victim and uses the position of trust or authority to engage in sexual intercourse or deviate sexual activity…
(2) (b) It is no defense to a prosecution under this section that the victim consented to the conduct.
In Minnesota, the law says:
609.344. Criminal sexual conduct in the third degree.
Subdivision 1. Crime defined. A person who engages in sexual penetration with another person is guilty of criminal sexual conduct in the third degree if any of the following circumstances exists:
(1) the actor is or purports to be a member of the clergy, the complainant is not married to the actor, and:
(ii) the sexual penetration occurred during a period of time in which the complainant was meeting on an ongoing basis with the actor to seek or receive religious or spiritual advice, aid, or comfort in private. Consent by the complainant is not a defense...
Upon Grega's return to Canada, the archbishop permitted the man whose actions could easily be considered criminal in some American states, to begin serving as a substitute priest in parishes in Montreal, particularly the ethnically Slovak church of Sts. Cyril & Methodius (Novus Ordo). In the autumn of 2013, the archdiocese would officially name Grega as parish assistant at the Slovak church. By mid-2015, Grega would be promoted to the position of parochial administrator of that same parish.
During his tenure, Fr. Grega would introduce the Extraordinary Form of the Mass to his parishioners, and a small Latin community developed at the Slovak church. Outward appearances suggested that the cleric had found stability in his priestly life. However, that was an illusion.
It is worth noting that the sexual misconduct of Fr. Rudolf Grega that occurred during his assignment in Virginia could, in other American states, be considered criminal. For example, in the state of Arkansas, the penal code reads as follows:
5-14-126. Sexual assault in the third degree.
(a) A person commits sexual assault in the third degree if the person [is]:
(B) A professional under Ark. Code Ann. 12-12-507(b) or a member of the clergy and is in a position of trust or authority over the victim and uses the position of trust or authority to engage in sexual intercourse or deviate sexual activity…
(2) (b) It is no defense to a prosecution under this section that the victim consented to the conduct.
In Minnesota, the law says:
609.344. Criminal sexual conduct in the third degree.
Subdivision 1. Crime defined. A person who engages in sexual penetration with another person is guilty of criminal sexual conduct in the third degree if any of the following circumstances exists:
(1) the actor is or purports to be a member of the clergy, the complainant is not married to the actor, and:
(ii) the sexual penetration occurred during a period of time in which the complainant was meeting on an ongoing basis with the actor to seek or receive religious or spiritual advice, aid, or comfort in private. Consent by the complainant is not a defense...
Upon Grega's return to Canada, the archbishop permitted the man whose actions could easily be considered criminal in some American states, to begin serving as a substitute priest in parishes in Montreal, particularly the ethnically Slovak church of Sts. Cyril & Methodius (Novus Ordo). In the autumn of 2013, the archdiocese would officially name Grega as parish assistant at the Slovak church. By mid-2015, Grega would be promoted to the position of parochial administrator of that same parish.
During his tenure, Fr. Grega would introduce the Extraordinary Form of the Mass to his parishioners, and a small Latin community developed at the Slovak church. Outward appearances suggested that the cleric had found stability in his priestly life. However, that was an illusion.
The Difficulties Continue
After a period of roughly two years, Fr. Grega's assignment at the Slovak parish came to an end. Once again, the priest's failure to observe clerical celibacy was the issue. It was the same, never-ending problem. Just like before, almost no one among the laity knew what was happening. Confused parishioners and acquaintances were left to observe the bizarre volatility of the Quebecois priest.
The St. Benedict Center in NH:
Unrecognized and Desperate
Screen shot taken from the now outdated FAQ section of www.catholicnh.org, a website of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Manchester, New Hampshire, USA.
It is a fair use exemption under the U.S. Copyright Act.
It is a fair use exemption under the U.S. Copyright Act.
Because the Roman Catholic Diocese of Manchester, New Hampshire, and the larger, universal Church do not recognize the Slaves of the Immaculate Heart as being a religious order, the New Hampshire community struggles to locate priests to come and offer the Latin Mass at the St. Benedict Center. This page from their website illustrates why Br. Andre feels a certain desperation about the matter.
UPDATE: January 8, 2019. The Roman Catholic Diocese of Manchester issues a media release titled Change in Status of the Saint Benedict Center. In part, this release says "In the past, the diocese had granted permission for a priest in good standing to offer ministry at the Saint Benedict Center, but beginning January 7, 2019, Catholic priests are under strict prohibition from celebrating the Sacraments of the Church there."
UPDATE: January 8, 2019. The Roman Catholic Diocese of Manchester issues a media release titled Change in Status of the Saint Benedict Center. In part, this release says "In the past, the diocese had granted permission for a priest in good standing to offer ministry at the Saint Benedict Center, but beginning January 7, 2019, Catholic priests are under strict prohibition from celebrating the Sacraments of the Church there."
The Heresy of Feeneyism
The "Slaves" of Richmond, New Hampshire, are not recognized by the Church as being a legitimate religious order because their theology is faulty. They reject the idea of Baptism of Desire which is de fide. The Feeneyites are heretics.
The above screen shot shows the top portion of an article that appears on the official website of the St. Benedict Center. In the very first paragraph, the author claims that the Church has never officially taught Baptism of Desire, and that it has been liberal theologians who have been pushing the idea that it's an article of faith. The Feeneyites must consider St. Alphonsus to be a liberal theologian. Follow the link to read the article in its entirety: http://catholicism.org/desire-justification-salvation.html
The above screen shot shows the top portion of an article that appears on the official website of the St. Benedict Center. In the very first paragraph, the author claims that the Church has never officially taught Baptism of Desire, and that it has been liberal theologians who have been pushing the idea that it's an article of faith. The Feeneyites must consider St. Alphonsus to be a liberal theologian. Follow the link to read the article in its entirety: http://catholicism.org/desire-justification-salvation.html
"Now it is de fide that men are also saved by Baptism of Desire..."~St. Alphonsus Liguori, Doctor of the Church
"A proposition is branded heretical when it goes directly and immediately against a revealed or defined dogma, or dogma de fide..."~Catholic Encyclopedia of 1917
"That's [denial of Baptism of Desire] just out and out heresy."~Fr. Chad Ripperger
Change in Status
Screen shot taken from www.catholicnh.org , a website of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Manchester, New Hampshire, USA.
It is a fair use exemption under the U.S. Copyright Act.
It is a fair use exemption under the U.S. Copyright Act.
In a dramatic development, the St. Benedict Center and its various, associated entities are placed under canonical prohibitions. As of January 7, 2019, Catholic priests are forbidden to celebrate the sacraments of the Church on Feeneyite property in Richmond, New Hampshire.
On cue, the Feeneyites and their supporters are crying foul. They accuse Bishop Libasci and the Church of everything from engaging in persecution of the St. Benedict Center to conducting a witch hunt to being communists. Such behavior is de rigueur for Feeneyites.
Among the supporters of the heretical Feeneyites is The Remnant, a print and on-line publication that self-professes to be Catholic. On January 13, 2019, the on-line version of The Remnant ran a story written by Michael J. Matt, the editor. The article is titled "DIOCESE OF MANCHESTER: Father James Martin Good, St. Benedict Center Bad".
On cue, the Feeneyites and their supporters are crying foul. They accuse Bishop Libasci and the Church of everything from engaging in persecution of the St. Benedict Center to conducting a witch hunt to being communists. Such behavior is de rigueur for Feeneyites.
Among the supporters of the heretical Feeneyites is The Remnant, a print and on-line publication that self-professes to be Catholic. On January 13, 2019, the on-line version of The Remnant ran a story written by Michael J. Matt, the editor. The article is titled "DIOCESE OF MANCHESTER: Father James Martin Good, St. Benedict Center Bad".
In his article, Mr. Matt declares that the Diocese of Manchester has a "doctrinal sticking point" with regard to the dogma of extra Ecclesiam nulla salus and implies that the Church in New Hampshire rejects EENS. Mr. Matt falsely accuses the Church.
Neither the Diocese of Manchester nor the universal Church rejects EENS. As the official website of the Diocese of Manchester makes perfectly clear, the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith in Rome finds "...the manner with which the Saint Benedict Center and the Slaves of the Immaculate Heart of Mary INTERPRET the principle 'extra ecclesiam nulla salus,' (outside the Church there is no salvation)" to be "unacceptable," "erroneous," and "contrary to Church teachings." After wrongly charging the Church with rejecting Her own doctrine, Mr. Matt promotes the narrative that the Feeneyites of the Saint Benedict Center are being persecuted. He dismisses the Feeneyite errors regarding Baptism of Desire and Blood as being "thin theological disagreement." Heresy is never "thin."
Neither the Diocese of Manchester nor the universal Church rejects EENS. As the official website of the Diocese of Manchester makes perfectly clear, the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith in Rome finds "...the manner with which the Saint Benedict Center and the Slaves of the Immaculate Heart of Mary INTERPRET the principle 'extra ecclesiam nulla salus,' (outside the Church there is no salvation)" to be "unacceptable," "erroneous," and "contrary to Church teachings." After wrongly charging the Church with rejecting Her own doctrine, Mr. Matt promotes the narrative that the Feeneyites of the Saint Benedict Center are being persecuted. He dismisses the Feeneyite errors regarding Baptism of Desire and Blood as being "thin theological disagreement." Heresy is never "thin."
Screen shot taken from the FAQ section of www.catholicnh.org, a website of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Manchester, New Hampshire, U.S.A. It is a fair use exemption under the U.S. Copyright Act.
"Most trads don't have a clue that every doctor of the Church and every saint of the Church has always upheld the doctrine of Baptism of Desire. Every one of them. It's a formal, infallible teaching of the Church coming from the Council of Trent..."~Fr. Chad Ripperger in his sermon on active scandal.
"Most trads don't have a clue that every doctor of the Church and every saint of the Church has always upheld the doctrine of Baptism of Desire. Every one of them. It's a formal, infallible teaching of the Church coming from the Council of Trent..."~Fr. Chad Ripperger in his sermon on active scandal.
Brother Andre Unknowingly Welcomes a Dissolute Priest
It was Br. Andre's desperation for a priest that made Fr. Grega so appealing to the prior. Because of his time with the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter, Fr. Grega had been immersed in sacred tradition and had learned to celebrate the Latin Mass. He could offer the Slaves exactly what they wanted.
Conversely, the St. Benedict Center was very appealing to Fr. Grega. After departing the Slovak parish and spending months wandering and not knowing what he should do, Grega was anxious to find his place in the Church. However, he despised the idea of being stuck in another Novus Ordo parish in Montreal, and frustratingly, no traditional, religious order with regularized, canonical standing in the Church would ever admit him to its ranks on account of his chronic inability to observe priestly celibacy. The idea of a partnership between Grega and the Feeneyites of the SBC was tantalizing to both parties.
Unfortunately for the prior of the SBC, he did not know what he was getting when he welcomed the "fine" priest from Canada. Although Br. Andre had been aware that something "inappropriate" had occurred during Fr. Grega's assignment in Virginia, he had been told that because of the counsel from Archbishop Lepine (and later, the counsel of Bishop Athanasius Schneider of Astana, Kazakhstan), questionable issues surrounding the French-Canadian priest had been resolved. Br. Andre CANNOT be blamed for the initial welcome that he extended to the dissolute priest. That said, in future, the prior of the St. Benedict Center would do well to remember that if something seems too good to be true, it probably is. Br. Andre needs to be careful not to let his desperation for a priest blind him.
Concerning the two bishops involved in the situation, Archbishop Lepine and Bishop Libasci, it must be clear that they and not Br. Andre carry the responsibility for permitting Fr. Grega to work at the St. Benedict Center. It would be reasonable to say that of the two ordinaries, Lepine carries the greater part. According to Fr. Grega himself, Archbishop Lepine encouraged the sensual cleric to remain active in the priesthood despite Grega's repeated fornication. Archbishop Lepine must have used quite the sales pitch to convince Bishop Libasci to accept such a priest.
Conversely, the St. Benedict Center was very appealing to Fr. Grega. After departing the Slovak parish and spending months wandering and not knowing what he should do, Grega was anxious to find his place in the Church. However, he despised the idea of being stuck in another Novus Ordo parish in Montreal, and frustratingly, no traditional, religious order with regularized, canonical standing in the Church would ever admit him to its ranks on account of his chronic inability to observe priestly celibacy. The idea of a partnership between Grega and the Feeneyites of the SBC was tantalizing to both parties.
Unfortunately for the prior of the SBC, he did not know what he was getting when he welcomed the "fine" priest from Canada. Although Br. Andre had been aware that something "inappropriate" had occurred during Fr. Grega's assignment in Virginia, he had been told that because of the counsel from Archbishop Lepine (and later, the counsel of Bishop Athanasius Schneider of Astana, Kazakhstan), questionable issues surrounding the French-Canadian priest had been resolved. Br. Andre CANNOT be blamed for the initial welcome that he extended to the dissolute priest. That said, in future, the prior of the St. Benedict Center would do well to remember that if something seems too good to be true, it probably is. Br. Andre needs to be careful not to let his desperation for a priest blind him.
Concerning the two bishops involved in the situation, Archbishop Lepine and Bishop Libasci, it must be clear that they and not Br. Andre carry the responsibility for permitting Fr. Grega to work at the St. Benedict Center. It would be reasonable to say that of the two ordinaries, Lepine carries the greater part. According to Fr. Grega himself, Archbishop Lepine encouraged the sensual cleric to remain active in the priesthood despite Grega's repeated fornication. Archbishop Lepine must have used quite the sales pitch to convince Bishop Libasci to accept such a priest.
The Counsel of a Famed Bishop
"...I’m not sure we always consider...how many prelates generally conceived of as 'solid' are the very same who have rebuffed or ignored victims’ and advocates’ concerns, or what kinds of obstacles victims face..."~Steve Skojec of 1P5
In addition to Archbishop Lepine, there was another bishop who, according to Fr. Grega, counseled him to remain in the ranks of the active clergy despite the priest's habit of breaking the sixth commandment. The Auxiliary Bishop of Astana, Kazakhstan, Athanasius Schneider, a figure widely celebrated by traditionalists for his orthodoxy, met Rudolf Grega at a spiritual retreat in France in August of 2016. It was at this retreat that Schneider allegedly advised Grega to remain in the priesthood even in the face of Grega's spectacular failures. According to Rudolf Grega, he was told by the famed bishop that if every priest who failed to observe celibacy were returned to the lay state, no one would be left in the priesthood.
Did Bishop Schneider truly say that? Or did Fr. Grega fabricate his claim? If His Excellency really did utter such a shocking statement, was it taken out of context? Was there more that he said that was not reported by Grega? Unfortunately, Bishop Schneider is not at liberty to either confirm or deny that he said it. Regardless of what really happened, Fr. Grega would later invoke Bishop Schneider's name as justification for continuing his pursuit of a priestly life. However, as the above email indicates, the bishop objects.
It is disappointing to see His Excellency invoke canon law both to distance himself as far as possible from Grega and to complain that the matter was even brought to his attention, as if hearing about it constituted a grave imposition on him as a shepherd of the Church. While it is true that Schneider has no canonical jurisdiction over the Quebecois, that fact did not prevent the bishop from meeting with the priest in the first place. A lack of canonical jurisdiction did not prevent Schneider from leaving his own diocese in Kazakhstan and traveling to an entirely different country. At the time of the meeting between the two men, there was apparently no concern on the part of the bishop about canonical authority. It was only later that Schneider seemed anxious about the limits of his jurisdiction. Whatever it was that Bishop Schneider told Rudolf Grega, His Excellency is responsible for every word of it, regardless of jurisdiction. Schneider's attitude can be summarized as #Don'tWantToHearIt, #NotMyProblem, #BotherSomeoneElse.
Did Bishop Schneider truly say that? Or did Fr. Grega fabricate his claim? If His Excellency really did utter such a shocking statement, was it taken out of context? Was there more that he said that was not reported by Grega? Unfortunately, Bishop Schneider is not at liberty to either confirm or deny that he said it. Regardless of what really happened, Fr. Grega would later invoke Bishop Schneider's name as justification for continuing his pursuit of a priestly life. However, as the above email indicates, the bishop objects.
It is disappointing to see His Excellency invoke canon law both to distance himself as far as possible from Grega and to complain that the matter was even brought to his attention, as if hearing about it constituted a grave imposition on him as a shepherd of the Church. While it is true that Schneider has no canonical jurisdiction over the Quebecois, that fact did not prevent the bishop from meeting with the priest in the first place. A lack of canonical jurisdiction did not prevent Schneider from leaving his own diocese in Kazakhstan and traveling to an entirely different country. At the time of the meeting between the two men, there was apparently no concern on the part of the bishop about canonical authority. It was only later that Schneider seemed anxious about the limits of his jurisdiction. Whatever it was that Bishop Schneider told Rudolf Grega, His Excellency is responsible for every word of it, regardless of jurisdiction. Schneider's attitude can be summarized as #Don'tWantToHearIt, #NotMyProblem, #BotherSomeoneElse.
"We can’t prevent the sexual abuse of minors or vulnerable adults by clergy while habitual and widespread failures in celibacy are left unchecked."~Fr. Thomas V. Berg, author of The Problem of Sexually Active Priests
Disaster Strikes Again
In October of 2016, Fr. Grega was once again living and working among the Feeneyites at the St. Benedict Center. His spiritual retreat with Bishop Schneider had taken place a mere six weeks before. On the weekend of October 8 of that year, Fr. Grega received a planned visit from a former parishioner. She had been a member of the congregation of the FSSP church in Richmond, Virginia, where the French-Canadian priest had served as parochial vicar before his expulsion from the Fraternity.
During his time in Virginia, Grega had become important in the life of this woman in a very personal way. In October of 2011, the priest from Montreal had heard her father's confession and given him Last Rites. Earlier, in May of that year, her father had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Six months later, in the autumn, he had been admitted to hospital in an alarming condition. Clearly, he needed the sacraments, but his own priest, a member of the Society of St. Pius X, was out of town at the time. Desperate, the woman placed a distress call to the priests of her own FSSP parish. It was the Quebecois who took it.
At the time, Grega had been in Richmond for just a few months. His command of English was still shaky, and he and the woman parishioner had never been introduced. They were, in effect, strangers to each other. Nevertheless, with good cheer, the foreign priest accepted the call for help, and he did so despite the fact that the situation had the potential to be explosive.
The woman explained that, since her father rejected the FSSP, he might not accept Grega's assistance. The dying man had always been adamantly opposed to any Latin Mass offered under the auspices of the local diocese. His opposition extended to priests associated with such Masses. So severe was his attitude, the man had shunned his own daughter and her entire family when, in 2003, they left the milieu of the so-called "independent Catholic" movement to return to the official Church.
At the time, Grega had been in Richmond for just a few months. His command of English was still shaky, and he and the woman parishioner had never been introduced. They were, in effect, strangers to each other. Nevertheless, with good cheer, the foreign priest accepted the call for help, and he did so despite the fact that the situation had the potential to be explosive.
The woman explained that, since her father rejected the FSSP, he might not accept Grega's assistance. The dying man had always been adamantly opposed to any Latin Mass offered under the auspices of the local diocese. His opposition extended to priests associated with such Masses. So severe was his attitude, the man had shunned his own daughter and her entire family when, in 2003, they left the milieu of the so-called "independent Catholic" movement to return to the official Church.
The children baptized at a Latin Mass-only parish (no mixing of rites or forms) sponsored by the Catholic Diocese of Richmond, Virginia.
(FROM LEFT): 2004, 2006, 2007, 2009
Rights to reproduce images purchased by Mary Jo Anger from Sears Portrait Studio.
(FROM LEFT): 2004, 2006, 2007, 2009
Rights to reproduce images purchased by Mary Jo Anger from Sears Portrait Studio.
For nearly seven years, the man refused contact with his daughter and rejected all invitations to attend Baptisms, First Communions, and the like at her diocesan, Latin Mass parish. He stated flatly that should his daughter or any of her family die, he and his wife would refuse to attend the funeral. The man would not even consent to see his newly born grandchildren. When her father's "do-it-yourself" parish later voted to be serviced by the Society of St. Pius X, his attitude remained exactly the same. He had steadfastly rejected his daughter and her family until he was told that he was terminally ill. At that point, he agreed to reconcile with her. Given such a history, there was a very real possibility that the dying man would reject the offer of help from the Quebecois priest.
Then there was the problem of her mother. That woman was an unbending sedevacantist, Feeneyite, and Grunerite who believed that nearly all priests in the world are invalidly ordained. She also rejected priests from the SSPX on the grounds that the Society had committed the sin of entering into discussions with Rome, and, therefore, had gone soft. She herself had no priest to bring to her husband, and she was prepared to let her spouse die without one. If she were to encounter the Quebecois cleric from the FSSP at the local hospital, she would doubtlessly object strenuously and create a scene. The situation could turn ugly very quickly. Grega assured his new parishioner that he understood and accepted the risks.
The priest from Montreal drove in the darkness of the night to find the dying man. Providentially and to the great relief of all present, the patient accepted Grega without any hesitation, and the sick man's sedevacantist wife was not there to make a fuss. She had left the hospital about ten minutes before the arrival of the FSSP priest. It had been a near miss.
Two days later, Grega came once more to be with the family. The family patriarch had gone into organ failure and was then completely unresponsive. His wife refused to be at his side because she said she could not bear it. Her absence, although inexcusable, meant that she could not disturb the peace. Those members of the family who were present were accompanied by Grega who prayed with them late into the night until the very end.
It had been a bitter trial for Grega's new parishioner. Despite the reconciliation with her father, he had nonetheless died a stranger to half of his grandchildren. He had simply waited too late to soften his attitude towards his daughter.
On the other hand, on the same night she had lost her biological father, she had gained a spiritual one in the person of the priest from Montreal. His cheerful attentiveness during her time of dire need provoked in her profound gratitude. From then on, she relied heavily on Grega for support as she struggled through the lengthy period of mourning that was to follow.
It did not take the priest long to recognize his grateful parishioner whenever she came to him in the Confession box. Patiently, he allowed her to cry and pour out the anguish of her heart, and he responded with tender kindness. It was that sacrament more than anything else that caused the relationship between priest and parishioner to flourish. She trusted him deeply and loved him as if he were part of her family.
Then there was the problem of her mother. That woman was an unbending sedevacantist, Feeneyite, and Grunerite who believed that nearly all priests in the world are invalidly ordained. She also rejected priests from the SSPX on the grounds that the Society had committed the sin of entering into discussions with Rome, and, therefore, had gone soft. She herself had no priest to bring to her husband, and she was prepared to let her spouse die without one. If she were to encounter the Quebecois cleric from the FSSP at the local hospital, she would doubtlessly object strenuously and create a scene. The situation could turn ugly very quickly. Grega assured his new parishioner that he understood and accepted the risks.
The priest from Montreal drove in the darkness of the night to find the dying man. Providentially and to the great relief of all present, the patient accepted Grega without any hesitation, and the sick man's sedevacantist wife was not there to make a fuss. She had left the hospital about ten minutes before the arrival of the FSSP priest. It had been a near miss.
Two days later, Grega came once more to be with the family. The family patriarch had gone into organ failure and was then completely unresponsive. His wife refused to be at his side because she said she could not bear it. Her absence, although inexcusable, meant that she could not disturb the peace. Those members of the family who were present were accompanied by Grega who prayed with them late into the night until the very end.
It had been a bitter trial for Grega's new parishioner. Despite the reconciliation with her father, he had nonetheless died a stranger to half of his grandchildren. He had simply waited too late to soften his attitude towards his daughter.
On the other hand, on the same night she had lost her biological father, she had gained a spiritual one in the person of the priest from Montreal. His cheerful attentiveness during her time of dire need provoked in her profound gratitude. From then on, she relied heavily on Grega for support as she struggled through the lengthy period of mourning that was to follow.
It did not take the priest long to recognize his grateful parishioner whenever she came to him in the Confession box. Patiently, he allowed her to cry and pour out the anguish of her heart, and he responded with tender kindness. It was that sacrament more than anything else that caused the relationship between priest and parishioner to flourish. She trusted him deeply and loved him as if he were part of her family.
Scanned image of a hard copy of The Catholic Virginian, a publication of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Richmond, Virginia, USA. It is a fair use exemption under the U.S. Copyright Act.
The next year, when it was publicly announced that Fr. Grega had departed the FSSP, the woman was left to wonder about this dramatic development along with most everyone else who knew the priest. He would only tell her that it was a result of discernment which seemed to be a reasonable enough explanation, short on details though it might be. So, even after Grega's departure from Virginia and the FSSP, priest and parishioner would remain in contact, and he continued to serve as her primary spiritual counselor. Each year, the woman would travel to Quebec, Canada, to visit her favorite priest. Sometimes, her children or spouse would accompany her. In December of 2014, one of the woman's daughters would make her First Communion in Montreal. Fr. Grega celebrated the Mass in the Extraordinary Form for that occasion.
On the weekend of May 28, 2016, the woman and two of her children attended the wedding of Fr. Grega's sister which took place in Montreal. Mysteriously, Fr. Grega was not the celebrant at this family gathering. Fr. Garrick Huang, FSSP, was.
Also present at this event was Br. Louis Marie of the St. Benedict Center in Richmond, New Hampshire. He came as a guest of Fr. Grega, the brother of the bride. By this time, Grega had begun to visit the St. Benedict Center in NH, and he had transported Br. Louis from south of the border to Montreal.
Br. Louis and Fr. Grega's former parishioner encountered each other and conversed for a significant period of time, particularly during the reception. She explained to him how it was that a connection had formed between herself and the priest from Montreal. Br. Louis is well aware that the relationship between the woman and Fr. Grega had been close for years.
However, later that year, during Anger's October, 2016, visit to New Hampshire, that relationship would change dramatically. For the first time ever, the priest made physical, sexual advances towards his former parishioner. His advances were strong enough to cause her to be fearful. The priest knew it too, because the very next day following Sunday Mass, he would ask her if she had been afraid of him on the evening before. He would also reveal to the woman his lengthy history of fornication. She rebuked the priest for his misconduct. Fr. Grega's hands, ones that had been consecrated so that he might hold the body and blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, had also been all over women.
Upon her return home, she informed Fr. Grega of her intention to notify the two bishops of his immoral behavior during her visit to New Hampshire. He persuaded her to remain silent by using such tactics as blaming her for what had happened. He warned her that if she were to tell the bishops, word could leak out and her reputation in Virginia could be ruined. He accused her of being governed more by her emotions than by rationality. He said that since his advances had been rejected and the pair had not ended up in bed together, the situation had not been so bad after all. He complained that if the bishops were notified, it would end his last chance at being a priest. Grega assured his former parishioner that at the St. Benedict Center, he would be safe from sexual temptation because the women there are all "old, fat, or ugly." The priest insisted that Anger need not worry that he would repeat his misconduct with other women.
Worst of all, once, in the confession box, after his former parishioner told the priest that she had prayed and was certain that the morally correct thing for her to do was to go to the bishops, he responded in a mocking tone, "Well, your relationship with God is not good." The implication was that her prayers for light and guidance were worthless. Because Grega had been her long-time confessor, he had heard all of the woman's spiritual fears and weaknesses, and he knew exactly where to strike. In an effort to get what he wanted, the priest turned on his former parishioner and used his privileged knowledge against her. To save himself from the consequences of his own wrongdoing, he cast aside his role as one of Christ's shepherds, abused both the authority of his office and the sacrament of confession, and played mind games to manipulate an old friend who had formerly considered him to be a spiritual father. The priest was willing to throw her soul away.
The priest from Montreal had always carefully maintained outward appearances of piety. Ever since he had discovered the Latin Mass, Grega wore the black cassock which added to his priestly aura and helped make him acceptable in traditionalist circles. Privately, however, he would remove his clerical collar and cassock many times to indulge his sexual appetite. Eventually, he even became brazen enough to prey on a mother of ten children and another man's wife. When she refused him, the priest resorted to yet more misconduct to cover up his actions and to preserve the very proper image that he had cultivated for the public. All the good that he had previously done was then undone.
"Of all the passions, sensuality is the most violent in its desires and the most reckless in its taking of the object on which it has set its heart."
~Fr. Lawrence Lavosik, SVD
~Fr. Lawrence Lavosik, SVD
Mary Jo Anger and family with Fr. Rudolf Grega, FSSP. (St. Joseph Catholic Church, Richmond, Virginia. March, 2012.)
"...the person who I depended on and was deeply connected to went from being a source of support and companionship to being a source of pain, fear and deep uncertainty."~Michelle D. Mays LPC, in her article Understanding Betrayal Trauma
The Party Is Over
"...I would urge anyone who has experienced sexual assault or harassment by anyone in the Church to come forward."~Cardinal Daniel N. DiNardo, Archbishop of Galveston-Houston and President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
Fr. Grega's former parishioner kept an uneasy silence for eleven months. However, by late August of 2017, she found the courage to report everything to the bishops in Montreal and in Manchester. The Diocese of Manchester was very quick to respond. It opened an investigation and then turned the affair over to Montreal. Bishop Libasci deserves thanks for his speedy and courteous response to the complaint he received.
"Often, once issues have been raised, lay persons are left to wait and wonder: Will the bishop do anything?"~Fr. Thomas V. Berg
By contrast, the Archdiocese of Montreal was exceedingly slow. It did not offer a single word of acknowledgment for two and a half months. It took a second letter from the complainant to nudge the archdiocese into offering her a response consisting of all of three sentences. Notably absent from the correspondence sent by the Archdiocese of Montreal are details about the "appropriate measures" that are allegedly being taken to address the problem of Fr. Rudolf Grega. No specifics whatsoever are given. Apparently, Montreal simply expects to be trusted to properly deal with the situation.
The archdiocese merits no such trust. Over a period of years, even after he had been dismissed from the FSSP, Fr. Grega had continued to fornicate and to disgrace his office. Church authorities in Montreal permitted the priest to do it. If Archbishop Lepine is now handling the situation in the same way he did in the past, then he is not handling the situation. What if Lepine assigns Grega someplace where the sexually voracious priest can pursue women he finds appealing? What about the turmoil Grega creates wherever he goes and the trail of sorrow and wreckage that he then leaves behind? Why was that man ever ordained to the priesthood? Unfortunately for the faithful, particularly those who are female, there is no way to know what is happening because Montreal refuses to release any information concerning its profoundly troublesome priest.
"The Church looks to its bishops to identify wayward priests, to challenge them to repentance, and to assist them in reintegrating their broken lives. More often than not, and certainly in the case of habitual offenders, this will mean—for the good of all involved—their return to the lay state."~Fr. Thomas V. Berg in his article The Problem of Sexually Active Priests
UPDATE: June 5, 2018. The Archdiocese of Montreal announces an initiative to prepare its future priests. Beginning August 24, 2018, candidates to the Grand Seminary will begin a special year of spiritual formation to prepare them to become seminarians. "A few years ago, the Church came to the realization that the men that entered seminary were not necessarily prepared to fully and meekly begin the process of priestly formation."~Catholic Church of Montreal
“Almost nothing has been said about sexual misconduct with adults, which is itself a grave abuse of pastoral authority, whether or not the relationship was 'consensual.'"~Archbishop Carlo Vigano
Br. Andre's #MeToo Moment
More than once, Br. Andre has written about the #MeToo movement and the horrors of sexual misconduct that plague the entertainment industry in America. There are times when he strikes a sanctimonious tone which is ironic. When the prior of the St. Benedict Center was faced with his own #MeToo problem, he chose to side with the predator over the victim.
Br. Andre had been contacted by the woman who had complained against the chaplain to the Feeneyites. Mary Jo Anger informed Villarrubia of the misbehavior of Fr. Grega and of the fact that she had reported it to the bishops. The purpose of her communications with Br. Andre was to prevent his community from being left uninformed and confused in the event that Fr. Grega were to be banned from further work at the SBC. Informing the Feeneyites of the complaint against Grega was an effort to prevent them from grumbling and falsely accusing Bishop Libasci of persecuting their community. Commonly enough, traditionalists are quick to impute ill-will to their ordinaries.
Initially, Andre received the communications from Fr. Grega's former parishioner with courtesy and even sympathy. That friendly attitude, however, was short-lived. Just a day or two afterwards, Br. Andre would do an about-face and telephone the Rev. Brian W. Capuano, then Anger's local pastor and confessor (and, since 2019, the Vicar for Vocations of the Catholic Diocese of Richmond) in Virginia to try to use him to pressure her into standing down. It was abundantly clear to Fr. Capuano that Andre really, really wanted Fr. Grega to be the resident chaplain at the SBC. Now, with the complaint against Fr. Grega, Villarrubia viewed Mary Jo Anger as an obstacle to all of his hopes and plans.
Consequently, Andre took a very defensive posture. In some fashion, he suggested to the priest and future Vicar of Vocations in Virginia that Anger's testimony was unreliable or at least doubtful. He was hinting that she was a liar, and his phone call to her confessor was a signal that the Feeneyite-in-Chief was prepared to fight her. Fr. Capuano warned Anger of Andre's threatening manner.
Br. Andre had resorted to intimidation in an effort to get what he wanted. He was willing to overlook the sexual misconduct on the part of the priest and to harass the victim, as well as her local pastor, instead. The woman was already experiencing trauma because of the evil perpetrated by Fr. Grega, and Villarrubia made things even worse. (This and this are links about betrayal trauma. Substitute "spiritual father" for the word "partner," and the damage done by Grega will be evident.)
It is reactions like those of Br. Andre that cause so many women with legitimate complaints about sexual harassment to either hesitate or altogether decline to report the incidents. It is true that some women falsely accuse men of misconduct, but before attacking the complainant as a liar, wait until an official investigation reveals all the pertinent facts.
Br. Andre DID NOT WAIT for the Diocese of Manchester to thoroughly investigate. Instead, he engaged in witness tampering to put an end to the inquiry before it advanced further.
How is the attempted intimidation of a witness by Br. Andre-Marie in any way the behavior of Christian manhood marked by chivalry? How are his actions better than those of the Hollywood elites that he skewers? The answer is that his conduct was neither Christian nor chivalrous. The prior of the SBC showed himself to be just as much of a creep as the men in Hollywood.
The Church did not need much time to determine that the complaints of sexual misconduct against Fr. Grega were credible. By mid September of 2017, Anger's local confessor at that time, Fr. Brian W. Capuano, the same priest who had been contacted by Br. Andre Marie, informed her that Grega had admitted his sexual misconduct to his superiors. Br. Andre had partnered with the devil because he was more interested in getting what he wanted than in justice. The prior of the St. Benedict Center in New Hampshire is now part of the problem of sexual misconduct that plagues the Church.
It is reactions like those of Br. Andre that cause so many women with legitimate complaints about sexual harassment to either hesitate or altogether decline to report the incidents. It is true that some women falsely accuse men of misconduct, but before attacking the complainant as a liar, wait until an official investigation reveals all the pertinent facts.
Br. Andre DID NOT WAIT for the Diocese of Manchester to thoroughly investigate. Instead, he engaged in witness tampering to put an end to the inquiry before it advanced further.
How is the attempted intimidation of a witness by Br. Andre-Marie in any way the behavior of Christian manhood marked by chivalry? How are his actions better than those of the Hollywood elites that he skewers? The answer is that his conduct was neither Christian nor chivalrous. The prior of the SBC showed himself to be just as much of a creep as the men in Hollywood.
The Church did not need much time to determine that the complaints of sexual misconduct against Fr. Grega were credible. By mid September of 2017, Anger's local confessor at that time, Fr. Brian W. Capuano, the same priest who had been contacted by Br. Andre Marie, informed her that Grega had admitted his sexual misconduct to his superiors. Br. Andre had partnered with the devil because he was more interested in getting what he wanted than in justice. The prior of the St. Benedict Center in New Hampshire is now part of the problem of sexual misconduct that plagues the Church.
"The victims are to be commended for bringing to light their tragic experience and must be treated with respect and dignity. "~Cardinal Sean O'Malley, Archbishop of Boston
Master of Spin
After he took up the cause of a sexually promiscuous priest and then attempted to intimidate the woman who had been the object of that priest's advances, Br. Andre was faced with the problem of explaining the sordid affair to his followers. His solution was to cover it up. Publicly, Andre announced that the processing of Fr. Grega's work visa had been delayed. Mention of the fact that the priest was under investigation by two dioceses was not made.
As these public comments on the catholicism.org website show, Fr. Grega was indeed the priest who had been waiting for his work visa so that he could reside at the St. Benedict Center in New Hampshire and service it long term. These comments also show that at least a few supporters of the SBC accepted Br. Andre's explanation that the delay involving the French-Canadian priest was entirely about paperwork.
This screen shot of the catholicism.org website shows that Br. Andre himself upvoted the remarks of Paul C. Seco, a supporter of the SBC. This action on the part of Villarrubia doubly confirms that Rudolf Grega was the priest that the prior so desperately wanted for his Feeneyite community.
Content from facebook.com that is posted with the audience selector of PUBLIC is considered public information.
After declaring that a bureaucratic backlog was causing a delay in the arrival of the priest from Canada, the prior of the St. Benedict Center immediately launched a manhunt for a temporary replacement. As usual, Br. Andre took to social media, and he announced the center's need for a priest.
The above screenshot shows an exchange between Andre and a supporter regarding a possible replacement for Grega. Notice that the prior instantly reacts to the suggested stand-in by inquiring about the cleric's character. Although the prior will never admit it, his words on Facebook subtly reveal that he had just been burned by having accepted and hosted a priest who turned out to be a lascivious wolf.
Because of his attempts to secure for the St. Benedict Center a lewd priest with a long history of misconduct, and because of his efforts to put an end to a diocesan investigation into the gravely sinful activities of that same clergyman, Villarrubia can no longer write, at least with a straight face, any more sanctimonious pieces that lambaste movers and shakers in Hollywood or figures in the Catholic hierarchy. If he does, then he condemns himself because he, too, is a member of the bawdy brotherhood.
The above screenshot shows an exchange between Andre and a supporter regarding a possible replacement for Grega. Notice that the prior instantly reacts to the suggested stand-in by inquiring about the cleric's character. Although the prior will never admit it, his words on Facebook subtly reveal that he had just been burned by having accepted and hosted a priest who turned out to be a lascivious wolf.
Because of his attempts to secure for the St. Benedict Center a lewd priest with a long history of misconduct, and because of his efforts to put an end to a diocesan investigation into the gravely sinful activities of that same clergyman, Villarrubia can no longer write, at least with a straight face, any more sanctimonious pieces that lambaste movers and shakers in Hollywood or figures in the Catholic hierarchy. If he does, then he condemns himself because he, too, is a member of the bawdy brotherhood.
"Anger is also a righteous and necessary response..."~Archbishop of Philadelphia Charles Chaput writing of the justified anger caused by sexual abuse and cover up in the Church.
"It is better that the truth be known than that scandal be covered up."~St. Augustine
It may be that Villarrubia imagines that he is different from those others caught up in sexual disgrace. After all, in the scandal of Fr. Grega and the St. Benedict Center, no minors were involved. Neither were adult men. Instead, the object of the priest's attention was a woman, so at least the situation was not unnatural. Furthermore, the priest was rebuffed and did not get what he wanted. Perhaps in the mind of the prior, all of that makes the situation and his involvement in it not so terrible.
Additionally, there is the fact that the scandal did not involve any woman from the St. Benedict Center. Rather, it was an outsider who was targeted by the chaplain to the Feeneyites. That woman rejects Villarrubia's heresy, and consequently, she is not a member of his personal fan club. It would not be surprising if that makes her an unsympathetic figure in the mind of the prior. Br. Andre acts like she is the enemy.
Whatever Andre's personal feelings may be, moral theology tells us that, objectively speaking, the actions of Fr. Grega were gravely immoral, no matter whom he preyed upon. It does not matter if other clerics did worse, and it most certainly does not matter if the woman involved does not breathlessly admire the prior of the SBC. Immorality is immorality.
In his public letter (shown above in two parts and in screen shot form) to the faithful of the Catholic Diocese of Richmond, Virginia, Bishop Barry Knestout notes that allegations of sexual harassment and claims of the abuse of power are just as disturbing as allegations of the abuse of vulnerable individuals. Fr. Rudolf Grega engaged in sexual harassment and abused his priestly authority to cover it up. That is serious misconduct, and Andre Villarrubia tried to bury it, just like many Catholic bishops tried to bury the misconduct of their priests. No, the prior of the St. Benedict Center is not morally superior to the people he has excoriated in his writings.
Additionally, there is the fact that the scandal did not involve any woman from the St. Benedict Center. Rather, it was an outsider who was targeted by the chaplain to the Feeneyites. That woman rejects Villarrubia's heresy, and consequently, she is not a member of his personal fan club. It would not be surprising if that makes her an unsympathetic figure in the mind of the prior. Br. Andre acts like she is the enemy.
Whatever Andre's personal feelings may be, moral theology tells us that, objectively speaking, the actions of Fr. Grega were gravely immoral, no matter whom he preyed upon. It does not matter if other clerics did worse, and it most certainly does not matter if the woman involved does not breathlessly admire the prior of the SBC. Immorality is immorality.
In his public letter (shown above in two parts and in screen shot form) to the faithful of the Catholic Diocese of Richmond, Virginia, Bishop Barry Knestout notes that allegations of sexual harassment and claims of the abuse of power are just as disturbing as allegations of the abuse of vulnerable individuals. Fr. Rudolf Grega engaged in sexual harassment and abused his priestly authority to cover it up. That is serious misconduct, and Andre Villarrubia tried to bury it, just like many Catholic bishops tried to bury the misconduct of their priests. No, the prior of the St. Benedict Center is not morally superior to the people he has excoriated in his writings.
UPDATE: September 10, 2018. Bishop Barry C. Knestout of the Catholic Diocese of Richmond promptly responds in writing to a letter he received from Mary Jo Anger concerning Fr. Rudolf Grega. Bishop Knestout deserves credit for reacting in a timely fashion and for being courteous.
Encouragingly, the bishop indicates that the correspondence he received from Fr. Grega's former parishioner has been added to the priest's official record in Richmond. That would likely make it more difficult for Grega to ever return to an assignment in the Diocese of Richmond.
The possibility of making a criminal complaint against Father Grega had already been investigated and dismissed before Bishop Knestout suggested reporting the incident to the police. Although the actions of the French-Canadian priest were gravely immoral, they apparently failed to rise to the level of criminality as defined by the statutes of Vermont. It was in Vermont that the priest's former parishioner had arranged for her lodging during her visit to the St. Benedict Center (which is located across the Connecticut River in New Hampshire), and it was in Vermont that Fr. Grega had made his advances.
Bishop Knestout's letter implies that his predecessor, Bishop DiLorenzo, received no notification from the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter explaining why Fr. Grega discontinued his discernment with the FSSP. Not only did the Fraternity keep the laity in the dark regarding Fr. Grega, it even declined to inform the local bishop of the priest's misconduct. Such an omission left open the theoretical possibility that the chronically fornicating priest could return to Richmond in some capacity as a cleric.
The one, significant shortcoming of Bishop Knestout's letter is that it offers no reason to hope that His Excellency will in any way lean on his brother bishop in Montreal for the purpose of learning what specific actions have been taken to discipline Fr. Rudolf Grega. Although Bishop Knestout understands the desire to know the status of the French-Canadian priest, he makes no indications that he will assist in the effort to obtain that information. He simply guarantees that women in the Diocese of Richmond, Virginia, are safe from the casanova in a cassock. For women elsewhere in the Church, there are no guarantees.
Encouragingly, the bishop indicates that the correspondence he received from Fr. Grega's former parishioner has been added to the priest's official record in Richmond. That would likely make it more difficult for Grega to ever return to an assignment in the Diocese of Richmond.
The possibility of making a criminal complaint against Father Grega had already been investigated and dismissed before Bishop Knestout suggested reporting the incident to the police. Although the actions of the French-Canadian priest were gravely immoral, they apparently failed to rise to the level of criminality as defined by the statutes of Vermont. It was in Vermont that the priest's former parishioner had arranged for her lodging during her visit to the St. Benedict Center (which is located across the Connecticut River in New Hampshire), and it was in Vermont that Fr. Grega had made his advances.
Bishop Knestout's letter implies that his predecessor, Bishop DiLorenzo, received no notification from the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter explaining why Fr. Grega discontinued his discernment with the FSSP. Not only did the Fraternity keep the laity in the dark regarding Fr. Grega, it even declined to inform the local bishop of the priest's misconduct. Such an omission left open the theoretical possibility that the chronically fornicating priest could return to Richmond in some capacity as a cleric.
The one, significant shortcoming of Bishop Knestout's letter is that it offers no reason to hope that His Excellency will in any way lean on his brother bishop in Montreal for the purpose of learning what specific actions have been taken to discipline Fr. Rudolf Grega. Although Bishop Knestout understands the desire to know the status of the French-Canadian priest, he makes no indications that he will assist in the effort to obtain that information. He simply guarantees that women in the Diocese of Richmond, Virginia, are safe from the casanova in a cassock. For women elsewhere in the Church, there are no guarantees.
UPDATE: September 14, 2018. Bishop Barry Knestout of the Catholic Diocese of Richmond, VA, offers a Mass of Atonement at the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart. The event is covered by various media outlets including the Richmond Times-Dispatch. Times-Dispatch reporter Bridget Balch asks Mary Jo Anger, an attendee at the Mass, for comment. A link to the story is https://www.richmond.com/at-mass-of-atonement-richmond-bishop-expresses-remorse-for-church/article_acf2ca78-3175-58af-9136-ce75e00e5b32.html.
UPDATE: May 16, 2019. The Catholic Virginian, the official newspaper of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Richmond, Virginia, USA, publishes on its internet website a letter submitted by Mary Jo Anger. The subject of the letter is procedures instituted by Bishop Barry Knestout for reporting both sexual abuse of minors and sexual harassment of adults.
Screenshot of The Catholic Virginian, a publication of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Richmond, Virginia, USA. It is a fair use exemption under the U.S. Copyright Act.
"The twisting of the relationships of mentoring, friendship, authority, for predatory reasons is so evil."~Fr. John Zuhlsdorf
This letter from the Rev. John Berg, former Superior General of the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter, was written in response to complaints that he had received from Mary Jo Anger concerning the manner in which Fr. Rudolf Grega had been handled, both during his period of discernment with the Fraternity and following his dismissal from that community. She had written to the then Superior General because Fr. Grega, in a conversation between himself and his former parishioner, had shared a number of difficult and disappointing experiences that he had had during his time with the Fraternity. The French-Canadian made these revelations to her about a year before he decided to make advances towards his old friend.
If Fr. Grega spoke truthfully, then he did indeed have some cause for complaint. For example, the priest was aggrieved that the former Superior General had gone back on a promise to provide Grega with a full year of training and preparation in the Fraternity seminary at Wigratzbad. After all, the Quebecois had previously studied and been ordained entirely in the milieu of the Novus Ordo. He was new to sacred tradition. Yet after having spent only six months in Germany, half the time promised to him, the postulating priest found himself shoved out of the seminary to begin ministry. His lack of sufficient preparation made itself felt almost immediately.
A second complaint was that there had been very little prayer life in common at the FSSP parish in Virginia where Grega had been assigned after prematurely leaving the seminary. He had been told that he and his superior would be praying together on a regular basis. In reality, such joint prayer was practiced only erratically at best. One may wonder to what extent this lack of common prayer contributed to Grega's difficulty in observing priestly celibacy.
There were other complaints that Grega shared with his former parishioner. However, the priest never requested that she speak to anyone else about his experiences. Years later, when she wrote to Fr. Berg about them, Grega was entirely unaware that she had done so. The French-Canadian had no hand in the matter whatsoever.
In his letter, Fr. Berg seems to imply that Grega's complaints lack merit. Perhaps they do. Or perhaps they don't. The former Superior General essentially dodges the issue of whether or not he broke a promise. Fr. Berg only insists that the formation of incoming priests is almost exclusively done at the parish level. If that is the usual practice of the FSSP, fine. However, if a promise had been made, even if it had been exceptional, then it ought to have been kept. The Fraternity should not make any promises that it does not intend to keep.
Although the Fraternity may have had difficulty keeping its promises, it had no trouble keeping secrets. It is arguable that some of these secrets should not have been kept. The Fraternity did not notify the Bishop of Richmond, Virginia, of Fr. Grega's sexual misconduct. It did not notify the Archbishop of Montreal of Fr. Grega's misconduct. (According to Fr. Berg's letter, the FSSP left that task to the French-Canadian priest himself.) And lastly, the Fraternity did not notify the lay faithful, one of whom would later pay a price because of the failure of the FSSP to speak up.
If Fr. Grega spoke truthfully, then he did indeed have some cause for complaint. For example, the priest was aggrieved that the former Superior General had gone back on a promise to provide Grega with a full year of training and preparation in the Fraternity seminary at Wigratzbad. After all, the Quebecois had previously studied and been ordained entirely in the milieu of the Novus Ordo. He was new to sacred tradition. Yet after having spent only six months in Germany, half the time promised to him, the postulating priest found himself shoved out of the seminary to begin ministry. His lack of sufficient preparation made itself felt almost immediately.
A second complaint was that there had been very little prayer life in common at the FSSP parish in Virginia where Grega had been assigned after prematurely leaving the seminary. He had been told that he and his superior would be praying together on a regular basis. In reality, such joint prayer was practiced only erratically at best. One may wonder to what extent this lack of common prayer contributed to Grega's difficulty in observing priestly celibacy.
There were other complaints that Grega shared with his former parishioner. However, the priest never requested that she speak to anyone else about his experiences. Years later, when she wrote to Fr. Berg about them, Grega was entirely unaware that she had done so. The French-Canadian had no hand in the matter whatsoever.
In his letter, Fr. Berg seems to imply that Grega's complaints lack merit. Perhaps they do. Or perhaps they don't. The former Superior General essentially dodges the issue of whether or not he broke a promise. Fr. Berg only insists that the formation of incoming priests is almost exclusively done at the parish level. If that is the usual practice of the FSSP, fine. However, if a promise had been made, even if it had been exceptional, then it ought to have been kept. The Fraternity should not make any promises that it does not intend to keep.
Although the Fraternity may have had difficulty keeping its promises, it had no trouble keeping secrets. It is arguable that some of these secrets should not have been kept. The Fraternity did not notify the Bishop of Richmond, Virginia, of Fr. Grega's sexual misconduct. It did not notify the Archbishop of Montreal of Fr. Grega's misconduct. (According to Fr. Berg's letter, the FSSP left that task to the French-Canadian priest himself.) And lastly, the Fraternity did not notify the lay faithful, one of whom would later pay a price because of the failure of the FSSP to speak up.
UPDATE: October 16, 2018. This letter from the Under-Secretary of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments is delivered via the Apostolic Nunciature in Washington, D.C. to Mary Jo Anger. In February of 2018, she had sent a letter of complaint to Cardinal Robert Sarah, Prefect for the Congregation. That letter offered details concerning the Confession that she had made to Fr. Rudolf Grega on August 22, 2017, in Quebec, Canada. It had been during this Confession, made in the early hours of the morning before the arrival of the three women from the St. Benedict Center, that the French-Canadian priest had abused his office in an effort to prevent his former parishioner from reporting his misconduct to his superiors. It took about seven months for the Congregation to respond, but it did not ignore the complaint that it had received.
Now, the case will be referred back to Archbishop Lepine and to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. Lepine has already demonstrated his sluggishness and an unwillingness to communicate, so very little is expected from him. With regard to the Holy Office, time will tell if any action will be taken.
Now, the case will be referred back to Archbishop Lepine and to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. Lepine has already demonstrated his sluggishness and an unwillingness to communicate, so very little is expected from him. With regard to the Holy Office, time will tell if any action will be taken.
UPDATE: October 31, 2018. Archbishop Christophe Pierre, Apostolic Nuncio to the United States, writes to Mary Jo Anger to acknowledge receipt of additional information to be forwarded to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. In his acknowledgment, His Excellency mentions Anger's letter of September 27, 2018. In actuality, it was the letter from the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments to Anger that had been so dated. Anger sent Archbishop Pierre a photocopy of that document along with her personal letter (dated October 24, 2018) intended for the CDF.
UPDATE: June 7, 2019. Unexpectedly, Bishop Barry Knestout of the Catholic Diocese of Richmond, Virginia, USA, sends a letter to Mary Jo Anger. In his letter, the bishop reports that the complaint brought by Anger against the priest from the Archdiocese of Montreal (Fr. Rudolf Grega) has been investigated. That investigation is now concluded, and it is the wish of the Archbishop of Montreal, the Most Reverend Christian Lepine, that Anger be informed of the outcome. The Judicial Vicar of the Diocese of Richmond has been appointed to meet with her and discuss the results of that investigation.
It is surprising that the Archbishop of Montreal took the step of contacting his confrere in Richmond to announce both the end of the investigation into the allegations against Fr. Rudolf Grega and His Excellency's desire to inform Mary Jo Anger of its outcome. Given Lepine's past sluggishness and unwillingness to communicate with the complainant, very little was expected of the archbishop.
It is surprising that the Archbishop of Montreal took the step of contacting his confrere in Richmond to announce both the end of the investigation into the allegations against Fr. Rudolf Grega and His Excellency's desire to inform Mary Jo Anger of its outcome. Given Lepine's past sluggishness and unwillingness to communicate with the complainant, very little was expected of the archbishop.
UPDATE: June 19, 2019. A face-to-face meeting between Mary Jo Anger and Msgr. R. Francis Muench took place in the Pastoral Center of the Catholic Diocese of Richmond. Its ostensible purpose was to inform Anger of the outcome of the investigation that was initiated after she had lodged a complaint with the Archbishop of Montreal, Canada, about the sexual misconduct of the Rev. Rudolf Grega.
The meeting went badly. When it began, Anger asked for a copy of the letter that had been sent from Montreal to Richmond. Msgr. Muench, the Judicial Vicar of the Diocese of Richmond, denied her request because he stated that his instructions, implied to be from Montreal, were to read the letter to her. Msgr. Muench cannot be blamed for faithfully following instructions from higher authority. However, Archbishop Christian Lepine can be blamed.
The conclusion of the investigation was that the offenses of Grega were deemed insufficiently grave to warrant the application of a canonical penalty. However, they were judged sufficiently serious for a permanent reprimand to be placed on Grega's record. Montreal did not offer any details about the nature of the reprimand given to Grega. Montreal did not say if Grega's priestly faculties are restored, either fully or partially. Montreal did not say where Fr. Grega is currently or what he is doing. It is possible that, with his archbishop's blessing, the lascivious priest is once again in his cassock and presenting himself to the public as a good shepherd of the Church.
Indeed, the 2021 directory of personnel of the Archdiocese of Montreal has a listing for Fr. Grega. Although no parish assignment for Grega is given, his name and contact information are nonetheless offered to the public as if he were a priest in good standing. That the Diocese of Montreal would keep such a cleric after the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter rejected him for gross misconduct shows the low standards of Archbishop Lepine.
The meeting went badly. When it began, Anger asked for a copy of the letter that had been sent from Montreal to Richmond. Msgr. Muench, the Judicial Vicar of the Diocese of Richmond, denied her request because he stated that his instructions, implied to be from Montreal, were to read the letter to her. Msgr. Muench cannot be blamed for faithfully following instructions from higher authority. However, Archbishop Christian Lepine can be blamed.
The conclusion of the investigation was that the offenses of Grega were deemed insufficiently grave to warrant the application of a canonical penalty. However, they were judged sufficiently serious for a permanent reprimand to be placed on Grega's record. Montreal did not offer any details about the nature of the reprimand given to Grega. Montreal did not say if Grega's priestly faculties are restored, either fully or partially. Montreal did not say where Fr. Grega is currently or what he is doing. It is possible that, with his archbishop's blessing, the lascivious priest is once again in his cassock and presenting himself to the public as a good shepherd of the Church.
Indeed, the 2021 directory of personnel of the Archdiocese of Montreal has a listing for Fr. Grega. Although no parish assignment for Grega is given, his name and contact information are nonetheless offered to the public as if he were a priest in good standing. That the Diocese of Montreal would keep such a cleric after the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter rejected him for gross misconduct shows the low standards of Archbishop Lepine.
While Archbishop Lepine maintains low standards for his priests, Rudolf Grega has a history of minimizing his offences and blaming others for his moral failings. During the Easter season of 2018, a period of time when the Archdiocese of Montreal was investigating Anger's complaints against the priest, Grega sent a physical greeting card to one of his many former parishioners, another woman, from St. Joseph Church in Richmond, Virginia. This individual, like Mary Jo Anger, had kept in contact with the French-Canadian priest after he had departed Virginia and had returned to Canada. Just like Anger, this other woman had admired the priest and had been friends with him.
Grega had never said anything to this second woman about his disgraceful conduct, and he continued to keep her in ignorance. Unaware of Grega's spectacular moral failures, this other, former parishioner posted a public tribute to the priest on her Facebook page just in time for Easter Sunday. This public posting was seen by Mary Jo Anger. At that point, she made the decision to reveal to the other woman the predatory misdeeds of the French-Canadian priest. Without any prompting from Anger, the second woman removed her Facebook tribute to Grega and privately expressed her outrage and shock at his appalling behavior.
However, nine months later during Christmas of 2018, in a bizarre flip-flop, the second woman from St. Joseph's publicly posted a throwback photo from 2012 showing the priest in her home with one of her family members. No mention was made of the disgusting behavior of the cleric. For Mary Jo Anger, this was a slap in the face. The dirty priest who had injured her so deeply was inexplicably being honored by another person who knew what he had done. This time, Anger kept her silence and said nothing more to the other woman about it.
Grega had never said anything to this second woman about his disgraceful conduct, and he continued to keep her in ignorance. Unaware of Grega's spectacular moral failures, this other, former parishioner posted a public tribute to the priest on her Facebook page just in time for Easter Sunday. This public posting was seen by Mary Jo Anger. At that point, she made the decision to reveal to the other woman the predatory misdeeds of the French-Canadian priest. Without any prompting from Anger, the second woman removed her Facebook tribute to Grega and privately expressed her outrage and shock at his appalling behavior.
However, nine months later during Christmas of 2018, in a bizarre flip-flop, the second woman from St. Joseph's publicly posted a throwback photo from 2012 showing the priest in her home with one of her family members. No mention was made of the disgusting behavior of the cleric. For Mary Jo Anger, this was a slap in the face. The dirty priest who had injured her so deeply was inexplicably being honored by another person who knew what he had done. This time, Anger kept her silence and said nothing more to the other woman about it.
Content from facebook.com that is posted with the audience selector of PUBLIC is considered public information.
A reasonable conjecture is that Grega had contacted this second woman during the Christmas season, and he had managed to persuade her that all the fuss surrounding him was overblown. Grega has a history of minimizing his sins and of lying by omission. Anyone, especially women, who encounters the Rev. Rudolf Grega should exercise caution and carefully scrutinize everything that he says. He will readily tell half-truths in order to distort reality.
As for the woman who had posted the Christmas tribute to Rudolf Grega even after she had been informed of his misdeeds, she apparently closed her Facebook account in early 2019.
As for the woman who had posted the Christmas tribute to Rudolf Grega even after she had been informed of his misdeeds, she apparently closed her Facebook account in early 2019.
"New poll: U.S. Catholics believe bishops need to manage abuse crisis better"~Headline from a June 11, 2019, article in America, The Jesuit Review.
Do unto Others
The article above illustrates Br. Andre's enormous preoccupation with his reputation and that of other members of the St. Benedict Center. In the space of one relatively short column (shown here in two parts), the prior of the St. Benedict Center complains about "libelous disinformation," "false claims," "false light," "lies, innuendo, and other foolishness," "vicious and unfounded calumny," "a shamefully dishonest man," "false information," and "a misstatement which constitutes a calumny against us..." And that's just one article. There are plenty of other such examples to be found on the official website of the St. Benedict Center in which Villarrubia rages against those he says are spreading lies about him and his group.
On the other hand, Br. Andre showed no such concern for the reputation of the woman who reported his dirty chaplain for sexual misconduct. After all of the prior's endless complaining that outsiders spread lies about the St. Benedict Center and him personally, Villarrubia turned around and lied about the woman from Virginia. He impugned her character and testimony despite the fact that her complaint was credible and Villarrubia's own chaplain later confessed to the truthfulness of it. In Br. Andre's mind, her good name was disposable, and his quest to secure the French-Canadian priest as the permanent chaplain overrode the Lord's commandment to do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Villarrubia's behavior is that of the classic crybully.
On the other hand, Br. Andre showed no such concern for the reputation of the woman who reported his dirty chaplain for sexual misconduct. After all of the prior's endless complaining that outsiders spread lies about the St. Benedict Center and him personally, Villarrubia turned around and lied about the woman from Virginia. He impugned her character and testimony despite the fact that her complaint was credible and Villarrubia's own chaplain later confessed to the truthfulness of it. In Br. Andre's mind, her good name was disposable, and his quest to secure the French-Canadian priest as the permanent chaplain overrode the Lord's commandment to do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Villarrubia's behavior is that of the classic crybully.
The Venom of Fr. Feeney
"It seemed to me he needed an exorcist more than an alienist. A case of demonic possession and jolly frightening."~Evelyn Waugh, the famed Catholic novelist, writing to his wife after having met Fr. Leonard Feeney in 1948.
Fr. Feeney was a man much given to spiteful remarks and even slander. Anyone, including a saint, could end up as one of his targets. From 1952 to 1959, Fr. Feeney edited The Point, a newsletter published by the St. Benedict Center. As editor, he had control over the content of that newsletter, and he did not shy away from publishing outrageous commentary for the public to read. Here are some examples:
On Venerable Fulton J. Sheen
"He has abandoned preaching the Catholic Faith..." (March, 1953)
"This rejection of the dogmas of the Church in favor of his own ideas has been purposeful and assiduous..." (March, 1953)
"...the one point about which Bishop Sheen is most anxious, is to dissociate himself, as far as his program goes, from any tinge of Catholicism." (March, 1953)
"This rejection of the dogmas of the Church in favor of his own ideas has been purposeful and assiduous..." (March, 1953)
"...the one point about which Bishop Sheen is most anxious, is to dissociate himself, as far as his program goes, from any tinge of Catholicism." (March, 1953)
On Saint John Henry Newman
"The more you read Newman, the less you remember what he says." (October, 1952)
"They [Catholics] forget, or never have been told of, his Jewish descent." (December, 1954)
"Modern Catholic Englishmen, without analyzing it, sense that Cardinal Newman was, religiously, the kind of interloper in their midst that Prime Minister Disraeli was politically." (December, 1954)
"They [Catholics] forget, or never have been told of, his Jewish descent." (December, 1954)
"Modern Catholic Englishmen, without analyzing it, sense that Cardinal Newman was, religiously, the kind of interloper in their midst that Prime Minister Disraeli was politically." (December, 1954)
NOTE: With regard to the idea that Cardinal Newman was of Jewish descent, the Catholic Encyclopedia of 1917 states "...no documentary evidence has been found to confirm the suggestion." Even if John Henry Newman were of Jewish lineage, that is not a point of reproach. Feeney's obsession with the Jews was pathological.
UPDATE: On Sunday, October 13, 2019, Blessed John Henry Newman was canonized by Pope Francis during Mass in St. Peter's Square in Rome. His canonization makes Cardinal Newman the first Briton to be raised to the dignity of the altar in over forty years. On October 13, while the Catholic world celebrated this momentous and joyous event, Br. Andre and the Feeneyites of the St. Benedict Center marked the occasion by making no public mention of it.
UPDATE: On Sunday, October 13, 2019, Blessed John Henry Newman was canonized by Pope Francis during Mass in St. Peter's Square in Rome. His canonization makes Cardinal Newman the first Briton to be raised to the dignity of the altar in over forty years. On October 13, while the Catholic world celebrated this momentous and joyous event, Br. Andre and the Feeneyites of the St. Benedict Center marked the occasion by making no public mention of it.
On Monsignor Ronald Knox
"Monsignor Ronald Knox's British lack of faith is suspected by everyone who meets him. It ought as well be suspected by everyone who reads him." (March, 1953)
"It might be argued that Ronald Knox did not always know what grave damage he was doing to the Church when he sat down to his typewriter; but there is no disputing the reality of that damage - or its lasting effect." (July, 1958)
"He himself has never been able to get worked up about the Faith, and he wishes that others wouldn't." (July, 1958)
"It might be argued that Ronald Knox did not always know what grave damage he was doing to the Church when he sat down to his typewriter; but there is no disputing the reality of that damage - or its lasting effect." (July, 1958)
"He himself has never been able to get worked up about the Faith, and he wishes that others wouldn't." (July, 1958)
Br. Andre Marie Villarrubia inherited the venomous nature of his spiritual father. It is not too surprising that Villarrubia resorted to character assassination when he found himself challenged on account of his womanizing chaplain. Like father like son.
No Public Denial
Br. Andre appears to be making no effort to publicly deny that he knew of sexual misconduct by a member of the Catholic clergy and that he tried to protect the perpetrator by interfering with a diocesan investigation into the matter. It is out of character for the prior of the St. Benedict Center to practice such strict silence. He has a hair-trigger sensitivity to criticism. Typically, if so much as a single word of rebuke is directed towards Villarrubia, he responds aggressively. The prior of the St. Benedict Center issues vehement denials, denunciations, and angry rebuttals. This time, however, the situation is totally different. The Feeneyite-in-chief has nothing to say publicly about Gregagate. That speaks volumes.
If Fr. Rudolf Grega has no history of fornication, let Br. Andre publicly deny the assertion that his former chaplain does.
If Fr. Grega did not make sexual advances towards his former parishioner in October of 2016, let Br. Andre deny the charge that his former chaplain did.
If the woman from Virginia did not inform Andre about the misconduct of the then chaplain to the Feeneyites, let Villarrubia deny the claim that she did.
If Br. Andre did not telephone Virginia to speak to the confessor of Fr. Grega's former parishioner let Villarrubia deny the charge that he did.
If Br. Andre did not tell the woman's confessor that her testimony about Grega was doubtful, let Villarrubia deny the claim that he did.
If Br. Andre did not hope to use the woman's confessor, Fr. Brian Capuano, to force her to drop her complaint, let Villarrubia deny that it had been his intention.
Let the prior of the St. Benedict Center publicly deny all the charges and allegations made against him. Let him deny his part in the sexual harassment scandal involving the chaplain to the Feeneyites. If Br. Andre will not publicly deny the allegations made against him and Fr. Grega, his silence serves to confirm the misconduct of both priest and prior. The St. Benedict Center in New Hampshire is led by a man who is part of the problem of sexual misconduct in the Church.
Lies from Andre
Screenshot of the comment section from the Vortex (April, 2019) published by ChurchMilitant.com. It is a fair use exemption under the U.S. Copyright Act.
UPDATE: In the comment section following a Vortex video dating from April 16, 2019, a viewer questions the innocence of the Feeneyites at the St. Benedict Center and posts the web address to Br. Andre's #MeToo Moment. The viewer then demands evidence to support the claims made by Church Militant and Br. Andre in the video. Specifically, internet links and letters are requested.
Screenshot of the comment section from the Vortex (April, 2019) published by ChurchMilitant.com. It is a fair use exemption under the U.S. Copyright Act.
In response, a moderator for Church Militant publishes a reply purported to be from Br. Andre. In his comments, the prior of the SBC does not provide written evidence of any kind from either the Diocese of Manchester or any other source. He does not provide any internet links. Andre does nothing except make a few statements, several of which are either unsupported or are outright lies. Additionally, he makes no denial of the accusation that he made a hostile phone call with the intention to intimidate Mary Jo Anger into dropping her charges against Fr. Rudolf Grega, former chaplain to the St. Benedict Center. Here is an analysis of Andre's deceitful comments:
Andre says, "When Mary Jo Anger wrote me with accusations against Father Grega, I did not dismiss them out of hand..."
That little bit is true. Initially, the prior was actually courteous and sympathetic. Unfortunately, this positive attitude was short-lived.
Andre says, "...even though her claims did not strike me as credible for several reasons."
Notice that the prior declines to offer even one reason. He questions Anger's credibility but offers NO justification for doing so. Villarrubia's statement is a smear.
Andre says, "I forwarded the Diocese of Manchester all the information I had on the matter, which was contained in several emails she sent me."
Br. Andre was late to the game. Days before Mary Jo Anger had ever contacted Villarrubia, she had already reported Fr. Rudolf Grega to the Diocese of Manchester and had already been communicating with officials there. Andre appears to be operating on the mistaken assumption that he had been the first to make officials in Manchester aware of the complaints against Grega. He was NOT first. Instead, his report to officials in Manchester was superfluous.
Mary Jo Anger DID NOT NEED the prior of the St. Benedict Center to do anything for her. In fact, she would not have even bothered to contact Br. Andre had it not been for the fact that he and his community have a long history of being at odds with the hierarchy of the Catholic Church. The only reason Anger ever contacted Br. Andre Marie Villarrubia was to protect Bishop Libasci from potential insults and unjust accusations from the Feeneyites.
If, following the complaints filed by Anger, Bishop Libasci were to revoke his previous permissions for Fr. Rudolf Grega to serve at the St. Benedict Center, it is likely that such a decision would have stunned the Feeneyites. It is also quite possible that such a decision by the bishop would have been made without much explanation from him to the members of the SBC. Anger considered that the Feeneyites could lose their chaplain without knowing why. Such a situation would most likely inflame the community which would then probably assume bad will on the part of Bishop Libasci. Such an assumption by the Feeneyites would undoubtedly lead them to condemn His Excellency loudly and publicly. It was the possible scenario of the Bishop of Manchester being unfairly attacked and criticized by the St. Benedict Center that led Mary Jo Anger to undertake the distasteful task of contacting the prior and explaining to him that his community's chaplain was sexually licentious.
Andre says, "When Mary Jo Anger wrote me with accusations against Father Grega, I did not dismiss them out of hand..."
That little bit is true. Initially, the prior was actually courteous and sympathetic. Unfortunately, this positive attitude was short-lived.
Andre says, "...even though her claims did not strike me as credible for several reasons."
Notice that the prior declines to offer even one reason. He questions Anger's credibility but offers NO justification for doing so. Villarrubia's statement is a smear.
Andre says, "I forwarded the Diocese of Manchester all the information I had on the matter, which was contained in several emails she sent me."
Br. Andre was late to the game. Days before Mary Jo Anger had ever contacted Villarrubia, she had already reported Fr. Rudolf Grega to the Diocese of Manchester and had already been communicating with officials there. Andre appears to be operating on the mistaken assumption that he had been the first to make officials in Manchester aware of the complaints against Grega. He was NOT first. Instead, his report to officials in Manchester was superfluous.
Mary Jo Anger DID NOT NEED the prior of the St. Benedict Center to do anything for her. In fact, she would not have even bothered to contact Br. Andre had it not been for the fact that he and his community have a long history of being at odds with the hierarchy of the Catholic Church. The only reason Anger ever contacted Br. Andre Marie Villarrubia was to protect Bishop Libasci from potential insults and unjust accusations from the Feeneyites.
If, following the complaints filed by Anger, Bishop Libasci were to revoke his previous permissions for Fr. Rudolf Grega to serve at the St. Benedict Center, it is likely that such a decision would have stunned the Feeneyites. It is also quite possible that such a decision by the bishop would have been made without much explanation from him to the members of the SBC. Anger considered that the Feeneyites could lose their chaplain without knowing why. Such a situation would most likely inflame the community which would then probably assume bad will on the part of Bishop Libasci. Such an assumption by the Feeneyites would undoubtedly lead them to condemn His Excellency loudly and publicly. It was the possible scenario of the Bishop of Manchester being unfairly attacked and criticized by the St. Benedict Center that led Mary Jo Anger to undertake the distasteful task of contacting the prior and explaining to him that his community's chaplain was sexually licentious.
This is a screen shot of an autoreply email received from the Catholic Diocese of Manchester, New Hampshire. This was the very first contact between Manchester and Mary Jo Anger concerning the reporting of Rudolf Grega's sexual misconduct. The date is August 28, 2017. This is at least a week before Anger even contacted Br. Andre Marie to inform him of the licentiousness of the chaplain to the SBC.
This is a screen shot of a MailTrack alert sent to Mary Jo Anger after Br. Andre Marie opened an email that she had sent him concerning the sexual misconduct of Fr. Rudolf Grega. It is dated September 5, 2017, which is at least a week after Mary Jo Anger reported Grega to the Catholic Diocese of Manchester. Andre pretends that he was the one who brought Grega's behavior to the attention of Manchester, but he is a liar.
Andre says, "The diocesan officials did not find her credible either, and they expended time and energy looking into the matter."
What documents, Br. Andre, did you receive from the Diocese of Manchester saying that officials there did not find the accusations brought by Mary Jo Anger to be credible? Where are the letters and emails that you received from Church authorities in New Hampshire? To date, you have provided none at all. You have only made unsupported claims. Furthermore, your empty claims are contradicted by the testimony of the Rev. Brian W. Capuano, the priest from the Diocese of Richmond, Virginia, who had agreed to act as informal intermediary between the Church in New Hampshire and the complainant in Virginia.
In 2017, Fr. Capuano was the pastor and confessor of Mary Jo Anger, and he stayed in frequent contact with her after she had complained to the Church in New Hampshire. This priest called Anger at her home and informed her that Rudolf Grega had admitted to his sexual misconduct, and that the Diocese of Manchester would be turning over the investigation to the Archdiocese of Montreal since it was there that Grega was actually incardinated. The story that Andre tells to readers of Church Militant is very different from that told by the Rev. Brian Capuano to Mary Jo Anger. It is Villarrubia vs. Capuano.
Furthermore, there is the consideration of what happened to the relationship between Fr. Grega and the St. Benedict Center. If Grega were truly innocent, and if the Diocese of Manchester had actually dismissed the complaints against him, did Bishop Libasci then grant permission to the French-Canadian priest to return to the St. Benedict Center to serve as chaplain? It seems impossible that Libasci did so given that the Archdiocese of Montreal suspended Grega's faculties upon receiving the complaint against its priest. Tell us, Br. Andre. Did Fr. Grega ever come back to New Hampshire to be your chaplain, or did he only return for such reasons as to collect his personal belongings and to reimburse you for the hefty, application fee (around $4,500) that you paid to the United States government for the French-Canadian's R1 visa?
Andre says, "But that has not stopped her obsessive and dishonest campaign against this priest, me, and my community."
It is the prior of the St. Benedict Center who is obsessive and dishonest. He is pretending that he and Rudolf Grega are innocent and that his community is Catholic. Even if one sets aside the particular complaints of Mary Jo Anger against Fr. Grega, it remains that the French-Canadian priest has a long history of sexual misconduct, i.e. fornication. The Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter expelled the licentious priest from its ranks because of it, and that religious order can verify this expulsion. Below are two letters written by former superiors within the F.S.S.P. A third letter is from Bishop Knestout of the Diocese of Richmond, Virginia. These letters clearly show that Rudolf Grega is not a good priest and is not wanted in the Diocese of Richmond. Andre is obstinately defending a priest who disgraced his office, and he's smearing the woman who reported it to Church authorities.
It is the prior of the St. Benedict Center who is obsessive and dishonest. He is pretending that he and Rudolf Grega are innocent and that his community is Catholic. Even if one sets aside the particular complaints of Mary Jo Anger against Fr. Grega, it remains that the French-Canadian priest has a long history of sexual misconduct, i.e. fornication. The Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter expelled the licentious priest from its ranks because of it, and that religious order can verify this expulsion. Below are two letters written by former superiors within the F.S.S.P. A third letter is from Bishop Knestout of the Diocese of Richmond, Virginia. These letters clearly show that Rudolf Grega is not a good priest and is not wanted in the Diocese of Richmond. Andre is obstinately defending a priest who disgraced his office, and he's smearing the woman who reported it to Church authorities.
Andre says, "She falsely accused me of 'witness tampering' for merely attempting to explain to a priest she knows precisely how I was handling her accusations - i.e., by forwarding them to the appropriate authorities."
That was NEVER the complaint, and this statement by Br. Andre Marie Villarrubia is a LIE. Lying is the only way Andre can make himself appear innocent in this situation. The reason Villarrubia is accused of witness tampering is because he made a hostile and vaguely threatening phone call that was intended to intimidate Mary Jo Anger into dropping her complaints against Fr. Grega. This hostile call was made to the Rev. Brian W. Capuano, the priest in Virginia who had been assisting her as the Diocese of Manchester investigated her charges regarding the chaplain to the St. Benedict Center. It was Fr. Capuano who informed Mary Jo Anger of Villarrubia's attempt at intimidation. Let Andre deny that he made that call to the rectory of St. Joseph Catholic Church in Petersburg, Virginia (area code 804). Phone records can show a lot.
Furthermore, the attempt made by Br. Andre to intimidate Mary Jo Anger into withdrawing her complaint against Rudolf Grega was immediately reported to the Diocese of Manchester. Below is a copy of the letter that was sent to Diane Quinlan, Esq., then the diocesan chancellor for Manchester, in September of 2017. Fr. Brian Capuano in Petersburg also received a copy of this same letter. Andre Villarrubia's attempt at witness tampering has been documented in writing for over three years.
That was NEVER the complaint, and this statement by Br. Andre Marie Villarrubia is a LIE. Lying is the only way Andre can make himself appear innocent in this situation. The reason Villarrubia is accused of witness tampering is because he made a hostile and vaguely threatening phone call that was intended to intimidate Mary Jo Anger into dropping her complaints against Fr. Grega. This hostile call was made to the Rev. Brian W. Capuano, the priest in Virginia who had been assisting her as the Diocese of Manchester investigated her charges regarding the chaplain to the St. Benedict Center. It was Fr. Capuano who informed Mary Jo Anger of Villarrubia's attempt at intimidation. Let Andre deny that he made that call to the rectory of St. Joseph Catholic Church in Petersburg, Virginia (area code 804). Phone records can show a lot.
Furthermore, the attempt made by Br. Andre to intimidate Mary Jo Anger into withdrawing her complaint against Rudolf Grega was immediately reported to the Diocese of Manchester. Below is a copy of the letter that was sent to Diane Quinlan, Esq., then the diocesan chancellor for Manchester, in September of 2017. Fr. Brian Capuano in Petersburg also received a copy of this same letter. Andre Villarrubia's attempt at witness tampering has been documented in writing for over three years.
Fr. Brian Capuano, pastor of St. Joseph Catholic Church in Petersburg, Virginia. (November, 2016) Photo by Mary Jo Anger.
Later, in 2018, Anger wrote two letters to the CDF in Rome which included complaints and details about Br. Andre's outrageous behavior. Once again, Villarrubia's attempt at intimidation was detailed to Church authorities. (See the ADDENDUM section at the end of this page.) Andre's willingness to lie is breathtaking.
In addition to writing to the Diocese of Manchester and Rome to complain about Villarrubia's attempted interference in the Church investigation of Rudolf Grega's misconduct, Mary Jo Anger also wrote via email to Mr. C.J. Doyle, a partisan of the Saint Benedict Center. Mr. Doyle is a contributing author to the website maintained by the Feeneyites, and he even has his own biographical page there. Doyle is also the spokesman for the Friends of the Saint Benedict Center. On its website, the FoSBC says that the group is "...dedicated to defending the Saint Benedict Center through public advocacy in both the secular and the Catholic media."
C.J. Doyle features prominently in a video released by Church Militant/St. Michael's Media on April 15, 2019. This video is called Attacking the Good Guys Who Are Fighting Back, and it shows Mr. Doyle highly praising the community of the Slaves of the SBC. Doyle goes so far as to tell his interviewer, Mr. Michael Voris, that "...this is one of the few Catholic communities and few Catholic religious orders that have been completely untainted by any charge of sexual abuse or that kind of misconduct," and that the Feeneyites are "...innocent, unoffending, traditional Catholics..." Mr. Doyle's confidence in the purity of the community of the SBC is misplaced, and his statements to Michael Voris are quite erroneous.
On April 16, 2019, one day following the release of the aforementioned video, Mary Jo Anger sent Mr. Doyle a message electronically to inform him of his misstatements. Below is an image of that email.
C.J. Doyle features prominently in a video released by Church Militant/St. Michael's Media on April 15, 2019. This video is called Attacking the Good Guys Who Are Fighting Back, and it shows Mr. Doyle highly praising the community of the Slaves of the SBC. Doyle goes so far as to tell his interviewer, Mr. Michael Voris, that "...this is one of the few Catholic communities and few Catholic religious orders that have been completely untainted by any charge of sexual abuse or that kind of misconduct," and that the Feeneyites are "...innocent, unoffending, traditional Catholics..." Mr. Doyle's confidence in the purity of the community of the SBC is misplaced, and his statements to Michael Voris are quite erroneous.
On April 16, 2019, one day following the release of the aforementioned video, Mary Jo Anger sent Mr. Doyle a message electronically to inform him of his misstatements. Below is an image of that email.
Notice that Anger explains to Doyle that Andre "...inserted himself into an investigation that had been opened by the Diocese of Manchester." Anger further explains that "Br. Andre wished to close that investigation by pressuring me, using my local confessor, to drop my complaint." The key point is that Andre tried to pressure Mary Jo Anger by making use of her local confessor.
In 2017, Anger's local confessor was Fr. Brian Capuano, a priest of the Catholic Diocese of Richmond, Virginia, and pastor of St. Joseph Catholic Church in Petersburg, Virginia. (As of 2019, Capuano is also the Vicar for Vocations for the Diocese of Richmond.) Anger's email to Mr. Doyle does not specifically mention the hostile phone call that Br. Andre Marie had made to Fr. Capuano, but it does specifically mention that Villarrubia tried to apply pressure via her local pastor.
The date and time stamp on that email are important. On the same day that Mary Jo Anger sent her explanatory email to C.J. Doyle, Church Militant would publish false statements from Br. Andre about her. Below is another screen shot of Andre's deceitful comments. This image shows the time stamp when Church Militant published it.
In 2017, Anger's local confessor was Fr. Brian Capuano, a priest of the Catholic Diocese of Richmond, Virginia, and pastor of St. Joseph Catholic Church in Petersburg, Virginia. (As of 2019, Capuano is also the Vicar for Vocations for the Diocese of Richmond.) Anger's email to Mr. Doyle does not specifically mention the hostile phone call that Br. Andre Marie had made to Fr. Capuano, but it does specifically mention that Villarrubia tried to apply pressure via her local pastor.
The date and time stamp on that email are important. On the same day that Mary Jo Anger sent her explanatory email to C.J. Doyle, Church Militant would publish false statements from Br. Andre about her. Below is another screen shot of Andre's deceitful comments. This image shows the time stamp when Church Militant published it.
Screenshot of the comment section from the Vortex (April, 2019) published by ChurchMilitant.com. It is a fair use exemption under the U.S. Copyright Act.
Screenshot of the comment section from the Vortex (April, 2019) published by ChurchMilitant.com. It is a fair use exemption under the U.S. Copyright Act.
The time line for Tuesday, April 16, 2019 is as follows:
12:10 pm- Mary Jo Anger sends an informational email to C.J. Doyle.
1:30 pm- A viewer of a Church Militant video demands evidence that the community of the SBC is innocent.
3:14 pm- Church Militant publishes Andre's lies about Anger.
Mary Jo Anger has evidence to support her claims against Andre. Andre does not have evidence to support his claims against her.
Andre says, "Contrary to what she says, I neither sought to protect a 'sexual predator,' nor did I in fact do so."
Yes, Br. Andre, you DID try to protect your sexually predatory chaplain. You called long-distance to Virginia to speak to the Rev. Brian Capuano, pastor and confessor of Mary Jo Anger. This priest of the Diocese of Richmond had been assisting Mary Jo Anger, then his parishioner, by acting as mediator between her and the Diocese of Manchester after she had filed a complaint against Grega. It was this diocesan priest who contacted Anger to warn her that you wanted the complaints against Grega dropped. Fr. Capuano clearly explained that you were attempting to make his parishioner withdraw her charges against Grega because she was an obstacle to your plans for the French-Canadian priest at the St. Benedict Center. Br. Andre, you have yet to deny that you made that hostile phone call.
Andre says, "Note that what she accused this priest of was not criminal, so I could not advise her to telephone the police."
Although the complaints against Fr. Rudolf Grega, former chaplain to the St. Benedict Center in New Hampshire, were not about criminal behavior, they were about gravely IMMORAL behavior. Grega is a priest who chronically violated clerical celibacy, and that is serious matter.
Andre says, "The matter could only be handled by the proper ecclesiastical authorities, and I went by their judgment in the matter, which coincided with my own assessment of things."
Show us, Br. Andre, the official, written judgment that you received from the Diocese of Manchester that dismisses the accusations against your chaplain. Provide the documentation from September of 2017 (or any later date) that exonerates Fr. Rudolf Grega of the charges against him.
The truth of the matter is that the investigation into the misconduct of Fr. Grega was ongoing until the spring of 2019. At that time, the Church, via the Archdiocese of Montreal and the Diocese of Richmond, announced its conclusion to Mary Jo Anger. (See document below.) The issue of the French-Canadian's behavior was primarily the responsibility of Archbishop Christian Lepine in Quebec and not of Bishop Libasci in New Hampshire. Andre appears to have forgotten all about the Canadians.
Back in September of 2017, the Church investigation into the complaints of Mary Jo Anger was only in its initial stages. Br. Andre was rash to conclude that the charges against Grega weren't credible. Furthermore, during a face-to-face meeting on June 19, 2019, between Mary Jo Anger and Msgr. Francis Muench, Judicial Vicar of the Catholic Diocese of Richmond, Virginia, it was announced that the Archdiocese of Montreal had placed the Rev. Rudolf Grega under permanent reprimand for his misconduct. Br. Andre had attempted, but failed, to protect a sexual predator, and now he maliciously characterizes the efforts of Mary Jo Anger to obtain justice as being an "obsessive and dishonest campaign against this priest, me, and my community."
Yes, Br. Andre, you DID try to protect your sexually predatory chaplain. You called long-distance to Virginia to speak to the Rev. Brian Capuano, pastor and confessor of Mary Jo Anger. This priest of the Diocese of Richmond had been assisting Mary Jo Anger, then his parishioner, by acting as mediator between her and the Diocese of Manchester after she had filed a complaint against Grega. It was this diocesan priest who contacted Anger to warn her that you wanted the complaints against Grega dropped. Fr. Capuano clearly explained that you were attempting to make his parishioner withdraw her charges against Grega because she was an obstacle to your plans for the French-Canadian priest at the St. Benedict Center. Br. Andre, you have yet to deny that you made that hostile phone call.
Andre says, "Note that what she accused this priest of was not criminal, so I could not advise her to telephone the police."
Although the complaints against Fr. Rudolf Grega, former chaplain to the St. Benedict Center in New Hampshire, were not about criminal behavior, they were about gravely IMMORAL behavior. Grega is a priest who chronically violated clerical celibacy, and that is serious matter.
Andre says, "The matter could only be handled by the proper ecclesiastical authorities, and I went by their judgment in the matter, which coincided with my own assessment of things."
Show us, Br. Andre, the official, written judgment that you received from the Diocese of Manchester that dismisses the accusations against your chaplain. Provide the documentation from September of 2017 (or any later date) that exonerates Fr. Rudolf Grega of the charges against him.
The truth of the matter is that the investigation into the misconduct of Fr. Grega was ongoing until the spring of 2019. At that time, the Church, via the Archdiocese of Montreal and the Diocese of Richmond, announced its conclusion to Mary Jo Anger. (See document below.) The issue of the French-Canadian's behavior was primarily the responsibility of Archbishop Christian Lepine in Quebec and not of Bishop Libasci in New Hampshire. Andre appears to have forgotten all about the Canadians.
Back in September of 2017, the Church investigation into the complaints of Mary Jo Anger was only in its initial stages. Br. Andre was rash to conclude that the charges against Grega weren't credible. Furthermore, during a face-to-face meeting on June 19, 2019, between Mary Jo Anger and Msgr. Francis Muench, Judicial Vicar of the Catholic Diocese of Richmond, Virginia, it was announced that the Archdiocese of Montreal had placed the Rev. Rudolf Grega under permanent reprimand for his misconduct. Br. Andre had attempted, but failed, to protect a sexual predator, and now he maliciously characterizes the efforts of Mary Jo Anger to obtain justice as being an "obsessive and dishonest campaign against this priest, me, and my community."
UPDATE: As of Friday, July 30, 2021, the remarks from Br. Andre Marie on the Church Militant website are amended as follows:
Screenshot of the comment section from the Vortex (April, 2019) published by ChurchMilitant.com. It is a fair use exemption under the U.S. Copyright Act.
Where is Fr. Grega?
In comments made to Church Militant (above), Br. Andre Marie has the gall to complain that a dishonest campaign is being waged "...against this priest..." He is referring to Fr. Grega, of course, but it is Andre who is waging a dishonest campaign. Frs. Gerard Saguto, FSSP, and John Berg, FSSP, admit in separate letters posted on this website that 1) Rudolf Grega has caused hurt 2) that the Archdiocese of Montreal needs to adequately deal with the problem so that Grega cannot hurt anyone else 3) it might have been a mistake to even have let the French-Canadian postulate with the FSSP.
Notice that Rudolf Grega has not even tried to publicly declare his innocence, so why is Villarrubia attempting to do it for him? It would be reasonable to speculate that it is because the prior of the SBC is trying to present himself and his community as being pure. However, it's hard to be pure when your chaplain is dirty. Therefore, it is in Villarrubia's interest to publicly present Grega as being a good and virtuous priest, even though he isn't. The prior of the SBC has chosen to lie.
But where is Fr. Grega? He seems to have disappeared.
Although the 2021 directory for the Archdiocese of Montreal carries an entry for Grega (see screen shot below), no assignment of any sort is listed for the priest. What does Rudolf Grega do?
Interestingly, a different screen shot that was taken on July 14, 2020, shows that a webpage for the vocations department in Montreal glaringly omits any mention of Fr. Rudolf Grega. This particular page is dedicated to listing all the ordinations in the archdiocese since the year 2000. This is done for the purpose of encouraging the faithful to donate. As the current diocesan directory indicates, Grega was ordained in 2006. However, on the vocations page (second screen shot below), there is only an empty space where Grega's name should be. It would be embarrassing for the Archdiocese of Montreal if the name of Fr. Rudolf Grega were to appear there. Apparently, though, Br. Andre Marie would have the public believe that Grega is an innocent priest who is unjustly accused. Perhaps the prior of the St. Benedict Center can convince Archbishop Lepine to include Grega's name on the office of vocations' list of priests.
Notice that Rudolf Grega has not even tried to publicly declare his innocence, so why is Villarrubia attempting to do it for him? It would be reasonable to speculate that it is because the prior of the SBC is trying to present himself and his community as being pure. However, it's hard to be pure when your chaplain is dirty. Therefore, it is in Villarrubia's interest to publicly present Grega as being a good and virtuous priest, even though he isn't. The prior of the SBC has chosen to lie.
But where is Fr. Grega? He seems to have disappeared.
Although the 2021 directory for the Archdiocese of Montreal carries an entry for Grega (see screen shot below), no assignment of any sort is listed for the priest. What does Rudolf Grega do?
Interestingly, a different screen shot that was taken on July 14, 2020, shows that a webpage for the vocations department in Montreal glaringly omits any mention of Fr. Rudolf Grega. This particular page is dedicated to listing all the ordinations in the archdiocese since the year 2000. This is done for the purpose of encouraging the faithful to donate. As the current diocesan directory indicates, Grega was ordained in 2006. However, on the vocations page (second screen shot below), there is only an empty space where Grega's name should be. It would be embarrassing for the Archdiocese of Montreal if the name of Fr. Rudolf Grega were to appear there. Apparently, though, Br. Andre Marie would have the public believe that Grega is an innocent priest who is unjustly accused. Perhaps the prior of the St. Benedict Center can convince Archbishop Lepine to include Grega's name on the office of vocations' list of priests.
John 3:20 "For everyone that does evil hates the light, and comes not to the light, that his works may not be reproved."
ADDENDUM
Pictured above are copies of two letters written by Mary Jo Anger, with enclosures, that were sent to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. The Catholic Diocese of Manchester also received the same letters. To date, no response to either letter has been received from any party.
However, the superb actions taken against the Feeneyites by the Bishop of Manchester give the impression of being a response. Although it is unknown if Bishop Libasci's actions are in any way related to the pleas for justice he received, His Excellency deserves thanks. Sexual misconduct and heresy are gravely immoral, and Bishop Libasci dealt with the St. Benedict Center appropriately, even if His Excellency had only been acting with matters of the faith in mind.
However, the superb actions taken against the Feeneyites by the Bishop of Manchester give the impression of being a response. Although it is unknown if Bishop Libasci's actions are in any way related to the pleas for justice he received, His Excellency deserves thanks. Sexual misconduct and heresy are gravely immoral, and Bishop Libasci dealt with the St. Benedict Center appropriately, even if His Excellency had only been acting with matters of the faith in mind.
UPDATE: May 22, 2019. The Apostolic Nuncio to the United States, Archbishop Christophe Pierre, writes to Mary Jo Anger to acknowledge the receipt of another letter from her containing an expansion of her original complaints about the St. Benedict Center. Anger's letter to the nuncio followed the grossly unfair reporting about Bishop Libasci and the Diocese of Manchester done by Michael Voris of the Church Militant media conglomerate. During one of his multiple videos about the St. Benedict Center, Voris airs the farcical claim that the Slaves of the Immaculate Heart of Mary are "completely untainted by any charge of sexual abuse or that kind of misconduct." Any journalistic integrity Voris may have had before his reports on the SBC were aired has diminished significantly after that embarrassing blunder. For more details, click on this link Michael Voris Goes Feeneyite or on the corresponding tab at the top of the page.
Statement regarding Simcha Fisher
On April 30, 2019, writer Simcha Fisher published on her personal blog an article called "Br. André Marie regrets tone in speech that called Jews 'seed of the devil'". As part of that article, Fisher links to "Br. Andre's #MeToo Moment" which has resulted in significant traffic to this website. At no time ever was there, nor is there now, any sort of partnership or collaborative effort between Fisher and Mary Jo Anger. Mary Jo Anger makes no endorsement or other type of recommendation of this article or any other work of Mrs. Fisher. The two women are entirely independent of each other.
"Fight by writing a letter of complaint...Fight by reporting offenders...Fight by pursuing the guilty until they are punished..."~Bishop Robert Barron in his "Letter to a Suffering Church."
"At some point, you are going to find out that they are not the people you thought they were."~Fr. Mike Schmitz on bad priests and other spiritual leaders
"People will be trolling your family's history, looking for something to smear you with, something to make the allegations go away by attacking you and your family as bad people, which must explain why you would say such awful things about 'our dear Father', since only bad people would do that."~Feral Finster, commenting on an article by Rod Dreher in the American Conservative. Finster acknowledges what whistleblowers in the Catholic Church must face after reporting priests for sexual abuse.
Content from catholicism.org that appears on this site is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution – Share Alike License.
This website was first published March 29, 2018. It was last updated March, 2024.
"It's stuff like this that gives me trust issues."~Col. Nick Fury in The Winter Soldier.