diocese of providence priest assignments 2021

BishopAccountability.org

Priest removed from assignments in 3 ri communities — now giving mass at notorious parish.

May 15, 2023

Diocese of Providence Priest Eric Silva — who has been removed from diocesan assignments at Catholic schools and parishes in Cranston, Barrington and Narragansett — now has a new home.

Silva had been removed for asking children “inappropriate questions” about sex.

Demers, Haiti, and St. Joseph’s Church

Now, Silva is assigned to St. Joseph Church on Hope Street — the parish associated with one of the most infamous Catholic priests — Priest Norman Demers. 

Silva’s name does not appear on the St. Joseph website, or weekly handout, nor does he introduce himself when giving mass.

Demers was assigned to St. Joseph from 1974 to 1990 — it was his longest assignment during his 42-year career in the priesthood. And it was at St. Joseph that he was involved with the parish’s Haiti project and allegations of sexual abuse came to light.

“The complaints about Father Demers were raised in 1989 by boys at an orphanage in Haiti. The boys complained that Father Demers, who had founded the orphanage, would touch them inappropriately, according to the orphanage and its director at the time. They complained that he would require them to come to his bedroom alone, strip in front of him and try on clothing that he was giving out, according to the orphanage and the former director,”  according to one press report.

Others came forward with claims of abuse about Demers. In 2020, Robert Houllahan, 51, of Providence, claimed in a lawsuit he filed that he was sexually abused by the late Demers, who received the “protection and affirmative assistance” of the leaders of the Diocese of Providence.

Houllahan said that he witnessed children from Central America when he was brought to Demers’ private quarters in the rectory of St. Joseph in Providence in 1976, where he was molested by Demers and another man, according to the allegations in Houllahan’s lawsuit

Demers died in 2018 and has been designated by the Diocese and law enforcement on the “List of Credibly Accused Clergy.”

Silva’s Travels and Removals

When GoLocal unveiled that Silva had been assigned to Narragansett’s St. Veronica’s Chapel in 2022 , after being removed from St. Luke’s in Barrington and Immaculate Conception Catholic Regional School in Cranston, prominent parishioners in Narragansett were reportedly livid.

Silva asked male children if they were gay and accused them of lying if they said no.

And, Silva asked females were asked if they were sexually active and, according to the report, similarly accused of lying if they answered in the negative. He made the comments when he was offering confession.

Silva made the comments to children while he was a visiting priest at Immaculate Conception Catholic Regional School in Cranston. But, there were also complaints at St. Luke’s too.

During the controversy, Reverend Edward J. Wilson Jr.,  of Immaculate Conception Parish in Cranston, announced that Silva was barred from offering mass or returning to the school due to his behavior.

Ultimately, then-Bishop of the Diocese of Providence Thomas Tobin flipped and removed Silva from Narragansett. Tobin left the Diocese of Providence in May of 2023.

After GoLocal’s series of stories on Silva, a top lawyer for clergy sexual abuse victims worldwide for decades,  Mitchell Garabedian, said Bishop Thomas Tobin needed to have an investigation conducted into Silva’s actions before any permanent reassignment.

Garabedian — who was portrayed by Stanley Tucci in the movie “Spotlight” — released the following statement after the GoLocal series: 

“Before re-assigning Fr. Eric Silva, Bishop Thomas Tobin should request a police investigation to determine if any crimes were committed by Fr. Silva against children. 

The investigation by the police would then objectively obtain facts and the truth. The truth which Thomas Tobin obviously wants to hide through a cloak of secrecy. 

The premature re-assignment by Bishop Tobin is just another example of how the Catholic Church continues to place the welfare of the Catholic Church above the safety of children. 

Based on my decades of experience, the sexually based conversations with children by Fr. Silva are a red flag moment if there ever was on.”

Call for Neronha to Investigate Silva

In addition to Garabedian’s call for an investigation,  Terence McKiernan, President and Co-Director, BishopAccountability wrote in a Guest MINDSETTER™ column in GoLocal  that Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha should initiate an investigation.

McKiernan wrote:

“We welcome the decision by Bishop Thomas J. Tobin to backtrack on his ill-considered appointment and remove Fr. Eric Silva from St. Thomas More Parish in Narragansett.  But Bishop Tobin has ducked responsibility for this fiasco by issuing an unsigned statement that does not admit that the appointment was a mistake.  

We are very concerned that Bishop Tobin has chosen to keep Fr. Eric Silva’s priestly faculties in place.  Those faculties should be immediately suspended, pending a full and open investigation of the allegations against Silva.  Sexual interrogation of children in confession is closely associated with sexual abuse in the Catholic church, and for this reason is not allowed.  Bishop Tobin is well aware of this.  His responsibility to the children of the Diocese of Providence requires that he investigate the Silva case properly, keep Silva out of ministry during the investigation, and send a message to Rhode Island survivors and Catholics that the confessional will never be used as a tool for the abuse of children.

We urge Rhode Island Attorney General Peter F. Neronha to take note of this important case.  When considered in light of Bishop Tobin’s egregious mishandling of the case of Fr. Francis C. Santilli, the botching of the Silva case suggests a pattern of ongoing reckless decisions by Bishop Tobin.”

Despite the pleas for an investigation, non were conducted. Silva is now at St. Joseph’s.

The Diocese of Providence’s director of communications Michael F. Kieloch did not respond to requests for comment on Silva’s new assignment.

https://www.golocalprov.com/news/priest-removed-from-assignments-in-3-communities-now-giving-mass-at-notorio

Assignment changes for priests and deacons beginning July 1

By Anne Marie Amacher The Catholic Messenger

Sixteen priests and four deacons will see assignment changes beginning July 1 when four priests are retiring and one religious order priest is moving out of the Diocese of Davenport, Bishop Thomas Zinkula announced.

Retirements

Father Anthony Herold , 69, will retire. The Fort Madison native graduated from Northeast Missouri State (now Truman State University) and St. Ambrose College in Davenport. He completed his theology studies at the Pontifical North American College in Rome. Bishop Gerald O’Keefe ordained him to the priesthood July 14, 1979 at St. Mary Church-Fort Madison. Father Herold served at St. Paul Parish-Burlington, St. Mary Parish-Clinton and as spiritual director, diocesan vocations director and rector of the former St. Ambrose Seminary-Davenport. He served at St. Mary Parish-Iowa City, St. Patrick Parish-Ottumwa, St. Mary Magdalen Parish-Bloomfield and St. Mary of the Visitation Parish-Ottumwa and in pastoral management for corporate affairs at St. Aloysius Parish-Eldon. He served at Jesus Christ, Prince of Peace Parish-Clinton, Immaculate Conception Parish-Petersville, Ss. John & Paul Parish-Burlington, St. Paul the Apostle Parish-Davenport and as diocesan vicar general. He currently serves as pastor of Sacred Heart Parish-Newton and dean of the Grinnell Deanery.

Father Timothy Regan , 73, will retire. A Wisconsin native, he graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and completed theology studies at Pope John XXIII National Seminary in Weston, Massachusetts. Bishop O’Keefe ordained him to the priesthood May 30, 1991 at St. Anthony Church-Knoxville. Father Regan served at University Hospitals in Iowa City, Our Lady of Lourdes Parish-Bettendorf, Holy Trinity Parish-Keota, Sacred Heart Parish-Lost Nation, St. James Parish-Toronto and Sacred Heart Parish-Oxford Junction. He served as priest chaplain at Genesis Health System in Davenport and at St. Paul the Apostle Parish-Davenport. He currently serves as a chaplain at University Hospitals in Iowa City.

Father David Wilkening , 74, will retire. The Sigourney native graduated from the University of Northern Iowa-Cedar Falls and completed his theology studies at St. Paul Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota. Bishop O’Keefe ordained him to the priesthood June 9, 1979 at St. Mary Church-Sigourney. Father Wilkening served at Sacred Heart Parish-Clinton, St. Mary Parish-Iowa City, St. Mary Magdalen Parish-Bloomfield, and St. Aloysius Parish-Eldon. He also served at St. Joseph Parish-What Cheer, Our Lady of Lourdes Parish-Keswick, St. Joseph Parish-North English, St. Mary Parish-West Point and St. Boniface Parish-Farmington. He also served at St. Mary Parish-Solon, Holy Family Parish-Fort Madison and St. Joseph Parish-Montrose. Currently, he is pastor of St. Patrick Parish-Marengo, St. Joseph Parish-North English and St. Mary Parish-Williamsburg.

Father Stephen Witt , 74, will retire. The Clinton native graduated from St. Ambrose College-Davenport and the University of Iowa. He married Patricia Finkenhoefer in 1974 and was in the workforce for 45 years. Ordained to the diaconate in 1982, he served parishes in Clinton before moving to Grinnell and serving at St. Mary Parish. After his wife’s death in 2001, he discerned a call to the priesthood. He completed theology studies at Sacred Heart School of Theology-Hales Corners, Wisconsin. Bishop Martin Amos ordained him to the priesthood Dec. 15, 2012 at Sacred Heart Cathedral. Father Witt currently serves as pastor of St. Mary Parish-Iowa City and has served that parish and the Newman Catholic Student Center-Iowa City in various roles.

Assignment changes

Father James Betzen, C.PP.S , 69, is being reassigned outside of the Davenport Diocese by his community, the Missionaries of the Precious Blood. Father Betzen currently serves at St. Mary of the Visitation Parish-Ottumwa.

Father Gary Beckman , 64, will become pastor of Holy Family Parish-Fort Madison and St. Joseph Parish-Montrose. The Burlington native studied at Southeastern Community College-Burlington, Western Illinois University-Macomb, Illinois, and graduated from St. Ambrose University with a degree in criminal justice. He worked in law enforcement before studying theology at St. Paul Seminary-St. Paul, Minnesota, and completed theology studies at Kenrick-Glennon Seminary-St. Louis. Bishop William Franklin ordained him to the priesthood June 4, 1995 at Sacred Heart Cathedral. He served at Our Lady of Lourdes Parish-Bettendorf, Holy Family Parish-Davenport, Assumption & St. Patrick Parish-Charlotte, Ss. Mary & Joseph Parish-Sugar Creek and St. Joseph Parish-DeWitt. He also served at St. John the Baptist Parish-Houghton and St. James Parish-St. Paul. He currently serves as pastor of St. Wenceslaus Parish-Iowa City and St. Bernadette Parish-West Branch.

Father James Flattery , 33, will become pastor of St. Mary Parish-Tipton, St. Mary Parish-Mechanicsville and St. Bernadette Parish-West Branch. The Colfax native graduated from AIB College of Business-Des Moines and went to work for Target Corp. in Altoona and Ankeny. He graduated from Conception Seminary-Conception, Missouri, and completed his theology studies at University of St. Mary of the Lake–Mundelein Seminary in Mundelein, Illinois. Bishop Thomas Zinkula ordained him to the priesthood June 6, 2020 at Immaculate Conception Church-Colfax. Father Flattery currently serves at Divine Mercy Parish-Burlington/West Burlington and St. Mary Parish-Dodgeville.

Father Scott Foley , 38, will remain as pastor of St. Mary Parish-Grinnell and add the assignment of pastor of St. Patrick Parish-Brooklyn. The Williamsburg native graduated from the University of Iowa with a BSE in civil engineering and a minor in business. He completed his theology studies at the Pontifical North American College-Rome. He worked as an engineer before entering the seminary. He also served as an English teacher at Mokpo Catholic University in Mokpo, South Korea, and worked with the Missionaries of Charity in Calcutta, India. Bishop Zinkula ordained him to the priesthood June 1, 2019 at Sacred Heart Cathedral. Father Foley has served at St. Paul the Apostle Parish-Davenport, Our Lady of Victory Parish-Davenport and Assumption High School-Davenport. He currently serves as pastor of the Grinnell parish.

Father Marty Goetz , 54, will become pastor at Sacred Heart Parish-Newton. The Keokuk native attended Southeastern Community College and St. Ambrose University. He completed theology studies at Mundelein Seminary-St. Mary of the Lake. Bishop O’Keefe ordained him to the priesthood May 29, 1992 at All Saints Church-Keokuk. Father Goetz served at St. Patrick Parish-Iowa City, Our Lady of Victory Parish-Davenport and Prince of Peace Parish-Clinton. After a leave of absence, he returned to active ministry in 2001. He also served at Holy Trinity Parish-Keota, St. Mary Parish-Sigourney and Our Lady of Lourdes Parish-Keswick and as diocesan director of vocations. He also served at Holy Trinity Parish-Richmond, St. Mary Parish-Riverside and St. Joseph Parish-Wellman. He currently serves as pastor of Divine Mercy Parish, formed by the merger of Ss. John & Paul Parish-Burlington and Ss. Mary & Patrick Parish-West Burlington. He also serves as pastor of St. Mary Parish-Dodgeville.

Father Jacob Greiner , 41, will become pastor of Divine Mercy Parish-Burlington/West Burlington and St. Mary Parish-Dodgeville and continue as diocesan director of seminarians and of vocations. The Keota native graduated from the University of Notre Dame and completed theology studies at St. Paul Seminary-St. Paul. Bishop Amos ordained him to the priesthood May 25, 2013 at Sacred Heart Cathedral. Father Greiner served at Ss. Mary & Mathias Parish-Muscatine, St. Anthony Parish-Knoxville, Sacred Heart Parish-Melcher and priest moderator of St. Andrew Parish-Blue Grass. He currently serves as pastor of Our Lady of Victory Parish-Davenport.

Father Patrick Hilgendorf , 53, will become pastor of Our Lady of Victory Parish-Davenport. The Clinton native graduated from Mount St. Clare College-Clinton, St. Ambrose University-Davenport and completed his theology studies at Kenrick-Glennon Seminary. Bishop Franklin ordained him to the priesthood May 17, 1997 at Sacred Heart Cathedral. Father Hilgendorf has served at St. Paul the Apostle Parish-Davenport, St. Patrick and St. Wenceslaus parishes in Iowa City, Ss. John & Paul Parish-Burlington and Ss. Mary & Patrick Parish-West Burlington. He currently serves as pastor of St. Patrick Parish-Ottumwa and St. Mary Magdalen Parish-Bloomfield.

Father John Lamansky , 32, will serve as pastor of St. Wenceslaus Parish-Iowa City with ministry to the Hispanic community at St. Patrick Parish-Iowa City. A Fairfield-area native, he graduated from Franciscan University in Steubenville, Ohio, completed advanced studies at Mundelein Seminary, and completed theology studies at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas-Rome. Bishop Zinkula ordained him to the priesthood June 30, 2018 at Sacred Heart Cathedral. Father Lamansky served at Our Lady of Lourdes Parish-Bettendorf and currently serves as parochial vicar of Jesus Christ, Prince of Peace Parish-Clinton and chaplain of Prince of Peace Catholic School.

Father Robert Lathrop , 64, while remaining pastor of Holy Trinity Parish-Keota and St. Mary Parish-Sigourney, and administrator of Ss. Joseph and Cabrini Parish-Richland, will add duties as pastor of St. Joseph Parish-North English. Born in Orlando, Florida, he moved around the country as his father served in the military. Father Lathrop served in the military from 1977-1995 and took early retirement to pursue undergraduate studies. He graduated from St. Ambrose University and completed theology studies at Mundelein Seminary. Bishop Franklin ordained him to the priesthood June 9, 2001 at Sacred Heart Cathedral. Father Lathrop served at Ss. Mary & Mathias Parish-Muscatine, Our Lady of Victory Parish-Davenport and All Saints Parish-Keokuk. He also served at St. Joseph Parish-Montrose, St. Patrick Parish-Georgetown, St. Peter Parish-Lovilia, St. Patrick Parish-Melrose and All Saints Parish-Keokuk. He currently serves as pastor of the Keota and Sigourney parishes and as administrator in Richland.

Father Khoa Le , 40, will become parochial vicar at Jesus Christ, Prince of Peace Parish-Clinton. Father Le, a native of Vietnam, graduated from the University of Hue with a bachelor’s degree in physics. He studied for the priesthood at Major Seminary of Hue. Bishop Francis Xavier Le Van Hong ordained him to the priesthood June 12, 2015 at Phu Cam Cathedral in Vietnam. He later earned a master of pastoral theology degree from Seton Hall University in New Jersey. He has served at Ss. Mary & Mathias Parish-Muscatine since arriving in the diocese in 2021.

Father Scott Lemaster , 66, while remaining as pastor at St. Bridget Parish-Victor, will be relieved as pastor of St. Patrick Parish-Brooklyn and assigned as pastor of St. Patrick Parish-Marengo. The Muscatine native graduated from St. Ambrose College, Aquinas Institute-St. Louis and studied theology at St. Paul Seminary in St. Paul, St. John’s School of Theology and Seminary, Collegeville-Minnesota, and Aquinas Institute-St. Louis. Bishop O’Keefe ordained him to the priesthood June 22, 1985 at St. Mary Church-Muscatine. Father Lemaster has served at Our Lady of Victory Parish-Davenport, Sacred Heart Parish-Kinross, Holy Trinity Parish-Richmond, St. Joseph Parish-Wellman, St. Patrick Parish-Melrose, St. Patrick Parish-Georgetown and St. Peter Parish-Lovilia. He has also served at Assumption & St. Patrick Parish-Charlotte, Ss. Mary & Joseph Parish-Sugar Creek, Immaculate Conception Parish-Petersville and St. Patrick Parish-Delmar. He currently serves as pastor of the Brooklyn and Victor parishes.

Father Symphorien Lopoke , 54, will become pastor of St. Mary Parish-Iowa City where he currently serves as parochial vicar.

Father Dale Mallory , 31, while continuing to serve as parochial vicar of St. Mary of the Visitation Parish-Ottumwa, will also serve at St. Patrick Parish-Ottumwa and St. Mary Magdalen Parish-Bloomfield. Born in Massachusetts, he graduated from the University of Iowa and worked several years before discerning a call to the priesthood. He completed theology studies at St. Paul Seminary School of Theology at the University of St. Thomas in Minnesota. Bishop Zinkula ordained him to the priesthood June 4, 2022 at Sacred Heart Cathedral in Davenport. He assisted at St. Anthony Parish-Davenport and currently serves at St. Mary of the Visitation-Ottumwa.

Father Francis Mensah , 40, while remaining pastor of St. Peter Parish-Cosgrove, St. Mary Parish-Oxford and serving as defender of the bond for the diocesan marriage tribunal, will add duties as pastor of St. Mary Parish-Williamsburg. He grew up in Ghana, Africa and earned degrees from St. Paul Seminary-Accra, and St. Peter Seminary-Cape Coast, the Pontifical Urbaniana University-Rome, Pontifical Gregorian University-Rome and Pontifical Lateran University-Rome. Bishop Matthias Kobina Nketsiah ordained him to the priesthood Sept. 25, 2010 in Cape Coast, Ghana. Father Mensah has served at the University of Cape Coast, Ghana; a senior high school in Agona Swedru, Ghana; in radio evangelization in Ghana; and as a parochial collaborator at St. Barbara Parish in the Diocese of Rome. He came to the Davenport Diocese in 2022.

Father Richard Okumu , 66, will serve as a senior priest at St. Thomas More Parish-Coralville and St. Patrick Parish-Iowa City. Born in Uganda, East Africa, he attended Katigando National Major Seminary and earned a bachelor’s degree in philosophy. He also studied at Cambridge University in England and did theology studies at Gregorian University in Rome. Bishop O’Keefe ordained him to the priesthood Aug. 8, 1981 at Sacred Heart Church-Newton. Father Okumu served at Assumption High School-Davenport, St. Patrick Parish-Iowa City, Sacred Heart Parish-Kinross, Holy Trinity Parish-Richmond and St. Joseph Parish-Wellman. After a leave of absence for studies, he served at St. Peter Parish-Cosgrove, St. Michael Parish-Holbrook, St. Bridget Parish-Victor, St. Patrick Parish in Brooklyn and Church of the Visitation Parish in Camanche. He currently serves as pastor of St. Mary Parish-Mechanicsville and St. Mary Parish-Tipton.

Father David Paintsil , 44, recently arrived in the Davenport Diocese and will become parochial vicar of St. Mary Parish-Iowa City. A native of Africa, he attended St. Peter Regional Seminary at Cape Coast, Ghana, did theological studies at the Pontifical Urbaniana University-Rome and advanced studies at the University of Cape Coast, Ghana. Cardinal Peter Turkson ordained him to the priesthood Nov. 12, 2005 at St. Francis Cathedral at Cape Coast. Father Paintsil has served at Mary, Queen of Peace, St. Edward and Immaculate Conception of Mary Grotto parishes, all in Cape Coast.

Father Joseph Phung , 65, will become pastor at St. Patrick Parish-Iowa City. Born in Vietnam, he began theology studies there before his school closed. He immigrated to the United States in 1993 and studied at St. Ambrose University. He completed his theology studies at Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. Bishop Franklin ordained him to the priesthood June 24, 2000 at Sacred Heart Cathedral. Father Phung served at St. Mary Parish-Iowa City, Sacred Heart Cathedral-Davenport, where he also served the Vietnamese Catholic community, and St. Alphonsus Parish-Mount Pleasant. He currently serves as pastor of Holy Family Parish-Fort Madison and St. Joseph Parish-Montrose.

Father Joseph Sia , 48, will become pastor of St. Patrick Parish and St. Mary parishes in Ottumwa and St. Mary Magdalen Parish-Bloomfield. Born in Manila, Philippines, he earned a BS in basic medical sciences and a doctor of medicine from the University of Philippines. Before entering the priesthood, he was a university research associate at the Institute of Human Genetics, University of the Philippines. He served as a graduate research assistant at the University of Iowa before completing theology studies at Mundelein Seminary. Bishop Amos ordained him to the priesthood May 10, 2008 at Sacred Heart Cathedral. Father Sia served at Ss. Mary & Mathias Parish-Muscatine; St. Joseph Parish-Columbus Junction, St. Joseph Parish-West Liberty and as the diocesan director of vocations. He also served at St. Mary Parish-Davenport and as minister to the Hispanic community there, and at St. Bernadette Parish-West Branch. Currently he serves as pastor of St. Patrick Parish-Iowa City and as diocesan director of recently ordained.

Deacon Christopher Kabat , while remaining at St. Wenceslaus Parish-Iowa City, is relieved of duties at St. Bernadette Parish-West Branch.

Deacon David Montgomery , while remaining at St. Peter Parish-Cosgrove and St. Mary Parish-Oxford, will also serve St. Mary Parish-Williamsburg.

Deacon John Osborne , while remaining at St. Mary Parish-Grinnell, will also serve St. Patrick Parish-Brooklyn.

Deacon Joseph Rohret , while remaining at St. Peter Parish-Cosgrove and St. Mary Parish-Oxford, will also serve St. Mary Parish-Williamsburg.

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Connecticut News | Bishop of CT’s Norwich Diocese to retire; Pope…

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Connecticut news | hunter biden enters surprise guilty plea to avoid tax trial months after his gun conviction, connecticut news, connecticut news | bishop of ct’s norwich diocese to retire; pope francis accepts his resignation.

Archbishop Christopher J. Coyne has been appointed apostolic administrator of the diocese.

“As I now transition to the role of Bishop Emeritus of Norwich, I want to express what a profound honor and joy it has been to serve as your bishop for over two decades,” Cote said in a statement.

“Leading the Diocese of Norwich, walking with you in faith, and ministering alongside so many dedicated clergy, ministry directors, and parishioners has been a true blessing in my life, one that I will always hold dear,” he said. “Though I will no longer be at the helm of the diocese, I pledge my full support and assistance to Archbishop Coyne during this period of transition. I also commit to keeping all of you in my prayers, as well as praying for whoever may be appointed as my successor. The future of our diocese is in God’s hands, and we can trust in His providence.”

This temporary appointment, the statement said, is in addition to Coyne’s responsibilities as Archbishop of Hartford.

“I am grateful to our Holy Father for this opportunity to steward our brothers and sisters in the Diocese of Norwich while we await the appointment of their next bishop,” said Coyne on learning of his new appointment.

“I also wish to convey my very best wishes in retirement for Bishop Cote, who lovingly shepherded the faithful of Norwich for 21 years.”

Cote was previously auxiliary bishop in Portland, Maine.

Cote had served for seven years in Portland and was among the youngest bishops in the country when he was ordained in 1995. Pope Paul VI ordained Cote as a priest in Rome in 1975. Cote later served as pastor of Sacred Heart Church in Auburn, Maine.

Cote’s tenure in Norwich included filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in 2021 after sexual abuse lawsuits were filed against the Diocese of Norwich within the previous few years for alleged abuse at the Mount Saint John School in Deep River.

“A Chapter 11 filing was the only way to ensure an equitable settlement for abuse survivors, help us manage litigation expenses, and carry out our essential mission and ministries,” Cote said at the time. “We will work diligently with all survivors, creditors, and ministries to maintain open communication while we work toward a settlement and a restructuring plan that includes a comprehensive resolution for survivors.”

The Mohegan Tribe in 2023 won an auction for the 113-acre campus of St. Bernard School in Montville, which then went up for approval by a federal bankruptcy court judge.

The winning bid was $6.55 million, according to Mohegan spokeswoman Cathy Soper. The minimum bid was $6.5 million.

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Norwich held the auction as part of its Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings following 142 claims of sexual abuse against the diocese. The first lawsuits were brought by families of students at Mount St. John’s Academy in Deep River.

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from Theological Studies, Mt. St. Mary Seminary, Emmitsburg, Maryland, to Assistant Pastor, SS. John and Paul Parish, Coventry, effective July 1, 2010.

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