More Lies, BS from Abbot Klassen

Posted on April 29, 2011
Posted in BS, John Klassen, PR Machine

“I want to assure you that I am doing everything I possibly can to be open and transparent…” – Abbot John Klassen, Saint John’s Abbey in Collegeville, Minnesota (USA)

“Bullshit!” – Patrick Marker, Webmaster, BehindThePineCurtain.com

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Monk in Good Standing?

Posted on April 28, 2011
Posted in Fran Hoefgen

On page 28 of the Winter, 2010 issue of the Abbey Banner, Fr. Fran Hoefgen certainly appears to be a monk in good standing at St. John’s Abbey.

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New lawsuit involving clergy sex abuse at San Antonio Abad

Posted on April 28, 2011
Posted in Francisco Schulte, Jeff Anderson, Puerto Rico, San Antonio Abad

Media Alert
Press Conference Monday May 2, @ 1 P.M. AST
Federico Degetau Federal Building

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The Monks That Live Next Door

Posted on April 28, 2011
Posted in Fran Hoefgen, Jeff Anderson, John Kelly, Settlement Information, Steve Lilly

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – Earlier this month, St. John’s Abbey in Collegeville mailed letters to thousands of St. John’s Prep School alumni saying over a period of more than 40 years, 17 monks had “credible allegations of sexual abuse brought against them.”

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Aviso para los medios

Posted on April 28, 2011
Posted in Francisco Schulte, Jeff Anderson, Patrick Noaker, Puerto Rico, San Antonio Abad

Conferencia de prensa lunes 2 de mayo, a la 1 P.M. (Hora Atlántico)
en el edificio Federal Federico Degetau

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Abbot Klassen Email Regarding WCCO News

Posted on April 28, 2011
Posted in John Klassen, PR Machine

Dear Members of Saint John’s and Saint Benedict’s Communities,

We have received word via a teaser on WCCO last evening (Wednesday, April 27) that there will be a segment on tonight’s 10:00 PM program which may relate to sexual misconduct by a monk of Saint John’s.

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Letter from Fran Hoefgen to Prisoner

Posted on April 27, 2011
Posted in Fran Hoefgen

“I live in a cell also, only it is a cell in a monastery. I am a Benedictine monk from Minnesota.” – Fr. Fran Hoefgen, in a letter to one of his victims, 23 years later.

 

 

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Biermaier Removes Facebook Page

Posted on April 27, 2011
Posted in Ann Marie Biermaier, Brennan Maiers, Finian McDonald, Isaac Connolly, St. Ben's, St. Benedict's, Tom Andert

Sister Anne Marie Biermaier’s Facebook profile has been pulled.

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Klassen/Abbey Continue to Deceive

Posted on April 26, 2011
Posted in Allen Tarlton, Andre Bennett, Brennan Maiers, Bruce Wollmering, Cosmas Dahlheimer, Dunstan Moorse, Finian McDonald, Fran Hoefgen, Francisco Schulte, Isaac Connolly, James Kelly, Jim Phillips, John Eidenschink, John Kelly, John Klassen, Michael Bik, Paschal Brisson, Pirmim Wendt, Richard Eckroth, Robert Blumeyer, SG, Steve Lilly, Thomas Gillespie

In 2006, the student newspaper at St. John’s featured an article [ View ] about sexual abuse by the monks at St. John’s Abbey. The article referenced research showing that “more monks will be named and more victims will come forward”.  Abbot John Klassen said those claims were “unfounded” and “false”.  At a press conference in St. Paul on Monday, three more monks were named and several more victims came forward. [ View ]

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Statement from Sister Biermaier’s Alleged Victim

Posted on April 25, 2011
Posted in Ann Marie Biermaier, St. Ben's, St. Benedict's

I was afraid to tell my parents or anyone else about this until now. I was so ashamed of what happened with Sr. Ann Marie and felt like it was my fault. I still kind of feel that way. I think more people would come forward about the nuns if they knew it was safe to speak up, though. Is it safe? What’s going to happen if I say out loud that Sr. Ann Marie is a pedophile?

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Regarding Sister Anne Marie Biermaier

Posted on April 25, 2011
Posted in Ann Marie Biermaier, St. Ben's, St. Benedict's

Parish Faith Formation Assessment and Planning Tool
By Jeffrey Kaster, Anne Marie Biermaier (1999)

  • Ann Marie Biermaier, OSB, St. Joseph, Minnesota, teaches in the Education Department at the College of St. Benedict and Saint John’s University, St. Joseph, Minnesota. Doctor of Administration degree in Educational Administration from the University of North Dakota. Previous experiences include teaching and serving as a principal in several parochial elementary schools in central Minnesota and chairing the Education Department at the College of Saint Benedict.
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St. Benedict’s Monastery Responds to Allegations

Posted on April 25, 2011
Posted in Nancy Bauer, Pat Marker, St. Ben's, St. Benedict's

“It is clear from what he printed in the e-mail that the allegation is one of sexual misconduct with a minor. The Sister denies having any sexual contact with a minor.” – Sister Nancy Bauer, OSB

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Email to Incoming Prioress and Others

Posted on April 25, 2011
Posted in Ann Marie Biermaier, John Klassen, Michaela Hedican, Othmar Hohmann, St. Ben's, St. Benedict's, Susan Sink

On Wednesday, I learned that the “issue” was being discussed at the monastery and that “they” were “deciding what to do.” I passed this information along to the victim.

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Sister Anne Marie Biermaier Made Aware of Allegations

Posted on April 25, 2011
Posted in Ann Marie Biermaier, Othmar Hohmann, St. Ben's, St. Benedict's, St. Joseph Lab School

On April 18, 2011, Sister Anne Marie Biermaier, O.S.B. from Saint Benedict’s Monastery in St. Joseph, Minnesota (USA) was contacted via telephone by Patrick Marker regarding allegations of misconduct made against her.  It has been alleged that two incidents of misconduct, involving the same young girl over a period of approximately four years in the 70’s, took place at St. Joseph Lab School in St. Joseph, Minnesota.

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Saint Benedict’s Monastery (Wikipedia)

Posted on April 25, 2011
Posted in St. Ben's, St. Benedict's

Saint Benedict’s Monastery is a monastery of the Sisters of the Order of Saint Benedict, in St. Joseph, Minnesota. The Sisters trace their roots to Saint Walburg Abbey in Eichstätt, in the Kingdom of Bavaria. Six of them emigrated to St. Cloud in 1857, moving to St. Joseph in 1863. Mother Benedicta Riepp, considered the founder of Benedictine women’s communities in the United States, is buried in the monastery cemetery.

The Sisters from St. Ben’s

Posted on April 21, 2011
Posted in St. Ben's, St. Benedict's

A partial list of nuns from Saint Benedict’s Monastery in St. Joseph, Minnesota (USA).

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SJU Alum: No More Donations

Posted on April 20, 2011
Posted in Web Site Feedback, Withholding Donations

Patrick, as a SJU alum from the 1960s, I commend your difficult but necessary work. The Abbey  is clearly unwilling to  “own” its crimes and shows little regard for those victimized. The abbot is unwilling to to be honest about the extent of sex abuse and demonstrates his inability to lead the community in any productive way.

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Recent Feedback

Posted on April 20, 2011
Posted in Web Site Feedback

Below are several emails and feedback regarding this web site and Saint John’s Abbey’s handling of the issues related to misconduct by members of its community.

“Without your website I believe I’d still be piled under tons of self-blame, guilt, depression, fear, anguish….need I go on?    I am emerging to see the light of day, a happier self. I now hope to reach out to help others but I need to go slow, be stronger. You help others to be strong and not alone, to see where the blame really belongs, on the abuser and the institution that is complicit by their cover up and silence and utter deliberate or non-deliberate stupidity.” – April 20, 2011

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Protected: Dissecting a Cover-Up

Posted on April 20, 2011
Posted in SG

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Abbot Klassen Still Doesn’t Get It

Posted on April 20, 2011
Posted in BS, John Klassen, Pat Marker, Web Site Feedback

An excerpt from an April 15, 2011 article [ View ] in the St. John’s University student newspaper regarding the recent “Listening Sessions” held by Abbot John Klassen:

One audience member asked Klassen to address the website Behind the Pine Curtain, run by Patrick Marker, as many think this is the only source to find information regarding pending cases. “It’s a real thorn in our sides because the person who runs that has one agenda and that is to run St. John’s into the ground,” Klassen said.

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