(St. Joseph Newsleader) In a statement released on the St. John\u2019s Abbey website last week, Abbot John Klassen said he and other members of the abbey were \u201cshocked\u201d to hear allegations that former Abbot Timothy Kelly, who died last fall, had possibly been a perpetrator of sexual abuse.<\/p>\n
In the statement, Klassen said they had only learned about the charges last week, when a man in New York filed a lawsuit against the abbey. The lawsuit stated the abbey had known about the allegations for months.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe charges were made for the first time June 7 in a news conference and in media statements,\u201d Klassen said in the statement.<\/p>\n
\u201cThese are the first allegations that Abbot Kelly violated his vows or was an abuser,\u201d he added. \u201cThere were no previous accusations of sexual misconduct against Abbot Kelly.\u201d<\/p>\n
Attorney Jeff Anderson released his own statement not long after Klassen’s, and said he was \u201calarmed and deeply sad\u201d that Klassen and the abbey failed to admit they were privy to the allegations many months ago.<\/p>\n
\u201cContrary to Abbot Klassen\u2019s accusations in his statement,\u201d Anderson said in the release, \u201cwe did this only because St. John\u2019s had already been made aware of the charges nearly six months ago and failed to investigate it, respond to it or disclose it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Anderson went on to say Klassen received a letter from former abbey monk A.W. Richard Sipe in December, which detailed allegations that Kelly had \u201csexual relations with several boys at St. Anslem\u2019s church in the Bronx, New York.\u201d A copy of the letter has been made available on Anderson’s website. \u201cAn additional unwanted burden was recently thrust at me: namely allegations that Timothy Kelly was sexual with some young men when he was stationed at St. Anselm’s in New York during the 1960s,\u201d Sipe said in the letter to Klassen dated Dec. 15, 2010. \u201cThis hits me especially hard.\u201d <\/p>\n
Sipe went on to say in the letter that the first man to contact him did so in late November and asserted he was part of a group of boys (numbering between four and 12) that had similar sexual experiences with Kelly as teenagers. He said forces within the group prompted them to search for Kelly on the Internet and come forward about the abuse. \u201cThese victims’ accounts are very credible,\u201d Sipe said in the letter. \u201cThe details of the place and circumstances ring true.\u201d <\/p>\n
Klassen made no reference to receiving a letter from Sipe in his statement and said they \u201cdeeply regret that in spite of working closely and cooperatively in recent months with Jeff Anderson, the attorney leading the case against Abbot Kelly, he still chose to first take his charges to the media,\u201d Klassen said. \u201cIn all of our many conversations and meetings with Mr. Anderson in recent months, there never was a hint of any issue involving Abbot Kelly.\u201d <\/p>\n
Klassen said in the statement they have already begun their review into the allegations. \u201cOur solemn pledge in this and all of our investigations is to do all we can to contribute to the healing of those who have been harmed and also to restore the reputation of those who are falsely accused,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
Read Entire Article Here<\/a><\/p>\n Thu, June 16, 2011 by Emilie Thiessen<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" (St. Joseph Newsleader) In a statement released on the St. John\u2019s Abbey website last week, Abbot John Klassen said he and other members of the abbey were \u201cshocked\u201d to hear allegations that former Abbot Timothy Kelly, who died last fall, … Continue reading