This week, New Mexico attorneys filed eight lawsuits against Catholic leadership in Las Cruces and El Paso, alleging priests in Southern New Mexico parishes committed sexual abuse against young children ranging in ages from 3 to 15 between 1956 to 1990.
The law firms of Davis Kelin Law Firm and Huffman Wallace & Monagle filed the civil lawsuits in the Third Judicial District courts against the Roman Catholic Diocese of Las Cruces and the Catholic Diocese of El Paso, seeking damages for the “intentional, malicious, wilful, deliberate, wanton and/or reckless disregard for the harmful consequences.”
New Mexico has been described as an “epicenter of Catholic sexual abuse in the United States,” recording dozens of instances of abuse of children, and also hosted Servants of the Paraclete Center in Jemez Springs, New Mexico, which was said to offer for treatment for priests who sexually abused dozens of children in other parishes.
Attorney Levi Monagle, an attorney who represents the current plaintiffs, said even though public perception of clergy abuse has increased, the nature of harm for sexual assault often prevents people from coming forward for years, if not decades.
“There’s a perception this is a closed chapter in the church’s history, that this is all the past,” Monagle said. “It’s certainly true that the vast majority of the abuse that occurred, occurred in decades past, but that doesn’t mean that the day-to-day lives of these victims have changed.”
The complaints allege abuse in parishes in Las Cruces, Alamogordo, Anthony, Doña Ana, Mesilla park and Ruidoso. The lawsuits name the following priests for alleged acts of sexual abuse: Monsignor Albert Chavez, Father David Holley, Father Emilio Roure, Father Wilfrid Diamond, Monsignor Gonzalo Morales, Father Bernard Bissonnette, Father Joaquin Resma and one visiting priest who was not identified.
Both Holley and Bissonnette were sent to Servants of the Paraclete Center in Jemez Springs for their previous assaults of dozens of children, according to the lawsuits, and faced prior, credible accusations, but were placed in parishes with no supervision or warning.
Law firms engaged in the litigation have set up a webpage with more information, including nonprofit sexual assault services, counseling and other support services.
The El Paso Diocese is aware of the lawsuits but declined to comment on allegations in pending litigation, said Fernie Ceniceros, the director of communications.
The Diocese of El Paso “works very diligently to cooperate with all parties involved when cases like this are brought forward,” Ceniceros said in a written statement.“The diocese takes all matters of abuse as grave and serious situations and will work to ensure that justice is served.”
Ceniceros’ statement also notes that the diocese “has worked to implement and train clergy, employees, and volunteers on best practices of Safe Environment” and that anyone who works as a member of the clergy, employee or volunteer within the diocese “must have undergone and passed a certification of training annually” as part of those “safe environment” protocols.
“We encourage individuals with any knowledge of any misconduct and or of any crime committed by any member of the clergy, employee, or volunteer within the diocese to please come forward to law enforcement,” the statement concluded, adding that such people can also reach out to El Paso’s victims’ assistance and “safe environment” offices.
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Las Cruces did not respond to emailed requests for comment Thursday.
Monagle said that while Catholic leadership has set a policy of zero tolerance for the last 20 years, he said there was still more transparency needed for what the church knew about the decades of abuse.
“It’s an ‘action to speak louder than the words’ situation, frankly,” Monagle said. “Until people see a meaningful difference in the way that the church approaches the history of this issue, they’re going to have a hard time believing that the church’s policy for the future is any different.”
