The principal at St. Patrick School warned the Catholic Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph that teachers and parents were concerned about the Rev. Shawn Ratigan's "inappropriate behavior with children." Ratigan was arrested on suspicion of possession of child pornography last week, five months after the diocese became aware that he kept images of children on his computer.
A diocese spokeswoman confirms that a monsignor received a memo from Julie Hess, the principal at St. Patrick, in which she shared concerns about Ratigan's behavior. On Thursday morning, Tony's Kansas City published a five-page memo, dated May 19, 2010, in which Hess recounted several instances when Ratigan's actions made parents and teachers feel uneasy and, at times, angry. One staff member described Ratigan as being "obsessed" with a girl in the fifth grade.
The memo is written in clear prose and organized into sections: Inappropriate Physical Contact With Children, General Inappropriate Behavior and General Concerns. The memo indicates that concerns about Ratigan surfaced in the fall of 2009. A field trip on May 13, 2010, is described as the "straw that broke the camel's back."
During a school trip to Platte Falls, Father allowed a fourth grade girl to sit on his lap and lean her body against him. He did not immediately move to re-direct her; she sat there for at least five minutes, until teachers moved to stand next to him. Then he rose to play Frisbee with a group of studentsFive teachers went on the field trip. The memo indicates that all spoke to Hess the following Monday about the incident "and other concerns they had throughout the school year."
The memo depicts Ratigan as a stunted individual who lived in a suspiciously "kid-friendly house." The hand towels in his kitchen resembled doll clothes. A parent who accompanied a Brownie troupe to plant flowers at Ratigan's house found a pair of girl's panties inside a planter in the backyard.
Ratigan allowed students to "climb on him, grab his leg/s and reach into his pockets for candy." His apparent refusal to observe physical boundaries led teachers to decide that they needed to tell children not to jump on, hang from or search the priest.
Ratigan's unsettling photography habit is also described in the memo. "A few parents have mentioned that they think it's strange and wonder what he does with all the pictures," the memo says.
Diocese spokeswoman Rebecca Summers tells Plog that the Rev. Robert Murphy, the diocese's vicar general, went through Hess' memo with Ratigan and "set up clear boundaries for him."
Bishop Robert W. Finn did not mention the principal's warning in the statement of apology that he issued on Friday. The events that Finn described begin in December 2010, when the diocese became aware that Ratigan's computer was rife with images of children.
Ratigan attempted suicide after the diocese learned about his computer. After a psychiatric evaluation and a stay with his mother, Ratigan resumed performing priestly duties. He was leading Mass for a group of nuns in Independence at the time of his arrest. Finn had ordered him to stay away from children.
Finn addressed St. Patrick parishioners on Friday. According to a National Catholic Reporter account, Finn was asked by an individual who identified himself as a teacher if "there were any warning signs of Ratigan's predilection towards children, and if there were, why he was still assigned to a parish."
Finn replied, at first that "we did not have complaints before" and "we have a priest shortage in our diocese and we needed a pastor here."Here's how Summers squares the account of Friday's meeting with the Hess memo: "What the Bishop was saying was that there were no complaints about Shawn Ratigan prior to his assignment to St. Patrick Parish."
The complaints after the assignment, we now know, were summarized in five single-spaced pages.
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I was going by the court records in the case, and the testimony given at his hearings. I guess Oprah might have better info....
You know, you don't win anything over when you use the phrase "only had sex with her dad" in your argument.But ok. I'll bite. Let's say you get to make the age of consent rules - since this has come up lately on a couple blogs. On the Sam Logan thing you said 14 was old enough to informed consent with a 46-year-old with sex toys in his car, here you've said something to the effect of people getting in trouble for contact with anyone under the age of 18. So, is there an age, in your eyes, at which maybe middle-aged men shouldn't try and seduce you. 14 is ok by you, we've established that. So 13? 12? 11? 10? Lower? Was it ok for Vicki at 5? Do you think there should be no line? I'm not even trying to bait you, I'm actually genuinely curious what you think a reasonable age is. I am trying to understand you man.
Nope. This is nothing but hysteria and the parents trying to score a payday from the church.
I saw an interview with "Vicky" on the Oprah show and what you said is only about 10% true. The videos didn't start when she was 5, she was never hogtied, never tied to a bed, never "raped" by anyone, and only had sex with her dad. There's also no "market" for videos like this because they're given away freely, and even if it isn't filmed it happens every day everywhere in the world (meaning that it wasn't just done to sell a video). And no, Laursen never hurt anyone -- "Vicky" actually gets money when guys are busted with her videos. Like I said, you're no better than a racist or a homophobe.
--Victims invite upset parishioners to "Q & A" meeting in Kansas
City.
SNAP, a support group for clergy sex abuse victims and their
families is inviting Kansas City Catholics to an open meeting to discuss
controversial child porn and cover up allegations involving a local priest, Fr.
Shawn
Ratigan.
The meeting will be Thursday, June 2 at 7 p.m. at the Kansas City North
Community Center, 3930 N.E. Antioch Road, (816-784-6100)"We're hearing
from dozens of really upset parishioners who justifiably feel betrayed and
outraged by church officials who ignored and concealed suspected clergy sex
crimes," said Barbara Dorris, SNAP's outreach director. "These Catholics deserve
some straight answers and a chance to air their feelings and fears.""In
recent years, more and more, we're hearing not just from victims, but from
whistleblowers and witnesses," said Mike Hunter, SNAP's Kansas City director.
"While victims need support, so do others who've been hurt by the church
hierarchy, like those at St. Patrick's and other parishes. We want to do
whatever we can to lend a hand to people who are in pain because of this
horrific case."St. Patrick's is the last location where Ratigan
worked.The first part of the meeting will be an "open discussion" about
the Ratigan case and other crimes regarding clergy."We want to listen
and to offer some guidance based on our decades of experiences in these kinds of
tough situations," Dorris said.The second part of the meeting will be a
confidential "support group" focused strictly on how everyone involved or
concerned can cope with their feelings of hurt, anger, disappointment and
fear."We've learned, over the years, that it's crucial to voice our
emotions, rather than try to keep them bottled up," said Hunter. "And it's
really helpful to do that in a safe, comfortable, private setting with others
who know how you're feeling.""Few times in our 23 year history have we
heard from so many parishioners who are so upset," said SNAP director David
Clohessy. "We feel duty-bound to hear them, comfort them, and console
them."SNAP leaders are urging anyone who may have seen, suspected or
suffered misdeeds by Ratigan or any church employee to call police officials,
not church officials.Judy Jones, SNAP Midwest Associate Director,
636-433-2511snapjudy@gmail.com"Survivors Network of those Abused by
Priests" and all clergyhttp://www.snapnetwork.o...
One of the things that came out in the cops checking his computer were multiple videos and images of an anonymous girl being bound and sexually tortured over a period of years. This was not a teenager, this was a small child. The court referred to her as Vicky. They videos were shot starting when she was 5, and continue until she's around 12. She's hogtied, masked, tied to beds, and raped by various adult men. Laursen might not have personally raped her himself, but people make this videos because there's a market for them, and Laursen supported that market. So, yes, I have no problem supporting the imprisonment of a guy who wants to see a 5-year-old girl raped so that he can jerk off.
You're really going to argue that Laursen never hurt anyone? Come on KV, you're better than that man.
It's pretty sick to celebrate a man getting sentenced to prison for decades for looking at pictures. You seem pretty proud of your persecution of people like this, but racists and homophobes are proud of what they do, too. The piano teacher never hurt anyone, and keeping him in prison is a waste of tax dollars.
It was one year ago, the guy was Bill Laursen, and we celebrated when he got sentenced to prison for decades. The feature, from what I was told, actually helped influence the judge's sentencing decision as a sign that he didn't have any remorse. I can't seem to get links to copy, but you can check it on Google by running Bill Laursen and Plog. I think the last time we posted on the case was October of last year.
If we looked back at the archives of The Pitch, there was a case, oh maybe 5-6 years ago, of this man who was a well known pianist and pinao teacher who was also up on charges of posessing child pornography. The difference is how the Pitch and the readers treated the man compared to this priest. People were sympatheitic to the piano teacher, even several students came forward to testify about his character and they said this was just a harmless personal sexual outlet. Please Pitch. Look back in your archives and find this article. Look how that was covered compared to this priest and then decide if their is some bias.
It is even more embarassing that this parish is connected to ours. I haven't been back to church since. I pray to jesus christ but not with child molesters.
Events such as this make me enbarrased to be catholic. How are we supposed to stand up for our religion when now the common knowledge still stands that there are catholic priests out there that are fondling kids and such. It is just sickening especially how the catholic church tries to coer things up. That makes the entire situation even worse.
Why do we have war....religious people....really? So, Stalin and Pol Pot and Hitler were religious? Uh...no, they hunted and exterminated religious people. Educate yourself.
As for this priest, if he has exploited children, this is a horrific thing. Remember that these are still allegations. Have mercy on the diocese and the families, as if the diocese had known about this, you can be sure they would have smacked him down. Please don't crucify people you don't know anything about. Please bridle the hatred within your own heart.
Check out Mundelein Seminary and the twisted way it forms its priest graduates. That place defininitely has a problem. If you are pure when you go in, you certainly will not be when you come out. Likely this man was an idealistic mission-driven person before he entered that brood of vipers.
Have mercy and pray for all involved.
Bravo! I am waiting to hear from the St.Thomas More Parish community where Ratigan was an Associate pastor before his current placements. He was actually encouraged to be on the playgrounds and in the classrooms and to work with First communicants...These behaviors do not begin one day...he is 45 years old...there are more victims out there.
YOU ROCK SISTER. Exactly. Bishop Finn Did clearly and deliberatly put vulnerable children in harms way and did willfully disregard the law. It is time for the rest of us to stand up in our pews..in the name of God and all that is holy it is time for the laity to say enough and for Bishop Finn to be accountable for his purposeful manipulation and tampering with evidence and childrens lives and go to jail. DO not pass Go do not collect 200 dollars.
did nothing like what? Did you read the memo? Creepy inappropriate behavior and personal space issues are not illegal. The issue is why did the powers at be ignored this memo considering the lawsuit, the protecting gods children training required by the church, and the independent review committee set up to review these sort of things
This happens time and time again and people keep going to church and sending their kids to these schools as if it doesn't phase them a bit. If this does not cause you to question your faith then what will? People say that a few bad apples can't cause them to lose their faith, but how much faith can you have in something if it is this corrupt? It isn't just a few instances, it is a common occurence and who knows how many cases have been unreported. Religion really causes more problems than it solves. Think about it. Why do we have war? Religion is and always has been the root of all the problems in the world. It is a fictional book with fictional characters that have somehow brainwashed people. Educate yourselves.
A start would be for the Star and Pitch to call for his resignation. Their silence on that speaks volumes
You think he was arrested /persecuted for ONE accidental vagina photo? You will be quite embarrassed for making those comments when all is said and done. Or, based on your ability to ignore common sense, maybe you won't be.
julie hess did nothing after the fact she's just as responsible for letting down the school as the one who foung him unconcious he new too
Now Bishop Finn is claiming that he just now read that letter yesterday? WHY? did he not demand to read that letter 5 months ago when he got the child porn photos?
A criminal investigation, charges, and penalties against every church staffer, from the bishop on down, who endangered kids, tampered with evidence, and allowed Fr. Ratigan continue, needs to be done in the KC diocese.
Judy Jones, SNAP Midwest Associate Director, 636-433-2511
snapjudy@gmail.com
"Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests" and all clergy
online petition to show support for the school principal
http://www.petitiononline.com/...
@Kansas_Voter: The courts will determine if Fr. Ratigan should receive a prison sentence for possession of child pornography. If you are familiar with the dynamics of abuse, grooming, and the power of an abuser, you will understand why a child sitting on the lap of a priest is inappropriate. You are correct when you say it can be perfectly innocent. In can also be grooming.
Abe,
I know we haven't always seen eye to eye in the past. I just wanted to take this moment to say I completely, and totally agree with you. I hope that doesn't make you reconsider whether you're actually right.
SeekingTruth -- Inappropriate, maybe. Worthy of a prison sentence, absolutely not. And what's the crime in letting a kid sit on your lap? That's DEFINITELY some white-hot anti-sex hysteria. This guy maybe a little bit abnormal, but he hasn't done anything that justifies this kind of persecution.
@Kansas_Voter: It is totally inappropriate for a priest to possess girls panties or ONE nude picture. All priests know they are crossing a boundary when they are holding a kid on their lap. Someone posing as Santa is much different than someone with the spiritual authority and power a priest possesses. Fr. Shawn Ratigan had some serious problems and ignored all Child Protection programs the diocese has in place. School employees and parents followed them. The principal will not be fired because the diocese knows she was doing her job.
Anybody can purchase girls panties so that doesn't mean anything (if it's true), and so far they've said that they found ONE nude picture. All that means is that during the time that this guy was taking pictures some girl didn't wear panties to church. If letting kids sit on your lap and taking pictures of them is so "inappropriate" then I hope that you'll be at your local mall during Christmastime protesting the guy pretending to be Santa inside.
no, not sent to another community but stopped and taken away from any community he might torture. sexual abuse ruins people's lives.
disgusting. the catholic church is just a large really old cult and they have run out of excuses for their abuses.
Did you READ the letter? He was not being "friendly." This is not about hysteria. It is about protecting kids from this clearly dangerous man.
No, he was not being "friendly." Read the report below and then share your opinion.
He was clearly inappropriate. This is not about hysteria. This is about protecting kids from a man who was obviously dangerous to them.
https://docs.google.com/viewer...
you must have missed the part where someone found girl's panties in his possession. And the part where there were pictures of elementary school aged vaginas on his computer.
Is that it? He let kids be friendly with him? Has the "child molester" hysteria gotten so bad that now men have to avoid any physical contact with anyone under 18?
I wonder if the principal will lose her job now for trying to protect children; something the catholic church doesn't give a damn about. Time to send in the mercenaries to rob and pllage the Vatican. The gold and silver and the trillions in the vatcian bank can be used to pay reparations to all the families harmed by the dysfunctional sex freaks and the bishops, cardinals and popes who covered up crimes agains innocent children. Forget the lawsuits, reparations is the answer. Wipe out the demons for good.
Mike Ference
Finn kept this from police, parishioners, and the public for over a year. That is totally against everything the church officials try to make us believe about how they care about protecting kids.
The most mind boggling part of this tragedy is that their own diocesan "Children's Safety Curriculum and Training" (which the bishops set up to look like they care about the safety of children), was actually trying to work. Those employees who go through this training process, that is forced upon them by the bishops, were doing their job.
BUT.. Bishop Finn flat out ignored his own policy and procedures.
The Kansas City diocese needs to have a Grand Jury Investigation, just like the recent grand jury investigation done in Philadelphia.. which resulted in the arrest of 3 predator priests, 1 teacher, and 1 high ranking priest for "Child Endangerment" ( covering up sex crimes against children )..This is the only way to expose the truth and therefore protect kids.
The Philly diocese is NOT unique in the horrible way they handle child sex abuse.
If you have been harmed by Ratigan or any clergy, employee, volunteer, etc, do not report it to the diocese, it is a crime, so we urge you to please report it to the police.
..And keep in mind you are not alone..
Judy Jones, SNAP Midwest Associate Director, 636-433-2511
snapjudy@gmail.com
"Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests" and all clergy
http://www.snapnetwork.org/
Finn kept this from police, parishioners, and the public for over a year. That is totally against everything the church officials try to make us believe about how they care about protecting kids.
The most mind boggling part of this tragedy is that their own diocesan "Children's Safety Curriculum and Training" (which the bishops set up to look like they care about the safety of children), was actually trying to work. Those employees who go through this training process, that is forced upon them by the bishops, were doing their job.
BUT.. Bishop Finn flat out ignored his own policy and procedures.
The Kansas City diocese needs to have a Grand Jury Investigation, just like the recent grand jury investigation done in Philadelphia.. which resulted in the arrest of 3 predator priests, 1 teacher, and 1 high ranking priest for "Child Endangerment" ( covering up sex crimes against children )..This is the only way to expose the truth and therefore protect kids.
The Philly diocese is NOT unique in the horrible way they handle child sex abuse.
If you have been harmed by Ratigan or any clergy, employee, volunteer, etc, do not report it to the diocese, it is a crime, so we urge you to please report it to the police.
..And keep in mind you are not alone..
Judy Jones, SNAP Midwest Associate Director, 636-433-2511
snapjudy@gmail.com
"Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests" and all clergy
http://www.snapnetwork.org/
Always, always contact the pollice first. Obviously, the diocese took no action on this case. The bishop and his ilk belongs in jail; transferring him would only result in more cases elsewhere...
this story just get worse and worse. Finn should resign and if he won't, catholics should protest his events until he does.
When will Kansas City's Roman Catholic community acknowledge that Bishop Finn, for all of his false piety and Opus Dei bullshit, is a toxic and dangerous individual and needs to be officially retired and sent off to torture some other community?
I was hoping it was just pictures and creepy behavior, but there's probably a terrible story behind that pair of girl's underwear.
This shows that the Bishops and their minions haven't changed, haven't learned a thing. Here we have parents, teachers, school staff, and the principal all raising the alarm. To the right people. Through the "proper" channels. And what do those men do? Nothing. Nothing at all. They have a priest putting his hands all over kids, pulling them into his lap, tossing girls in skirts over his head, and being belligerent when people object; they do nothing. Why? Because they don't give a damn about anything but their trappings of office and their ambitions. And, perhaps, because they have skeletons in their own closets.
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