Abuse victim believes Irish pedophile priest Fr Brendan Smyth murdered an American child, Smyth victim rejects abbot’s apology

Abuse victim believes Irish pedophile priest Fr Brendan Smyth murdered an American child

Helen McGonigle draws connection between Smyth’s threat and discovery of body

By KERRY O’SHEA, IrishCentral Staff Writer June 8, 2012

Helen McGonigle, who was sexually abused by Irish priest Brendan Smyth  when she was six years old, believes the priest also murdered a child during his time in Rhode Island. McGonigle says that Smyth warned her by saying she would “end up like the body in the woods” if she told anyone about the abuse.

The Anglo-Celt reports on the connection McGonigle made between Smyth’s chilling comments and the finding of a child’s remains in the woods near her school in the 1960s. The discovery of the body, however, came about after Smyth laid down his threat on young McGonigle….

Brendan Smyth had bounced around parishes in Ireland, Wales and the US, committing unthinkable abuses on over 100 children along the way. http://www.irishcentral.com/news/Abuse-victim-believes-Irish-pedophile-priest-Fr-Brendan-Smyth-murdered-an-American-child-158092635.html

Smyth victim rejects abbot’s apology

Helen McGonigle with her brother Gerard and has described the apology to the victims of Brendan Smyth as an insult.

Paul Neilan  June 8, 2012

An American abuse survivor has criticised the apology of Fr Brendan Smyth’s former abbot, which The Anglo-Celt printed last week, and has launched her search for answers.

Attorney Helen McGonigle, who features in our lead story this week, has sent a fax addressed to the former abbot, Fr Kevin A Smith, at Holy  Trinity Abbey, Kilnacrott, Ballyjamesduff, requesting the abbey  “provide[s] me with a copy of the entire file at the abbey on Fr Brendan Smyth”.

The fax, which has an accompanying letter, is dated May 31, two days after Fr Smith released a statement apologising to victims of the paedophile Brendan Smyth. Smyth started abusing McGonigle in 1967, in Rhode Island, when she was six before Kevin Smith became abbot. http://www.anglocelt.ie/news/roundup/articles/2012/06/08/4010802-smyth-victim-rejects-abbots-apology/

Vatican ‘has blood on hands’ over Smyth affair, Archbishop Diarmuid Martin calls for establishment of independent Fr Brendan Smyth inquiry

Archbishop Diarmuid Martin calls for establishment of independent Fr Brendan Smyth inquiry

Sunday, 6 May 2012

The Catholic Archbishop of Dublin, Dr Diarmuid Martin, has called for an independent international commission of inquiry into the crimes of Fr Brendan Smyth, the late paedophile priest.

Dr Martin said such an inquiry was owed to victims and that it would be in the public interest that the full story, and not bits and pieces, should come out….
http://www.rte.ie/news/2012/0506/archbishop-martin-calls-for-smyth-inquiry.html

Vatican ‘has blood on hands’ over Smyth affair
By Claire O’Sullivan
Saturday, May 05, 2012

An American lawyer who was abused by Fr Brendan Smyth has said that the Vatican has “blood on its hands” for its failure to inform Irish Church authorities that it had censured Smyth for abuse in the United States years before the 1975 secret inquiry.

Helen McGonigle has learnt that the Vatican’s Congregation for the Religious issued a decree that Smyth wasn’t allowed to take Confession and was to be supervised following abuse complaints made in the late 60s.

Yet, in 1975 the Bishop of Kilmore and the Abbot of Killnacrott agreed a similar censure of Smyth — seemingly oblivious that a similar reprimand had already been handed down.

“Why didn’t the bishop or the abbot inform the Papal Nuncio of this second censure? Why weren’t they informed by the Vatican of the original censure? It is very clear that the 1968 censure was not enforced. What does all of this say about the organisation that is the Catholic Church,” Ms McGonigle asked.

Ms McGonigle has pleaded with police on both sides of the border to investigate Cardinal Brady for his possible role in perverting the course of justice and endangering children.

She pointed to current cases being taken against Catholic priests in the US for failing to report abuse allegations to the civil authorities.

“They are enablers, Cardinal Brady and all these priests. That is what they were asked to do and that’s what they have done,” she said.
http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/vatican-has-blood-on-hands-over-smyth-affair-192867.html

Vatican likely to replace Irish Cardinal with deputy bishop, Dr. Phil – MPD show

articles:
- Vatican likely to replace Irish Cardinal Brady with new deputy bishop
Report says Cardinal Brady likely to be gone to retirement by end of year
-Advisers backed resignation of Cardinal Sean Brady to save Catholic Church’s image
- As Cardinal Sean Brady turns his back on calls to quit, pressure mounts on police to get involved
- Dr. Phil – “My Husband, My Kids and My Multiple Personalities”
Thursday – May 10, 2012

Vatican likely to replace Irish Cardinal Brady with new deputy bishop
Report says Cardinal Brady likely to be gone to retirement by end of year
By JOHN O’BRIEN, IrishCentral.com Staff Writer

The Vatican is expected to replace Ireland’s leading church figure. Cardinal Sean Brady, and will appoint a coadjutor or deputy bishop by the end of this year who will eventually be his replacement.

The Irish Times has reported that the Vatican move will happen because of  massive public pressure on Brady over his actions concerning the notorious pedophile priest Fr. Brendan Smyth.

Brady is primate of all Ireland, essentially Ireland’s leading Catholic figure, based in Armagh.

The Vatican is expected to act after a BBC documentary alleged that Brady was far more involved in a cover up of Smyth than he admitted at the time in 1987. Brady, then a young priest, served on a panel investigating Smyth. No action was taken against Smyth and  he went on to abuse many more kids.

The Vatican at first defended Brady and said he had their full confidence. However, Irish leader Enda Kenny, Deputy leader Eamon Gilmore, and Northern Irish leader Martin McGuinness, have all called on Brady to resign….

Brady, 73, managed to keep his position after an earlier controversy about Smith and how he handled the case. This latest crisis, however, is seen as far more serious.

If Brady is forced to step down, it will be the 2nd major figure that Fr. Brendan Smyth has been instrumental in forcing out of office.

Former Irish leader Albert Reynolds also resigned after becoming involved in the Smyth controversy….

http://www.irishcentral.com/news/Vatican-likely-to-replace-Irish-Cardinal-Brady-with-new-deputy-bishop-150279125.html

Advisers backed resignation of Cardinal Sean Brady to save Catholic Church’s image
By Greg Harkin  Saturday, 5 May 2012
Cardinal Sean Brady was backed by his senior advisers when he offered to resign more than two years ago.

The head of the Catholic Church in Ireland informed the Vatican of his “willingness to stand aside” as one of a range of possible options when his role in the Brendan Smyth controversy became public in 2010.

And his senior advisers backed the move — expressing concern that the Smyth controversy would damage the church.

The cardinal is now planning an alternative exit strategy.

Cardinal Brady had asked the Pope for ‘Episcopal help’ or an auxiliary bishop two years ago when the controversy first erupted, but the bishop was not appointed.

However, the church confirmed yesterday that the request has been “reactivated”.

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/northern-ireland/advisers-backed-resignation-of-cardinal-sean-brady-to-save-catholic-churchs-image-16154588.html

As Cardinal Sean Brady turns his back on calls to quit, pressure mounts on police to get involved

By Liam Clarke
Saturday, 5 May 2012

Pressure is growing on the PSNI to interview Cardinal Sean Brady over the most recent claims in the child sex abuse scandal.

The police didn’t act two years ago when the revelations that Dr Brady was present at the interview of two victims of paedophile priest Brendan Smyth first emerged.

One of the young victims, Brendan Boland, gave the names and addresses of several other children he knew were being abused by Smyth.

Despite this evidence nothing was done to warn the children’s parents or inform the police, and Smyth went on to abuse dozens more children over subsequent decades until he was finally brought to justice in the 1990s, dying in prison in 1997.

He had been abusing children since the 1940s.
http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/northern-ireland/as-cardinal-sean-brady-turns-his-back-on-calls-to-quit-pressure-mounts-on-police-to-get-involved-16154168.html

Dr. Phil – “My Husband, My Kids and My Multiple Personalities”
Thursday – May 10, 2012

Tracy is a married mother of four who says her life was forever changed the day she was diagnosed with dissociative identity disorder, more commonly known as multiple personality disorder. She says she has five personalities, or “alters:” Emily, a frightened 5-year-old child; Becky, who cuts, bruises, chokes and has threatened to kill Tracy; Susie, an innocent 10-year-old child; Samantha, “the CEO;” and Miss Anne, “the caretaker.” Tracy says that she’ll often times black out when an alter takes over and that the transition back to being Tracy can make her physically ill. Joined by her husband, Tyler, the couple says Tracy’s alter egos and unpredictable moods are causing strain on their marriage, and they’re struggling to explain her erratic behavior to their children. Is Tracy’s diagnosis real? Then, in a Dr. Phil first, Tracy transitions between her alters onstage. Speaking as Becky and Emily, can Dr. Phil gather insight into Tracy’s disorder? Tracy’s therapist, Dr. Peggy Avent, joins the show and explains her diagnosis. Could a secret from Tracy’s childhood hold the key to understanding her illness? Tracy’s mom, Sandy, weighs in and shares why she blames herself.

http://www.drphil.com/shows/

Cardinal Brady settles latest claim by abuse victim he swore to secrecy

Cardinal settles with abuse victim – Cardinal Brady dismissed several calls for resignation last year over his handling of abuse allegations

PATSY McGARRY, Religious Affairs Correspondent November 30, 2011

A settlement has been agreed by Cardinal Seán Brady with a Co Louth man who was one of two teenagers he swore to secrecy in 1975 following his investigation into their allegations of abuse by Fr Brendan Smyth.

Brendan Boland (50) sued Dr Brady, the diocese of Kilmore and Smyth’s Norbertine Order.

The settlement was concluded in the High Court this morning.

Speaking after the settlement was announced, Mr Boland revealed that guilt plagued him when he heard Smyth, now dead, had continued to abuse children for years after he made a statement to three priests, including a then Fr Brady.

“I was devastated by this revelation,” he said in a handwritten statement given outside the court.

“The fact that Fr Smyth has been allowed to prey upon and abuse other children, subsequent to the assurances having being given, was very hard to bear,” he said. “I felt I had not done enough. I felt responsible for the misery of Fr Smyth’s subsequent victims. My guilt plagued me.”

Mr Boland was sexually abused for two years by Smyth. It started in 1973 when he was just 12 years old.

He said that after he confided in a young priest, he was interrogated by three clerics conducting an Ecclesiastical Court – including Fr Brady – without his father present, and was required to swear on oath that he would not talk about the interview with anyone but an authorised priest.

“My parents, who were good God-fearing people, and I were assured that Fr Brendan Smyth would not be allowed to associate with young boys and girls and that there would be no recurrence of the abuse which I and other victims had suffered,” he said.

“As a result of these assurances, I felt safer and I hoped that the assurances would mean that others would not suffer as I had.”

It was not until 1994 that Smyth was convicted in a Belfast court of 17 counts of sexual abuse. Three years later in Dublin, he pleaded guilty to another 74 counts of child sexual abuse. Smyth died in prison in 1997.
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2011/1130/breaking39.html

Cardinal Brady settles latest claim by abuse victim he swore to secrecy

Brendan Boland wins settlement and apology
By CATHAL DERVAN,IrishCentral Staff Writer
Wednesday, November 30, 2011

A leading Irish cardinal has reached a financial settlement with a victim of child abuse he swore to secrecy in 1975.

Cardinal Sean Brady has settled a case brought against him by Brendan Boland, one of two victims of infamous priest Fr Brendan Smyth.

The High Court in Dublin has been told that settlement has been reached in the case brought by Boland, now 50. The Cardinal settled a case with another victim Marie McCormack last year for a sum believed to be in the region of $350,000.

Both Boland and McCormack sued the Bishop, the diocese of Kilmore and Smyth’s Norbertine Order over their abuse cases in the 1970s.

Boland is expected to make a lengthy public statement on the  scandal on Wednesday.

Cardinal Brady was informed of the abuse by both the victims in 1975 but ordered them to keep it secret.

McCormack’s case against Brady, when she alleged he covered up her claims that she was abused by Smyth between 1970 and 1975, was settled without admission of liability and included apologies by the defendants.
http://www.irishcentral.com/news/Cardinal-Brady-settles-latest-claim-by-abuse-victim-he-swore-to-secrecy-134741158.html

 

Beyond the grave, Smyth’s evil acts have left his order with a huge cross to bear – With massive debt and dwindling numbers, the Norbertines have accepted their fate, writes Jerome Reilly

Sunday December 04 2011

THERE is now a headstone over the grave of Fr Brendan Smyth but though he is dead now for 14 years, the convicted child rapist still casts a long shadow over his abbey and the innocent priests from his order.

Now hideously in debt as a result of civil claims made against them, the Norbertine Order at Kilnacrott Abbey needs to sell the property — but prospective buyers want all trace of Smyth and his horrific legacy removed before they will buy the abbey, just outside Ballyjamesduff, Co Cavan.
http://www.independent.ie/opinion/analysis/beyond-the-grave-smyths-evil-acts-have-left-his-order-with-a-huge-cross-to-bear-2953546.html