Fr . Francisco Schulte, a monk/priest from St. John’s Abbey in Collegeville, Minnesota (USA), has been accused of sexually abusing at least four students at Colegio San Antonio Abad (High School) in Humacao, Puerto Rico in the late 1970’s.
Ray Schulte graduated from San Antonio Abad in 1971.
Born: February 26, 1953 in Cincinnati, Ohio
Professed: July 11, 1974
Ordained: January 19, 1979
Known Victims: 9
Age of Victims: 12-17
Location: Puerto Rico, Minnesota, North Carolina, Mexico
Equally significant was the year 1973, the year of the first novitiate which would include candidates for the brotherhood and the priesthood. Fr. Jaime Reyes, liturgist, teacher, and theologian, was put in charge of novices Raymond Schulte (from North Carolina), Oscar Rivera (of Barranquitas), and Raphael Perez (the first native vocation of Humacao).
This school, known as Escuela San Antonio Abad, opened in September 1950. It was a free school for one hundred boys of the region and offered academic courses and prevocational training in mechanics, carpentry, and agriculture.
Accused of Misconduct (in Puerto Rico):
Roger Botz (1962-1967)
Jerome Coller (1963-1965)
Thomas Gillespie (1968-1975)
Francisco Schulte (1977-1981)
Zacheus Zuehlke (1977-1978)
Los abogados Jeff Anderson y Patrick Noaker -conocidos por su cruzada en contra del abuso sexual de menores- ofrecerán detalles este lunes de una demanda incoada contra la orden religiosa de San Benito y un sacerdote norteamericano que alegadamente abusó de un estudiante de 14 años del Colegio San Antonio Abad de Humacao.
(SC Times) A news conference has been scheduled for Monday in front of the Federico Degetau Federal Building in San Juan, Puerto Rico, to announce a new lawsuit against a St. John’s Abbey monk and the Order of St. Benedict on behalf of a Puerto Rican man.
“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
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.
Media Alert
Press Conference Monday May 2, @ 1 P.M. AST
Federico Degetau Federal Building
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.”
Conferencia de prensa lunes 2 de mayo, a la 1 P.M. (Hora Atlántico)
en el edificio Federal Federico Degetau
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.
“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.
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 ]
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?
Parish Faith Formation Assessment and Planning Tool
By Jeffrey Kaster, Anne Marie Biermaier (1999)
“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
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.
