Road to Recovery calls on Father Dan Ward to withdraw from the Orlando, Florida RCRI convention and resign from his leadership of the RCRI. His own credibly alleged misconduct disqualifies him from advising, consulting, lecturing, and leading other religious leaders. – Road to Recover (October 15, 2012)
Media Release
October 15, 2012
(regarding the appearance of alleged sexual abuser Fr. Dan Ward at conference in Florida)
Despite having six allegations of misconduct leveled against him, Benedictine Father Dan Ward is scheduled to deliver three workshops/lectures at the Resource Center for Religious Institutes (RCRI) annual convention being held this year in Orlando, Florida. Father Ward is the Executive Director of the RCRI based in Silver Spring, MD, and the RCRI provides legal and other support to religious orders of men and women, including the Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR), the Conference of Major Superiors of Men (CMSM), and the Religious Formation Conference (RFC). More than 86,000 religious men and women are served by the RCRI.
Father Dan Ward is a member of the Benedictine order which has been rocked by hundreds of credible allegations of sexual abuse and misconduct at prestigious institutions such as St. John’s University, Collegeville, MN, St. Vincent’s College, Latrobe, PA, and Delbarton School in Morristown, NJ. Father Ward is a monk, priest, canon and civil lawyer, and expert witness for religious institutions that have been wracked by allegations of sexual abuse by their members. He has been accused of unwelcome advances toward, kissing, and threats against students. Three male students, two former monks and a female college student are among those who have alleged misconduct against Father Ward.
Father Ward was an advisor to fellow Benedictine Father Giles Hayes, President of the Conference of Major Superiors of Men, before Hayes was forced to resign as President of the CMSM as a result of the scandal of sexual abuse at a prominent New Jersey Catholic high school led by Hayes. The headmaster of Delbarton School, Father Luke Travers, was forced to resign his position when former students alleged sexual abuse. Father Giles Hayes was and is head of the Benedictine community and President of Delbarton School. He and Father Ward worked together in placing Father Luke Travers at an abbey in Virginia where he had access to students, despite restrictions to the contrary. At the time, Road to Recovery called for Hayes’ resignation of the CMSM because he could not “provide the necessary good example to other religious superiors on the handling of sex abuse claims.”
Road to Recovery calls on Father Dan Ward to withdraw from the Orlando, Florida RCRI convention and resign from his leadership of the RCRI. His own credibly alleged misconduct disqualifies him from advising, consulting, lecturing, and leading other religious leaders.
Father Dan Ward must step down now.
Robert M. Hoatson, Ph.D.
Co-founder and President
Road to Recovery, Inc.
P.O. Box 279
Livingston, New Jersey 07039
862-368-2800
