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Published: September 8, 2007
Was there special treatment?
Bishop Brown to be deposed in a sex abuse case involving Mater Dei High School.
 Bishop Tod Brown must testify about what he knew about past cases of sexual abuse in the Orange diocese, ruled a judge on Sept. 5.
In Jan. 2005, the Orange diocese settled claims with 90 sex-abuse victims for $100 million. But retired Superior Court Judge Robert Jameson has ordered Brown to give a deposition in the first post-settlement sex abuse case, filed in July 2005, involving the diocese. A woman, “C.R. Doe,” has accused former Mater Dei High School assistant coach, Jeff Andrade, of abusing her from 1995 to 1997, when she was a student.
Mater Dei knew about the abuse in 1997, said Jan. 24 Orange County Register. But when after a five-month police investigation, Orange County prosecutors decided not to press charges against Andrade, the Santa Ana high school let Andrade resign quietly, in accord with school policy, without informing students or parents. The school’s president, in a deposition, said he had no evidence of the abuse.
In a November 2006 deposition, however, Andrade admitted that he had had sex with Doe in 1996.
In April, Doe’s attorneys won from the court the right to investigate other sex abuse cases against the Orange diocese from 1988 to 2001 to determine whether Mater Dei gave Andrade special treatment. As part of this investigation, Judge Jameson ordered Brown (who became bishop in 1998), retired Bishop Norman McFarland, Brown’s secretary Father Michael McKiernan, and the diocese’s general counsel Maria Schinderle to give depositions to Doe’s lawyers.
Last June another woman filed suit against Orange diocese, saying that, beginning in 1994, when she was a student at Mater Dei, she was abused by a former choir director. A former valedictorian, the woman said she told Mater Dei officials about the alleged abuse at the time but they did nothing about it.
Posted Saturday, September 08, 2007 10:09 AM By SR M IMMACULATA DUNN
I think if these three are required to testify to the truth and if they do not invoke the Fifth Admendment, we may be in for some very shocking but telling testimony.
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Posted Saturday, September 08, 2007 12:45 PM By Mary Pitcher
Why is it that Diocesan officials must be forced by courts and judges to tell the truth? When will they understand that they are not above the law?
Although Andrade allowed to resign quietly, within a year or so he came back to the school selling a fundraising plan. It's one of those fundraising activities where students sell things, like subscriptions or candy. So they let him back on campus. And he continued to have contact with teen age children. These teens were in danger. Now Andrade is a regional sales manager in Texas for that company.
Mater Dei and Diocesan officials are responsible for the fact that this man does not have a criminal record and still has access to children.
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Posted Saturday, September 08, 2007 12:49 PM By John L. Sillasen
Let 'em invoke the 5th, then send them to Rome and give each one a palace.
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Posted Saturday, September 08, 2007 2:24 PM By Papamac
Not really sure I saw anywhere where these people were tried and convicted. Did I miss something??? Or because they are Priests does that just automatically mean they are guilty. I did note that the Orange county police investigated for 5 months but had nothing to indicate charges should be pressed against the alleged perpetrator, so if they had nothing, why do the writers on above comments immediately indict the Priests?? The Dunn person seems to have a tale to tell, CNN would gladly bring your story to everyone's attention, the good thing is you do not have to be truthful, that should fit your style I bet. Is this judge a Clinton appointee by any chance?? There are far to many innoncent Priests paying a price for the perverted actions of the homosexuals that got into the Priesthood, notice that no where have we seen the gay community apoligize for the actions of their fellow gays, are we to believe that they rejoice at the damage homosexuals have inflicted on the lives of others?? Just wondering.
A lesson should be learned by all, homosexuals are dangerous, look what they have done to the young when someone made the horrible mistake of trusting them. Give these Priests their just dues before you crucify them. Take out your wrath on the known homosexuals, not the innoncent. GOD BLESS
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Posted Saturday, September 08, 2007 7:52 PM By Debby Bodkin
I have raised children who attended schools supervised by the Diocese of Orange and have witnessed the obstructions of justice, perjury in a court of law, ongoing denials of due process by attorneys and employees. The OC Sheriff and OC District Atty NEVER fail to protect one of their own. Investigating Andrade for 5 months is nothing to brag about because there is never enough evidence for the DA and Sheriff to prosecute one of their own and when there is enough evidence, then the expired statute of limitations excuse is used. How can anyone forget that Andrade sued the Diocese of Orange in 2003 for defamation and walked away with a nice financial package? What Bishop would authorize the payment of $100,000 to a sexual predator and believe that the faithful in the pews are going to trust what he says in Mass or prints on a Diocesan website? Does anyone truly believe that children are safe when the Diocese of Orange is so closely connected to corrupt OC law enforcement? My message to Bishop Brown, his high priced attorneys, the OC District Atty and the OC Sheriff's Department: YOU ARE DESTROYING THE FAITH AND TRUST OF OUR CHILDREN! Shame on all of you for enabling crimes that have destroyed lives.
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Posted Saturday, September 08, 2007 8:00 PM By John L. Sillasaen
Why didn't the clergy clean its own house? Are the priests their brothers' keepers? Of course they are, but so many of them claim not to be, just like Cain. Christians have no business playing ostrich and keeping their heads in the sand. What's this mindset that has nobody noticing anything weird, and doing anything about it? Absolute irresponibility, negligence, or complicity!!! Secular criminal courts do not reveal what is true ... but which side had the better argument. Remember, the Church is all about the Truth. The Church is supposed to discover these sorts, and kick them out, and into the world where they can fend for themselves ...it's the victims or witnesses who are supposed to file criminal charges. Clergy are supposed to care for the victims, not the perps. This is the way it has to work for a healthy Church and community. The cryptic and evil actions we are finding out more about are not related to God in any way, but to wicked souls intent on hating God and destroying His people ... The story of Cain and Abel says it all.
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Posted Monday, September 17, 2007 10:12 PM By Kathy Paysen
It is relevant to address and question the corrupt leadership in the Catholic Church. God calls us all to action. Ambivalence is not an option. The issues confronting us are
real and they diminish our daily living, whether we are Catholic or not. The leadership in the Orange County Roman Catholic Diocese is clearly not of God. What would Jesus do? Jesus would be the way, the truth and the light. If our leadership cannot step into the light and examine the truth, the faithful will soon be communing at the table of nothing.
I will not extend thanksgiving for leadership that poisons the faithful with their mission to serve evil. Don't kid yourselves; evil lurks in those that cannot serve God by serving the truth. It is simple, it is time to unravel this hell and bring justice to the injured. We are called to be priestly people, not chickens! Be a Christian with a mission to serve the church by serving justice. Give a voice to your actions by not accepting the falsehoods and hatefulness of those that merely serve themselves. Be in communion with what is of God and watch the world change. I have experienced the loss of my Church as a result of experiencing the hatefulness of my diocese on many levels. I lost the building, I lost the empty words, I lost the falsehoods, I lost the cover-ups, I lost the corruption, I lost the cold hearted, and I have lived to know where God lives! God lives in me and my willingness to know the difference between good and evil. Pray to know the difference between the light of the world and the darkness of self-serving clergy.
When Jesus returns will He have a lawyer or will He have the faith to trust in God the Father for his ability to discern the difference between love and hate? I know too many hate crimes to erase the wrongs my Church has inflicted on too many children of God. It does not take a lawyer to know what to believe! You know what to believe--believe it! You are what you believe! Have the faith to know the difference you can make by being a light for others.
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