Archived Allegations:
From time to time, certain members of the monastic community have been accused of conduct in clear violation of both laws protecting minors and the standards the Abbey and the Church have set for members of the clergy. The Abbey has been deeply saddened by the behavior of certain members of the Order and has made serious and concerted efforts to offer healing and support to anyone who has been victimized.
In all cases, these alleged behaviors are many decades old. Today and for many years, Saint Vincent Archabbey has strictly adhered to State and Federal Statutes related to the protection of minors. It is the policy of the Archabbey immediately to report any allegation of sexual abuse of minors to the District Attorney of the relevant county and to cooperate fully in any follow-up investigation. Further, the Archabbey adheres to the 2002 United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ “Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People,” a comprehensive act of procedures for addressing allegations of abuse of minors as well as best practices for reconciliation, healing, accountability, and prevention of future acts of abuse. The Archabbey provides support for victims to receive professional counseling in the healing process through a Survivor Assistance Coordinator.
The Archabbey’s delegate for the protection of children investigates and documents all complaints of alleged child abuse for action of the Archabbey Review Board. The Review Board consists of independent outside individuals including a retired judge, civil lawyer, canon lawyer, pediatrician, child psychologist and retired law enforcement officer.
The Archabbey is also accredited by Praesidium, Inc., a nationally recognized, independent organization that specializes in the protection of children, youth and vulnerable adults. The services of Praesidium are provided to the Boys and Girls Clubs of America, the YMCA, Syracuse University and other prominent institutions. The process for accreditation with Praesidium is rigorous and requires compliance with multiple standards indicating that the accredited institution is conforming to practices found to be most effective for the prevention and remediation of cases of child abuse. The Archabbey was first accredited by Praesidium in 2008 and was reaccredited in 2012, 2016 and 2022. In 2022, the Archabbey was granted accreditation for a five-year period with compliance reviews on an annual basis. That accreditation was renewed after an extensive audit by Praesidium in 2021-2022.
The individual members of the Order about whom allegations have been received which have been substantiated to some degree are:
Fr. Raymond Balko
Fr. Gordian Burkardt
Fr. Dunstan Debes
Fr. Alvin Downey
Fr. Joseph Gerg
Fr. Fidelis Lazar
Fr. Germain Lieb
Fr. Stanley Markiewicz
Fr. Cosmas Minster
Fr. Giles Nealen
Fr. Luke Policicchio
Fr. Emmeran Rettger
Fr. Paul Rubadue
Fr. Jerome Rupprecht
Br. Benet Salis
Fr. Brinstan Takach
Fr. Alcuin Tasch
Fr. Herman Ubinger
Fr. Charles Weber
