Diocese Releases List Of Clergy Accused Of Sexual Abuse

The Diocese of Ogdensburg has released the full list of priests who are no longer in the ministry because of "reasonable grounds" of sexual abuse.

The list includes those who were removed from the ministry based on allegations, as well as the clergy who have died or left the ministry. Twenty of the 28 clergy have not been previously known as abusers.

Here's the full list, which the diocese calls the "list of offenders":

- Fay Ager
- Joseph Conti (deceased)
- Joseph Degen (deceased)
- Robert Duford (deceased)
- John Fallon (deceased)
- Ronald Farchette
- Bruce Favreau
- Edward Franklin (deceased)
- Theodore Gillette (deceased)
- John Hunt (deceased)
- Edwin Kennedy (deceased)
- John Kennedy (deceased)
- Emile Lalonde (deceased)
- James Larche
- Roger Martin (deceased)
- Gerald McGrath (deceased)
- Roland Menard
- Liam O'Doherty
- Albert Plante (deceased)
- Gerald Sharland (deceased)
- Robert Shurtleff
- Thomas Squires
- George Tobin (deceased)
- Michael Toth
- Clark White
- John Wiley (deceased)
- David Wisniewski
- Paul Worczak

Fallon, Gillette, Hunt, O'Doherty, Shurtleff, White, Wisniewski, and Worczak were named in March in a report from a law firm that represents clergy sex abuse victims.

Still, some victims think more should be on that list. Jim Cummings, a survivor of clergy sex abuse, told 7 News: “The names on the list are what we expected. We would have liked to seen some more biographies with each...of the abusers – their ordination dates and their assignments.”

A report from the diocese in October disclosed that it has paid out nearly $5.5 million to 37 victims of clergy sex abuse.

Church officials have said no new cases of abuse have surfaced in the last 20 years.

In a letter distributed at masses this past weekend, Bishop Terry LaValley wrote "While there are strong arguments for releasing the names and strong arguments for not releasing the names, recent controversies in the Church make it necessary for us to now release the names."