Four priests who served Catholic parishes in Prince William County were included among the 58 clergy members who church officials say have been “credibly accused of sexual abuse” against a minor.
The full list was released publicly for the first time Feb. 13 by the two Catholic dioceses in Virginia: the Diocese of Arlington and the Diocese of Richmond. Prince William County is included in the Diocese of Arlington, which covers 21 counties and seven cities in northern and central Virginia.
The Diocese of Arlington posted the names of 16 clergy members who met one of three criteria: they admitted guilt; their guilt was determined in a criminal or civil court or by an ecclesiastical process; or the Arlington or Richmond Diocesan Review Board found an allegation against them to be credible, according to the Diocese of Arlington.
Four clergy members on the list--Tran Dinh Nhi, William J. Erbacher, Andrew Krafcik and Kevin Downey--served in Prince William County parishes.
The names were made public ahead of the summit on preventing clergy sex abuse, which Pope Francis is leading in Rome this week.
Organizers are calling Pope Francis’ summit, which begins Thursday, a “turning point” in the church’s treatment of sexual abuse. The meeting is said to focus is on church leaders’ ongoing responsibilities in the wake of the now-decades old crisis.
Angela Pellerano, spokeswoman for the Catholic Diocese of Arlington, said Bishop Michael Burbidge’s release of the local priests’ names was not tied to the summit or any other event.
“Today, I am fulfilling a commitment I made [in September 2018] to publish a list of all clergy credibly accused of child sexual abuse in the Diocese of Arlington," Burbidge stated in a letter accompanying the names' release. "I made this commitment in the hope that providing such a list might help some victims and survivors of clergy sexual abuse to find further healing and consolation.”
Some of the priests who served local churches have been the subject of press releases or news reports over the years. But the Feb. 13 list was the first time the Arlington Diocese released a comprehensive accounting of all its priests who have been credibly accused of sexual abuse. Those who served Prince William parishes include:
Tran Dinh Nhi served as pastor of Holy Family Catholic Church in Dale City from 2000 to 2005. Nhi was accused of sexually abusing two minor girls between 1975 and 1980, according to a report in the Catholic Herald.
In 2006, Nhi was removed from public ministry, according to the diocese. A review board found the accusation of sexual abuse against him was credible.
“He remains removed from public ministry pending a final determination of his canonical status,” the diocese said.
William J. Erbacher served as pastor of Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Manassas from 1993 to 1997, according to press reports.
The Diocese of Arlington reported in 2018 that it received notice from a Louisiana diocese that Erbacher had been accused of the sexual abuse of a minor in 1974. Erbacher denied the allegation.
The Diocese of Arlington said it had no knowledge of the accusation at the time Erbacher was admitted to the seminary or ordained a priest. Erbacher was removed from active ministry in 2001 and directed in 2010 to live “a life of prayer and penance” as a result his being found guilty of the sexual abuse of a minor, the diocese said.
Andrew Krafcik was defrocked in 2004 in connection with a charge of child abuse in Henrico County in 1984. At the time, Krafcik was sentenced by the court to counseling instead of jail and continued in the priesthood until he retired in 1996.
Krafcik lived in retirement at Holy Family Catholic Church in Dale City from 1996 to 2002, according to a 2004 Associated Press report.
Krafcik also served for a time at Sacred Heart in Manassas, but Pellerano declined to disclose when he was assigned to Sacred Heart, citing privacy concerns.
Kevin Downey, O.F.M., served as pastor of St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church in Triangle from July 2011 to May 2016, according to an April 2017 statement from Franciscan Friars Holy Name Province in New York.
Downey was placed on a leave of absence in May 2016 and removed from all public ministries in 2017 after a complaint of alleged misconduct with a minor was made against him. The statement did not say where or when the abuse occurred.
List stems from 2018 review
In September 2018, Burbidge commissioned a new, “thorough review of the files of all priests and deacons who have ever served in [the Arlington] diocese, including those who are deceased or no longer living here,” said a fact sheet accompanying the release.
The review was conducted by two former FBI agents and followed previous reviews of clergy personnel files conducted in 2003 and 2011.
In his letter, Burbidge wrote: “The publishing of this list will bring a range of emotions for all of us. Embarrassment, frustration, anger and hurt are all natural emotions to experience in a time such as this. I share those emotions.”
Burbidge also said he remains open to meeting with victims and survivors of abuse by members of the clergy.
“Having met with numerous victims and survivors of sexual abuse, both in group settings and in individual meetings, I continue to be inspired by your strength and your resolve,” Burbridge wrote. “I am deeply sorry for what has happened to you.”
No priest who is still practicing in active ministry has been credibly accused of sexual abuse, the diocese said.
State investigation continues
In October, Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring (D) announced that his office and the Virginia State Police would investigate sexual abuse within the Richmond and Arlington dioceses.
Herring’s action came after a grand jury in Pennsylvania found “credible” evidence that more than 300 “predator priests” in Pennsylvania sexually abused more than 1,000 children since the 1940s. Virginia is one of 13 states that have launched investigations.
The Virginia State Police have set up a toll-free hotline at 1-833-454-9064 and a website, www.virginiaclergyhotline.com, to take reports about child sexual abuse by clergy.
Capital News Service reporters Emily Holter and Rodney Robinson contributed to this report.
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.