Victim group demands removal of Bishop Miege leader and Lenexa priest accused of abuse

After a priest accused of child molestation became the new pastor at a Lenexa church, and a man who faced a child sex abuse lawsuit was hired by a Roeland Park Catholic school, abuse victims are calling for their removal and an explanation from church leaders.

Two members of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) gathered Thursday outside The Cathedral of St. Peter the Apostle in Kansas City, Kansas, demanding the men to be removed from their roles and for the leader of the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas to publicly address concerns about them.

The protest followed a Feb. 1 letter to Archbishop Joseph Naumann, asking for the church leader to hold a public meeting with the group, worried parents and parishioners.

In its letter to the archbishop, SNAP said a meeting of this nature could inspire similar meetings elsewhere which could lead to greater awareness of child sex crimes and hopefully even prevent them from happening.

“It would, we believe, deepen the respect that many of your flock have in you, and help create such respect where it is lacking,” the letter says.

The letter from SNAP and calls to action from parishioners came after Naumann reinstated the Rev. John Pilcher to Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Lenexa. Pilcher had previously been accused of sexually abusing a boy in a Topeka parish. But the Shawnee County District Attorney did not file charges against him.

Parishioners were also concerned over Naumann’s decision to approve Bishop Miege High School’s hiring of Phil Baniewicz as its president. He was a defendant along with two Catholic priests in a 2005 sexual abuse lawsuit in Arizona that the Archdiocese of Phoenix settled for $100,000.

“(A meeting) would give you a chance to more thoroughly explain why you believe your actions around alleged child molesters are not reckless and callous,” the SNAP letter says.

“And it would give you an opportunity to shed much-needed light on the controversial and opaque process you follow when reports of sexual violence are made against your staff.”

While the accusations against Pilcher and Baniewicz did not result in convictions for the alleged crimes, SNAP suggested in its letter to the archdiocese that having alleged abusers in roles close to children presents a risk.

“The big thing for us is, why take the risk,” said David Clohessy, the Missouri director of SNAP. “Why choose a man that’s been accused of and sued for abuse?”

The organization is also criticizing the archdiocese for its silence after a former priest was arrested in Overland Park and convicted on child pornography charges.

The Star’s Judy Thomas contributed to this report.

This is a developing story and will be updated.