Legal Action Threatened:
You Make the Call
- Featured in May 2009 -
Over Mother’s Day weekend, Companions in Hope was threatened with legal action if a certain person’s photograph was not removed from the Weed Patch section of our web site.
The photograph above is the one in question. (Republican Suburban News photo)
On Saturday, May 9 th, former member of St. Peter Parish in Geneva Illinois, Bob McQuillan, paid an unannounced visit to the home of Frank and Kate Bochte, both former parishioners of said parish. Kate is the operator of the Companions in Hope web site and more information on Frank can be found on our Advocates page.
McQuillan began by asking why his picture was on our Pew Monkeys page. He was told that his actions have contributed in creating a hostile environment in the wake of allegations against former St. Peter priest Mark Campobello of child sexual abuse. He was told such actions re-victimize the individuals who have courageously come forward with the truth and makes it difficult if not impossible for other victims from coming forward, forcing them to suffer great pain in silence thereby hindering their own healing process.
McQuillan was told that removing his picture would be considered only if he submitted a sincere apology in writing to the survivor he aggressively confronted at a peaceful protest at the parish or directly to SNAP President Barbara Blaine who organized and also attended the event. Insisting he did nothing wrong, McQuillan refused to issue such an apology.
Expressing concern that his business (real estate) would suffer harm if his name and photograph were linked to other St. Peter parishioners who have rallied around embattled pastor Msgr. Joe Jarmoluk, McQuillan declared he would “do whatever it takes” to get his photo removed. He then told the Bochtes he was willing to sue them “for damages” though he offered no supporting facts to his assertion that Companions in Hope is responsible to any decline in his business, in the midst of a recession, mind you.
Bob McQuillan staunchly defends his actions in February 2004, saying he simply told the survivor, “We are all victims” and then proceeded to “hug him”. He asserts that he is not angry in the photo but in a “good frame of mind”. He also denies confronting the SNAP member and claims the photograph does not give an accurate picture of reality.
He apparently dismisses the presence of the many eye-witnesses within earshot of his one-sided communication, not to mention Dennis, the man with whom he is pictured and the target of his unwarranted rebuke. McQuillan did not deny that his ‘hug’ was actually an attempt to escort Dennis off the property. Rama Canney, paid damage-control coordinator at the parish, was reportedly using the same tactic with another SNAP member. Many people had been huddling with Jarmoluk in the vesting sacristy prior to exiting the building and confronting the survivors, no doubt devising their strategy of response.
Shortly after the above photo and accompanying article ran in the Geneva Republican, McQuillan called Frank Bochte to tell him he was calling his lawyer. Bochte was quoted in the article, speaking not of McQuillan specifically, but of the hostile treatment by many St. Peter parishioners in general toward the three peaceful and non-confrontational SNAP members. The private telephone conversation between Bochte and McQuillan last approximately 15 minutes.
McQuillan also, by his own admission, contacted the editors of the Geneva Republican demanding a retraction of the photo and caption. Based on his track record, we can safely guess that his demand also included a lawsuit threat.
McQuillan’s Affidavit
In the course of McQuillan’s May 9 th discussion with the Bochtes, he expressed regret that St. Peter pastor, Monsignor Joe Jarmoluk, used an affidavit that McQuillan had drafted to attack Frank Bochte for allegedly having access to “leaked” information regarding the pending criminal sexual abuse matter involving a priest formerly assigned to St. Peter.
McQuillan apparently felt it was perfectly appropriate to repeat to Jarmoluk certain comments made by Bochte during the February 2004 private phone conversation. McQuillan not only repeated Bochte’s comments to Jarmoluk but, at Jarmoluk’s request, willingly drafted an affidavit regarding his private conversation with Bochte.
At no time did McQuillan seek permission from Bochte to disseminate the contents of their personal phone call to Jarmoluk nor did McQuillan consult with Bochte before drafting his affidavit to determine if any of the statements that McQuillan attributed to Bochte in his affidavit were misconstrued or taken out of context.
This affidavit was then used by Jarmoluk as the impetus behind separate investigations by the Kane County States Attorney’s Office and the Geneva Police Department to determine if anyone from those respective agencies had leaked information regarding the open criminal case that was targeting the sexually abusive priest from St. Peter Church.
Both investigations resulted in the finding that no party mentioned in McQuillan’s affidavit had leaked or received any information in an improper manner and the investigations were closed.
McQuillan publicly presents himself as being against the needless expenditures of tax dollars and, in fact, has unsuccessfully run for public office on such a platform. The exact amount of tax-payer dollars expended by the respective agencies to investigate the frivolous accusations contained in McQuillan’s affidavit is not known, but one can assume it was substantial.
When questioned on May 9 th about the propriety and etiquette regarding the release of excerpts of a private conversation to a third party, McQuillan indicated to Bochte that he saw nothing inappropriate about such an action since Bochte never explicitly stated that the conversation between he and McQuillan was confidential.
McQuillan’s affidavit has also been cited extensively on the web site that Jarmoluk’s supporters created and, to this day, the affidavit is a major component of the internet podcast that an individual calling himself “Rocky” regularly refers to as the “McQuillan affidavit”. It strikes us a bit odd that McQuillan apparently has no objection to his affidavit being used on a web site that mocks and attacks victims of childhood sexual abuse by clergy, but threatens legal action against those who have taken a stand in support of such individuals for merely posting his pictures.
Despite being fully aware for over three years that Jarmoluk had used McQuillan’s affidavit in an attempt to smear and defame Bochte, McQuillan has not apologized to Bochte for the damage the affidavit and subsequent investigation has had on Bochte’s reputation. In fact, the aforementioned telephone call from 2004 was the last time McQuillan had communicated with Bochte in any way until May 9, 2009.
A brief side note related to the Bob McQuillan saga is an event that occurred on Mother’s Day. During a peaceful and well-organized press conference co-organized by SNAP and African-American Advocates of Victims of Clergy Abuse, a man identifying himself as a “Catholic school teacher” challenged the religious affiliation of supporters at the press conference.
Apparently, this Caucasian “Catholic school teacher” was puzzled by the fact that so many of the supporters in attendance were African-American and went on to question whether or not they were “Catholic”. (It may be a surprise to this “Catholic school teacher” that many African-Americans belong to the Catholic faith. We are certain, had the majority of supporters been Caucasian, their religious affiliation would never have been questioned by this individual.) The women for whom the press conference was held in support of happen to be African-American.
This “Catholic school teacher” went on to express his opinion that non-Catholics have no right to “complain” about the Catholic Church’s handling of child rape by employees of the Church or the policies the Church follows or does not follow relating – not with doctrine or worship – but child rape, child abuse and child protection. He added, “If their pastor was raping girls at their church, I wouldn’t go down there to complain”, again assuming their pastor was not Catholic.
The well-attended press conference drew a lot of interest from passers-by, many of whom expressed support for the survivors of clergy abuse and dismay at their own Church leaders’ handing of the entire scandal. Yet, the “Catholic school teacher” who also claimed to support the victims went from one survivor to the next – and also to the attorney of a survivor who is terminally ill and being further victimized by the Archdiocese of Chicago with delay tactics and legal hardball – with accusations of “unscrupulous behavior” by allowing individuals or may or may not be Catholic to demonstrate their support for two women who were raped by their priest when they were nine years old.
Companions in Hope believes child rape by Catholic priest is not a Catholic issue but a human rights issue. We believe it is incumbent upon every mature and rational adult to not only care about child rape of which they suspect or have knowledge – no matter who the perpetrator is – but to also act in whatever way they can to show compassion for those who have suffered such horrible acts and to prevent other children from meeting the same tragic fate.
Companions in Hope finds the arguments and accusations of the “Catholic school teacher”, who claims to be employed at St. Ignatius Catholic Prep School in Chicago, ignorant, offensive and sad. This man complained about all of the training he had to sit through as a result of the priest sex abuse scandal. Apparently, he faults the innocent victims of that very abuse for his being inconvenienced.
It is a sad commentary on the state of the Roman Catholic Church when adults who are charged with teaching children, would so blatantly practice discrimination, either by color or by religion. On Mother’s Day, the Catholic finger-pointer proved himself a very bad example of Christianity – to his own children and to those he is paid to teach.
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Situation #1
In the above photograph, Bob McQuillan is treating the SNAP survivor in a(n):
- welcoming manner
- unwelcoming manner
Situation #2
According to our unfriendly Catholic School teacher, American citizens should keep their mouth shut about child rape when the perpetrator practices a religion different than theirs. Agree or Disagree?
Feel free to send your answers and/or comments to mail@companionsinhope.com
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Our Message to Bob McQuillan and the “CatholicSchool teacher”:
“You do NOT defend the Church by attacking those already assaulted by those in her employ.
Catholics who wish to defend the Church ought to follow the example of Jesus: Live by the truth; show compassion for the wounded in your midst; Recognize and condemn false prophets.
"Religion without humanity is very poor human stuff". - Sojourner Truth
"It is better that scandals arise than the truth be supressed." - Pope St. Gregory the Great
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Check Out some of our Interactive Pages below:
Are You a Pew Monkey? Take our downloadable Quiz here to find out.
If you believe Jesus intended the Church to be a monarchy, read our Catholic Mandate page.
Do You Know Any Bullies or are You One? Take our Bully Quiz here.
Are you Blindly Following a Dangerous Leader or Do You Belong to an Unsafe Group?
Follow the Links on our Protection page to find out.
May is 'Catholics Wake Up!' Month"... During those 10 years, what disturbed me the most was not the suffering of the victims, or the secrecy and arrogance of church leaders. It was how little most Catholics cared about this problem. The silence from the pews was deafening." - survivor Phil Saviano
1 in 4 girls is sexually abused before the age of 18.
"It is a lot of miracles, because I died when I was young. And only now I'm starting to find what has been lost for so long." - survivor Jaime Romo
1 in 6 boys is sexually abused by the age of 18.
"The most painful state of being is remembering the future; particularly when it is one you can never have." -survivor Rick Springer
Only 10% of abused children are abused by strangers.
"I have had to struggle to live my life. Meanwhile, the man (perpetrator/priest) who raped me is out living his life without having to spend a day in jail!" - a survivor
Nearly 50% of all victims of forcible sodomy, sexual assault with an object, or forcible fondling are children under 12.
"I was one voice, and there were a lot of people who weren't willing to do anything. I had to find credibility on my own." - survivor Frank Fitzpatrick
30-40% of abused children are abused by a family member.
"When he (perpetrator/priest) had entered my room he had already won." -survivor Bill Gately
Long term effects of child abuse include fear, anxiety, depression, anger, hostility, inappropriate sexual behavior, poor self-esteem, tendency toward substance abuse and difficulty with close relationships.
"Compassion is sometimes the fatal capacity for feeling what it is like to live inside somebody else's skin. It is the knowledge that there can never really be any peace and joy for me until there is peace and joy finally for you too." - Frederick Buechner
50% of victims of child sexual abuse are abused by someone outside of their family whom they trust.
"Compassion is the antitoxin of the soul." - Eric Hoffer
Nearly 70% of all reported sexual assaults (including sexual assaults on adults) are on children ages 17 and under.
"It is not enough to be compassionate. You must act!"
Many survivors of child sexual abuse by clergy refer to their abuse as "Soul Murder".
"By compassion, we make others' misery our own, and so, by relieving them, we relieve ourselves also." -Thomas Brown
In Scripture, Jesus told of a shepherd of 100 sheep who left the 99 sheep in safety to search for the 1 that wandered. In contrast, the Roman Catholic heirarchy has, for decades, practiced a policy of turning its back on victims of clergy sexual abuse, even to the point of kicking out seminarians who revealed in counseling that they had been abused by a priest.
"Compassion is not religious buisness. It is human business. It is not luxury, it is essential for our own peace and mental stability. It is essential for human survival." -Dalai Lama
Our Featured Video Link:
A Year in Scandal - 2002 in Video. Eleven clips of survivors, a prosecutor, an attorney, an advocate priest and a cardinal. Filmed by The Boston Globe.
http://boston.com/globe/spotlight/abuse/overview/video_gallery
Watch other Video Clips linked on our site here.
Our Featured Quote:
"Who is going to save our Church? Not our bishops, not our priests and religious. It is up to you, the people. You have the minds, the eyes, the ears to save the Church. Your mission is to see that your priests act like priests, your bishops act like bishops, and your religious act like religious." -the late Archbishops Fulton J. Sheen
Our Featured Comic
"Father?... You can come up now... The tornados are gone."
"Those aren't the storms that I fear....."T. Brian Kelly sketched this comic, which was published in the Daily Herald in May 2004 after heat was placed on Church leaders by a group of parishioners to cooperate with the prosecutors in a child sex abuse case involving a former priest at their parish. At the same time, violent spring storms had ripped through the area, setting of tornado sirens on occasion.
