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Robert A. Brown

Assignment Record – Msgr. Robert A. Brown 

Summary of Case: Brown was ordained in 1939 for the Columbus diocese, which split in 1944. Brown sexually abused kids while he was a priest in the Columbus diocese, in the early 1940's. Brown sexually abused kids while he was assigned to St. Stanislaus in Maynard Ohio, and Bellaire St. Johns High School in the 1940's. He was thereafter a priest of the Steubenville diocese. By 1964 he had achieved Monsignor status; he held several chancery positions throughout his career. In 2005 a woman testified at the Ohio state house during a hearing regarding the statute of limitations on sex crimes against children that Brown sexually abused her brother in the late 1960s, when her brother was 16 years-old. She stated that Brown also sexually abused their three young cousins. In August 2006 the Steubenville diocese announced that it had received a credible allegation that Brown and a church volunteer sexually abused a boy in the late 1970s. Brown retired in 1984 and died in 1991. 


Brown_Robert_A_sm.JPG
   Ordained: 1939
Retired: 1984
Died: Oct. 7, 1991

StartStopParish/AssignmentTown/AccusationsStatePositionNotes

1939

Columbus bishop was James Joseph Hartley (1903-1944)

1940St. Vincent de Paul Orphan AsylumColumbusOH3/3 
19391940St. Ann's Maternity HospitalColumbusOH This hospital was attended by St. Vincent de Paul Orphan Asylum.
  St. Anthony'sBridgeportOH This assignment is per news reports.

1940

The Columbus diocese split and the Steubenville diocese was established in 1944. It's first bishop was John Anthony King Mussio (1945-1977)

1948St. Stanislaus

Maynard

Brown sexually abused kids while he was a priest in the Columbus diocese, in the early 1940's. Brown sexually abused kids while he was assigned to St. Stanislaus in Maynard Ohio, and Bellaire St. Johns High School in the 1940's.

 

OH1/1St. Stanislaus had a grade school with
69-262 students, and a high school until 1945 with 10-87 students. 
19481950Our Lady of MercyLowellOH1/1Our Lady of Mercy had a catechism class with 90 students.

1950

Mussio was succeeded by Albert Henry Ottenweller (1977-1992)

 

1984St. Sylvester's

Woodsfield

 Brown was accused during a 2005 hearing of having  sexually abused a 16 year-old boy in the late 1960s at St. Sylvester's, when Brown was 58 years old. The abuse is said to have occurred at the church rectory at an overnight party. Other boys were said to have been there, and alcohol "plentiful". Fr. Brown allegedly selected the 16 year-old boy to share his bed that night, where Brown masturbated the boy. Brown is said to have told the boy the next morning that what happened was a sin, so Brown drove the boy to a different town to have another priest hear his confession. The boy'sthree cousins were also said to have been sexually abused by Brown.

 The diocese announced in Aug. 2006 that it had received a credible allegation that Brown and former church volunteer, Mr. Paul Ditto, sexually abused a boy at St. Sylvester's between 1976-1978.

OH

2/2, 1/1, 1/2

Pastor until 1964 was Msgr. Joseph G. Mehler, after which Brown was pastor. In residence 1972-1973 was Rev. Donald K. Nuss. In 1973-1974 Rev. Louis Gaetano was Brown's assistant, followed in 1974-1975 by Rev. Joseph Martinkosky. Working under Brown 1982-1983 was Rev. Ronald Griffith.

St. Sylvester's had a school with 92-165 students, and a catechism class beginning in 1958 with 14-50 students.
19641979Vicarri Foranii, Visitation DeanerySteubenvilleOH  
19661974Synodal ExaminersSteubenvilleOH  
19731978St. Joseph'sBurkhartOH1/1 non-resident 
19791982Diocesan ConsultorsSteubenvilleOH  
19841991RetiredWoodsfieldOH Brown died Oct. 7, 1991

 

Source: Official Catholic Directory (New York: P.J. Kenedy and Sons, 1940-1992)

 Jones SOL Testimony, Dec. 8, 2005 
 Statement Concerning Rev. Msgr. Robert A. Brown & Mr. Paul Ditto, Diocese of Steubenville, August 11, 2006
 Former Woodsfield Priest Accused of Abuse, WTOV [Steubenville OH], August 11, 2006
 Survivor Network Wants Church Apology, By Shelby Zarotney, WTOV NEWS9, August 16, 2006
 Church Officials Urge Potential Abuse Victims to Come Forward, By Diana DeCola , The Marietta Times [Ohio], August 17, 2006

Priests in a Parish: We use the following convention to show a priest's place among the clergy of a parish: 1/2 means that he is the first priest listed in the Official Catholic Directory (usually the pastor) and that there is a total of two priests at the parish. The shorthand 3/4 means that the priest is listed third on a four-priest roster. See our sample page from the Directory.

This assignment record was last updated on Aug. 8, 2012

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Related documents:

1.        Postings by BishopAccountability.org .   Enter the name of Brown

2.        Statement concerning Rev. Msgr. Robert A. Brown & Mr. Paul Ditto - 8/11/2006

Steubenville, OH: The Diocese of Steubenville has received a credible allegation pertaining to abuse of a minor child by Msgr. Robert Brown, former pastor of St. Sylvester Church in Woodsfield, Ohio, and by Mr. Paul Ditto, former volunteer at St. Sylvester Church in Woodsfield, Ohio. Both parties are deceased. The alleged abuse took place between the years of 1976 and 1978. Diocesan officials have already contacted and notified the local civil authorities of this fact.

If anyone has been abused by these persons or anyone else, please contact Msgr. Kurt Kemo, Vicar General of the Diocese of Steubenville, Ohio at (740) 282-3631.

Bishop R. Daniel Conlon of the Diocese asks for prayers for those who are victims of child abuse and for those who are perpetrators of child abuse, particularly in the Catholic Church. The Bishop also indicated that when allegations are made concerning child abuse they are dealt with in a straight-forward and compassionate manner, and that he is committed to full compliance with state law and church policy in regard to this matter.

August 11, 2006
http://web.archive.org/web/20070207150550/http://home.catholicweb.com/diosteub/index.cfm/NewsItem?id=176116 

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3.        Church Officials Urge Potential Abuse Victims to Come Forward

By Diana DeCola,  The Marietta Times [Ohio], August 17, 2006

http://www.mariettatimes.com/news/story/new88_817200681232.asp

Area Catholic officials are urging parishioners to come forward with information about any other potential abuses by a former Lowell pastor and a church volunteer at St. Sylvester Church in Woodsfield.

On Friday, the Diocese of Steubenville released information pertaining to the abuse of a minor child at St. Sylvester Church by Monsignor Robert Brown, former pastor of St. Sylvester Church in Woodsfield, and Paul Ditto, former volunteer at St. Sylvester Church. Brown had also served at Our Lady of Mercy in Lowell.

Officials at Our Lady of Mercy in Lowell declined to comment on the matter, but Father David Gaydosik, of St. Sylvester Church, said the parish is opening its arms to anyone else who may have experienced similar abuse or who may just be suffering from the shock of the news.

"We're dealing with it," Gaydosik said. "We've invited anyone else who's had this experience to come forward."

The diocese's release said they had credible allegations that Brown and Ditto abused a minor child between 1976 and 1978. Both men are now deceased.

Monsignor Gerald Calovini, spokesman for the diocese. said he didn't know if there was any connection between the activities of the two men, but said this is the first time an allegation has been made against them.

Brown had been a member of the diocese since its inception in 1944, Calovini said.

Brown also served at St. Anthony's in Bridgeport, St. Stanislaus in Maynard and at Our Lady of Mercy in Lowell. Brown is believed to have served at St. Sylvester Church from 1951 to 1991.

Monsignor Kurt Kemo, vicar general of the Diocese of Steubenville, is also encouraging anyone who has suffered abuse to come forward.

Calovini said the diocese already has notified local authorities, a standard procedure and a requirement of Ohio Revised Code.

The Woodsfield Police Department, as of Wednesday, said it did not receive a report from the diocese.

"I'm aware of this allegation but I do not have a report on file," said Woodsfield Police Chief Chuck Hamilton.

The Monroe County Prosecuting Attorney's office gave the same response, saying they received only a letter from the diocese with no detailed information about the case.

Wednesday, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests held a news conference in front of St. Sylvester Church urging Steubenville Bishop, R. Daniel Conlon, to visit the church and beg other potential victims to come forward.

They are also requesting the diocese release more information regarding the cases.

"He (Bishop Conlon) has not put on the Web site the names of past priests who have abused other people," said Marietta resident Helen Schoeppner, a member of SNAP. "We're hoping that will come about because some of the priests who've (been) abusers are still living."

In February 2004, a report issued by the Diocese of Steubenville found that there have been 17 sexual abuse claims in the diocese since 1950. A total of 13 priests have been accused and 11 of those accusations were substantiated.

ddecola@mariettatimes.com
 
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4.        Survivor Network Wants Church Apology

By Shelby Zarotney, WTOV NEWS9, August 16, 2006

http://www.wtov9.com/news/9694388/detail.html

A local advocacy group says the most appropriate action to take after the Steubenville Diocese confirms credible information in connection with a child abuse case at St. Sylvester's Catholic Church in Monroe County, would be for an apology in-person.

The organization, SNAP, which stands for The Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests, hand-delivered a multi-page letter to the Diocese of Steubenville, addressed to Bishop R. Daniel Conlon.

In the letter, Snap requests that Bishop Conlon personally go to the parishes where the credible accusations came from and apologize on behalf of the Catholic Church and make a public offer of assistance to anyone who witnessed, suspected or experienced abuse from the clergy.

This is in reponse to alleged abuse that took place in the late 70's.

The diocese named pastor Robert Brown and church volunteer Paul Ditto in their report.

According to local SNAP leader for the Diocese of Steubenville, Judy Jones says,

"SNAP is here for healing, education and preventing child abuse." And says, "I delivered (the letter) to Msgr. Calovini and I asked him to sign that he received the letter, he refused and would not sign it."

Monsignor Gerald Calovini of the Steubenville Diocese did offer this statement on behalf of the Diocese...

"Representatives of SNAP presented letters from victims to be delivered to the Bishop and they were.

Bishop Conlon continues to seek prayers for those who have been abused and those who have been the perpetrators of abuse, and he encourages anyone to contact Msgr. Kurt Kemo at the Diocese of Steubenville.

Judy Jones encourages anyone who has been victimized by the clergy to contact SNAP for help at 614-645-5915.

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