Guam is predominantly Catholic and because of the high regard and respect for its priests and the Archdiocese of Agana, alleged sexual abuses by priests are a well-kept secret, only whispered around, but never actually reported, said one victim who has yet to come out and name his abuser.
Records and copies of e-mail exchanges obtained by Variety revealed details of abuses, confessions made by priests based on Guam, as well as settlements made off-island.
At least two priests based on Guam have been identified.
In letters and an email dating back to 2008, a victim who does not wish to be identified named his alleged abuser while he was a seminarian at St. Mary’s Seminary, in Glenclyffe, New York, from the fall of 1961 until June of 1966.
The priest implicated was Fr. Randy Nowak, a Capuchin, who is residing in Agat.
The Archdiocese of Agana could not be reached for comment.
Joelle Casteix, the southwest regional director of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, said although Nowak has never been convicted, the public still needs to be warned.
She believes Nowak must be removed from the ministry.
Casteix is on Guam and will be holding two confidential support meetings for victims of sexual abuse, their supporters and concerned members of the community.
Casteix said she hopes to start a support network on Guam where survivors are empowered to help themselves.
Another priest who faced sex abuse accusations was Fr. Andrew “Andy” Mannetta, a former pastor of Piti parish.
Mannetta came to Guam in 1980 as a seminarian. Guam was his first assignment after he was ordained into the priesthood in May 1983.
He later served as pastor in the villages of Chalan Pago, Piti and Mangilao. Mannetta served as a priest on Guam for six years. In 1993, he moved to Oahu.
In January 2007, the Catholic Diocese of Honolulu reached an out-of-court settlement with Elton Killion, to avoid a criminal sex abuse trial.
Killion accused Mannetta, who was then a former pastor of St. Elizabeth Church in Aiea, of sexually abusing him from 1997 to 2001.
At the time, Killion was a minor. The church paid out $375,000.
//
