SNAP of Tennessee

Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests - Tennessee

Information that we have - Information you should have

 Edward J. McKeown  Frank T. Richards  William Kantner James W. Murphy Paul F. Haas
 Paul St. Charles  Richard Mickey  Juan Carlos Duran  Ron Dickman  Roger Lott

Frank T. Richards

Franklin T. Richards was assigned in Middle and East Tennessee during his priesthood and has multiple victims in both of these areas.  Frank Richards admitted in 1999 that he abused numerous young men because the statute of limitations had run on his crimes.  He has since recanted, but his many victims tell a different story. 

Richards does not have a lot of press coverage; he is usually put tied in with Edward J. McKeown whose crimes parallel Richards but who got caught with the statute of limitations. 

In essense, Richards is free because of the law, not because he doesn't have as many victims as McKeown.   Ironically, many of victims were abused by BOTH Richards and McKeown. 

 See the article by Dan Moffat in the Palm Beach Post.  It sums it up well what happens when statutes run out and people go unpunished. 
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Below are links to a number of articles which mention Richards.  There are very few articles that speak of him alone.  Because of his affiliation with McKeown, he has kept off the radar screen. 
The assignment record for Frank Richards can be found here.  It is obtained from public records in the Official Catholic Directory.  After 1985 when he left Knoxville Catholic High School under allegations of abuse, his record is unreliable. 
 
Most of the articles above are found in Word format by following this link to this file.   File of Richards Information.  Much Richards information can be found mixed in with Edward McKeown's information which can be found here.  The McKeown file is much larger than Richards. 

SNAP of Tennessee has traced Richards to Florida.  Is he still officially a priest?  Was he defrocked?  Was the church in Florida warned about Richards? 


Richard Mickey- Source of scandal to the faithful

See the Corruption Calendar.

Father Mickey was removed from ministry when his suit was filed.  Then Mickey was put back in ministry by Bishop Terry Steib and the Diocesan Review Board in the Memphis Diocese.  They did what we all fear.  They jumped ahead of the judicial system, had their own hearings, did not have the victims present.  This is a travesty.  

Does the church have positive knowledge that they have done the right thing in placing Father Mickey back at St. Mary's in Jackson?  No matter the answer to the question, there is one fact that remains true . . . the church made a point of saying that it would cooperate with the law.  Too bad they could not have waited for the U.S. legal system to do its work.  Would waiting to be sure that young people are not in danger have been too much to ask?

Assignment record for Richard Mickey.

Information given out in May 2005  Click here.
The diocese rushes to judgment and puts Richard Mickey back as pastor BEFORE the case goes to trial.  Click here.

Mention of Mickey in the Memphis Timeline of abuse cases.
Case filed against Mickey.  Memphis Commercial Appeal
Counselors dispatched to Jackson.  Memphis Commercial Appeal 08/18/04
Vicar of Diocese to take Mickey's place.  Memphis Commercial Appeal 08/24/04
Bishop Steib returns Mickey to ministry. Memphis Commercial Appeal 02/03/05 
Mickey returns to ministry at St. Mary's Jackson.  Jackson Sun 02/04/05
Diocese to return priests (speaks of Mickey and Kantner)  West Tennessee Catholic 02/03/05
Diocese celebrates the return of Mickey with celebration  West Tennessee Catholic 02/24/05
Mickey teaches Catholic Morality Classes   West Tennesee Catholic  05/26/05

Father Mickey Update

Critical information from public records available at Circuit Court Clerks office, Memphis Tennessee.

SNAP of Tennessee has researched what there is in the public record about the trial of Richard Mickey, priest of the diocese of Memphis.  Frankly, we are appalled that the diocesan review board would have allowed Bishop Terry Steib to reinstate Richard Mickey as pastor in active ministry.  We agree that this is not something that you would want your children to read. . . but if that is so, then why is the priest in question, Father Mickey, still in ministry?

NOTE:  The information given below is from a corroborating witness in the sex abuse trial against Father Mickey.  SNAP has said from the beginning, "Wait for the conclusion of the trial to make decisions about Mickey for the protection of young people."  Neither the review board nor the bishop listened.  The people did not listen.  We think you will be wanting some answers as to why the bishop and review board think the judgment of a court is not important, that they can live above the law, and that they have so little respect for the discovery process in a lawsuit.

QUESTIONS FOR THE BISHOP AND DIOCESAN REVIEW BOARD:

  • Why did you put young people in possible harm? 
  • Why not wait for the outcome of the civil suit against Father Mickey? 
  • Are you really justified in living above the law and possibly hurting more young people?
  • Is this the kind of oversight that the people of the diocese of Memphis deserve?
  • If you have allowed the harm of one more young person, are you willing to accept the responsibility?
FROM INFORMATION IN THE PUBLIC RECORD (what is here is a small fraction of the boxes and boxes of information):

PLEASE NOTE:  SNAP of Tennessee has repeatedly requested that the diocese remove Mickey until the conclusion of this lawsuit.  Here is the last communication with the diocese from December 16, 2006.  Click here and read.  Please note that Bishop Steib and the review board have never given us the courtesy of a response.

Will anyone join our voices to say that this is an outrage?

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Click here for Press Release 06/08/06

Father Richard Mickey was removed from ministry when his suit was filed.  Then Mickey was put back in ministry by Bishop Terry Steib and the Diocesan Review Board in the Memphis Diocese.  They did what we all fear.  They jumped ahead of the judicial system, had their own hearings, did not have the victims present.  This is a travesty.  See the How many days?

Does the church have positive knowledge that they have done the right thing in placing Father Mickey back at St. Mary's in Jackson?  No matter the answer to the question, there is one fact that remains true . . . the church made a point of saying that it would cooperate with the law.  Too bad they could not have waited for the U.S. legal system to do its work.  Would waiting to be sure that young people are not in danger have been too much to ask?

Assignment record for Richard Mickey.

Information given out in May 2005  Click here.
The diocese rushes to judgment and puts Richard Mickey back as pastor BEFORE the case goes to trial.  Click here.

Mention of Mickey in the Memphis Timeline of abuse cases.
Case filed against Mickey.  Memphis Commercial Appeal
Counselors dispatched to Jackson.  Memphis Commercial Appeal 08/18/04
Vicar of Diocese to take Mickey's place.  Memphis Commercial Appeal 08/24/04
Bishop Steib returns Mickey to ministry. Memphis Commercial Appeal 02/03/05 
Mickey returns to ministry at St. Mary's Jackson.  Jackson Sun 02/04/05
Diocese to return priests (speaks of Mickey and Kantner)  West Tennessee Catholic 02/03/05
Diocese celebrates the return of Mickey with celebration  West Tennessee Catholic 02/24/05
Mickey teaches Catholic Morality Classes   West Tennesee Catholic  05/26/05

Edward J. McKeown

File of McKeown Information. 
I am trying to find the time to separate this information into segments. Until that time if you want to download a file that is 586 KB, please feel free to click here or above.
Thanks for your patience. Article about Richards and McKeown (Behind the bar and behind bars) in the Palm Beach Post

Roger Lott

Mike Coode was sexually molested by Father Roger Lott.  Mike's story that appeared in the Nashville Scene in June 2002 can be read by clicking here. 
Mike Coode is now the Nashville Chapter Coordinator of SNAP of Tennessee.  Mike has known another priest for most of his life; that priest is being defrocked because of allegations of sexual molestation.  The diocese of Memphis found the allegations against Paul St. Charles to be credible, and the review board of the Memphis Diocese recommended defrocking.  Mike sent a letter to Paul St. Charles to address some issues with St. Charles.  Click here to read Mike's letter to St. Charles. 

Paul F. Haas

Information to be posted.

William Kantner

William Kantner - Returned to ministry at St. Peter Villa. West Tennessee Catholic Newspaper:   When did the allegation of abuse come to the knowledge of the diocese of Memphis?  When did they remove him from ministry?  Were the people notified of the allegation and pending decision by the diocesan review board?  Will you be shocked if the answers to these questions show a disregard for the safety of the people of St. Peter Villa, St. Peter Manor, Target House and Memphis Catholic High School?

James W. Murphy

Tennessee priest implicated with Janssen! Four survivors/victims give their stories in documents from trial in Iowa.  James W. Murphy, who has served across the entire state of Tennessee, is a retired priest of the Memphis Diocese. 

Murphy is pictured on the left with William Janssen (Murphy in black on the left; Janssen on the right).  A former priest, Janssen has been ordered to pay $1.86 million in case settled in Iowa on Monday, May 10, 2005.Click here for the story.  Another link to this story may be found here

The staff of BishopAccountability.org has a complete service history and complete documentation from the Iowa trial.  Click here for the information.

If you are overwhelmed with all the information from the Iowa trial,click here for bits and pieces from the documents from the Iowa trial that pertain specifically to Murphy.  Read the account provided to SNAP of Tennessee by one of the victims of Murphy and Janssen, Mike Hitch.   

The picture on the left was taken during the 1967 trip to Florida mentioned in documents found in their entirety at this link on BishopAccountability.org.  Two teen boys pictures were cropped from this picture taken in the Smoky Mountains.  Note that Murphy was stationed at Our Lady of Fatima in Alcoa during this time frame.  See full information at www.bishop-accountability.com 

Paul St. Charles

Letter from Mike Coode to Paul St. Charles.

Ron Dickman

Information to be posted here.

Juan Carlos Duran

 Ex-priest wanted in Memphis case - Memphis Commercial Appeal 09/25/04

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