Church in Crisis
Rev. Thomas P. Casper / Rev. Linus T. Giesler

Louisville Courier-Journal
September 29, 2002

http://www.courier-journal.com/cjextra/2002projects/priestabuse/stories/giesler_cathedral.html

[See the main page of this special section on the Church in Crisis.]

Casper and Giesler, both deceased, are accused of abuse by the same plaintiff in one lawsuit. Casper was ordained in 1956 and was based off and on at the Cathedral of the Assumption between 1958 and 1981. He was superintendent of Catholic schools from 1967 to 1974 and personnel director for Louisville police from 1974 to 1982. He then served at Holy Spirit from 1982 to 1986 and St. Rita from 1987 until his death in 1991 at age 61. Giesler [see photo] was ordained in 1941, served as pastor of the cathedral from 1954 to 1966, as pastor of St. Joseph Church in Bardstown from 1967 to 1980 and as chaplain of the Nazareth Motherhouse from 1980 to 1993. He died in 1999 at age 84.

PLAINTIFF: John C. Mills
AGE: 48
ADDRESS: New Albany
OCCUPATION: Irrigation services
FILED SUIT: June 26
DEFENDANT: Archdiocese of Louisville
DATE AND LOCATION OF ALLEGED ABUSE: 1961-1965, Cathedral of the Assumption rectory
ACCUSATION: Fondling, oral sodomy
DETAILS OF THE ALLEGATION: Mills said Casper made him perform oral sex. Mills also said a housekeeper (not named in the lawsuit) had him take naps with Giesler, who then fondled him. Mills said the abuse occurred when he was 7 to 11 years old.
WAS ANYONE TOLD? Mills said he told his grandmother, who was raising him and is now deceased. She sent him to live elsewhere, he said.
IN THE PLAINTIFF'S WORDS: "I guess what I needed to do was come forward with it because of the guilt, shame and remorse I felt. I felt like I was the guilty party."