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Church in Crisis
Brother Francis Dominic

Louisville Courier-Journal
September 29, 2002

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

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

Dominic, whose birth name was Anthony Salomone, has been accused of sexual abuse in four lawsuits against the Archdiocese of Louisville. He was a brother in the Conventual Franciscans' Province of Our Lady of Consolation, based in Mount St. Francis, Ind., between 1969 and 1980. He then transferred to the Conventual Franciscans' Province of St. Bonaventure, based in Chicago, before leaving the order in 1989. The Franciscans say they do not know his current whereabouts.

OUR LADY OF CONSOLATION

PLAINTIFF: Scott Hagerman (could not be reached for interview)
AGE: 36
FILED SUIT: June 7
DEFENDANT: Archdiocese of Louisville
DATE AND LOCATION OF ALLEGED ABUSE: 1972 and 1973, Our Lady of Consolation
ACCUSATION: Unspecified abuse
DETAILS OF ALLEGATION: Plaintiff was about 6 or 7 years old at the time.


PLAINTIFF: Joseph R. Lopez
AGE: 39
ADDRESS: Jefferson County
OCCUPATION: Physical therapist
FILED SUIT: June 14
DEFENDANT: Archdiocese of Louisville
DATE AND LOCATION OF ALLEGED ABUSE: 1973 and 1974, Lopez's home
ACCUSATION: Fondling
DETAILS OF ALLEGATION: Lopez said he was about 10 when the abuse occurred. He said Dominic was a frequent houseguest and fondled him on at least three occasions. Sometimes Dominic had Lopez fondle him, Lopez said. His mother, Barbara Lopez, said she caught Dominic and told him never to return to the house.
WAS ANYONE TOLD? Barbara Lopez said she asked her son about the abuse and then wrote a letter to the archdiocese and the Franciscans. She said she did not receive a response to either letter.
IN THE PLAINTIFF'S WORDS: "I watched the bishops' conference on TV. . . . It was almost enough to send me through the roof when I heard (one Illinois bishop) say something to the extent . . . that they would have to 'rat out' their fellow priests under the new policy."


PLAINTIFF: Scott Lester Reed (could not be reached for interview)
AGE: 40
FILED SUIT: July 30
DEFENDANTS: Conventual Franciscans' Province of Our Lady of Consolation and Archdiocese of Louisville
DATE AND LOCATION OF ALLEGED ABUSE: 1972 and 1973, Our Lady of Consolation
ACCUSATION: Unspecified abuse
DETAILS OF ALLEGATION: Plaintiff was about 10 or 11 at the time.


PLAINTIFF: Frank Selent Jr.
AGE: 41
ADDRESS: Pleasure Ridge Park
OCCUPATION: Warehouseman
FILED SUIT: June 7
DEFENDANT: Archdiocese of Louisville
DATE AND LOCATION OF ALLEGED ABUSE: 1972 and 1973, sacristy or similar room at Our Lady of Consolation
ACCUSATION: Fondling, sexually inappropriate remarks
DETAILS: At about age 11 or 12, Selent said, Dominic put him on his lap, fondled him and asked sexually inappropriate questions.
WAS ANYONE TOLD? No
IN THE PLAINTIFF'S WORDS: "I didn't know how to tell about it. . . . I didn't know if I had done something wrong."
  
 
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