Lynn to Reside at St. Williams

Click here to read: “Lynn returns to court, hears bail conditions,” by Allison Steele, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Jan. 6, 2014

Excerpt: Last week, the Archdiocese of Philadelphia posted the $25,000 necessary to secure Lynn’s bail while the appeal proceeds. His lawyer, Thomas A. Bergstrom, said Lynn will live at the rectory of St. William, a parish in Northeast Philadelphia.

Last week, the Archdiocese of Philadelphia posted the $25,000 necessary to secure Lynn’s bail while the appeal proceeds. His lawyer, Thomas A. Bergstrom, said Lynn will live at the rectory of St. William, a parish in Northeast Philadelphia.
Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/news/breaking/20140107_Lynn_returns_to_court__hears_bail_conditions.html#QGG8yW6V6buSZecG.99
Last week, the Archdiocese of Philadelphia posted the $25,000 necessary to secure Lynn’s bail while the appeal proceeds. His lawyer, Thomas A. Bergstrom, said Lynn will live at the rectory of St. William, a parish in Northeast Philadelphia.
Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/news/breaking/20140107_Lynn_returns_to_court__hears_bail_conditions.html#QGG8yW6V6buSZecG.99
Last week, the Archdiocese of Philadelphia posted the $25,000 necessary to secure Lynn’s bail while the appeal proceeds. His lawyer, Thomas A. Bergstrom, said Lynn will live at the rectory of St. William, a parish in Northeast Philadelphia.
Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/news/breaking/20140107_Lynn_returns_to_court__hears_bail_conditions.html#QGG8yW6V6buSZecG.99

Last week, the Archdiocese of Philadelphia posted the $25,000 necessary to secure Lynn’s bail while the appeal proceeds. His lawyer, Thomas A. Bergstrom, said Lynn will live at the rectory of St. William, a parish in Northeast Philadelphia.
Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/news/breaking/20140107_Lynn_returns_to_court__hears_bail_conditions.html#QGG8yW6V6buSZecG.99
Last week, the Archdiocese of Philadelphia posted the $25,000 necessary to secure Lynn’s bail while the appeal proceeds. His lawyer, Thomas A. Bergstrom, said Lynn will live at the rectory of St. William, a parish in Northeast Philadelphia.
Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/news/breaking/20140107_Lynn_returns_to_court__hears_bail_conditions.html#QGG8yW6V6buSZecG.99

Last week, the Archdiocese of Philadelphia posted the $25,000 necessary to secure Lynn’s bail while the appeal proceeds. His lawyer, Thomas A. Bergstrom, said Lynn will live at the rectory of St. William, a parish in Northeast Philadelphia.
Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/news/breaking/20140107_Lynn_returns_to_court__hears_bail_conditions.html#QGG8yW6V6buSZecG.99

41 thoughts on “Lynn to Reside at St. Williams

    1. what message is that? All i see is a cold-hearted and vindictive b***h who is trying to save her career.

      Her terms while harsh still provide improved living conditions and safety then what the msgr. had the last 18 months. And do not forget closer to his family and friends. Now with just this short list did she really send a message?

      1. BL we don’t allow profanity on the site..even with ***… We get it..Msgr Lynn did absolutely nothing wrong in your perspective..he is being persecuted by an anti catholic vindictive lynch mob of politicians out for themselves and a jury that was stupid.
        He stayed in a job for 12 years where he could have been a hero but instead did zero to help protect children but your issue is with everyone else involved in this scenario..we get it. If your child was at one of the parishes that an abusive priest was hidden, you would still think Lynn did nothing wrong?

        1. it’s a legal issue here, that is what all of you fail to realize. He was the middle man, did he as a human being have a responsibility to care for the well being of children – yes he did. your witch hunt and burn lynn at the stake mentality fails to realize that he was convicted of a crime that did not apply to him. Will it eat at him that he did not do more to protect children and use his best judgement – that is for the msgr and only him to decide.

          what purpose or improvement or you going to bring to the church if all you do is bash a man whole freedom was just given back to him? i see no other focus except lynn and your personal feelings against him.

          1. I don’t think I fail to realize that it is a legal issue and if you read my comments you will see that I have followed the EWOC charge since the beginning and have posted information and explanation of the law. You ask if he had the responsibility to care for the well being of children and then answer your own question that he did.
            You feel that the DA had a responsibility in this case that he did not follow and you are angry and bashing him..bashing the jury etc. Bashing anyone in your anger. Because you feel that they were wrong. I feel Lynn was wrong and his being wrong put children at risk..as a parent I can’t think of anything better to be angry about and will remain angry until children are better protected.
            You may think this is a site devoted to Msgr Lynn..if you scroll through the site you will see that is not the case. Msgr Lynn has been in the news recently..in November we focused on Fr Paul being allowed to stay at a rectory while being investigated..we post according to what is going on in the news.

          2. So using your logic BL – you support a woman’s right to an abortion because is is legal.

          1. BL read this..Joe B take a look also. There are many people involved..it seems like half the archdiocese at some point is reporting Sicoli and look what happens when Msgr Lynn comes on the scene..he has all the info as does of course Bevilaqua who should have been indicted also. Take some time to read this whole account especially pages 212-to the end where Lynn is involved. This now ex priest lives across the street from a park in Sea Isle City..did they do enough..no …can I be angry about that..you bet. You guys just go around being angry at a jury..a judge..a DA but never would express anger at the depravity of this. http://www.bishop-accountability.org/reports/2005_09_21_Philly_GrandJury/Philly_05_07_Sicoli.pdf

          2. funny thing Joe..I may allow a man who was raped to curse once in awhile in the comment section..you won’t even give them a space to vent Joe..you won’t even give them that. You are like a constant tease to people who are trying to heal..like picking at a scab. What does that do for you? How does that make you feel better. You are like this moral compass who swoops down to condemn any hypocrisy you might see but when the depravity of crimes against children is staring you in the face and you refuse to see it. I loved your analogy about the felony for poisoning a dog vs abortion..if anything it points out the ridiculous laws in Pa..I responded to your comment but of course you did not answer. You never answer. I hope you had a nice Christmas eve talk again with Avery this year..the only grandfather I know who spends his time talking to admitted abusers.

          3. Joe: You have a very strange idea of what is truly profane. To sexually abuse a child is not profane in your book. To move those priests who abuse children from parish to parish and tell nobody about what they have been accused of previously is not profane. But if Rich makes use of some choice four letter words , that is profane. Joe, I am going to tell you a story about a priest you and I both knew from our days at Bishop McDevitt. In High school, I used to caddy at Huntingdon Valley Country Club. This is a rather posh country club ,but back then they allowed members of the clergy to become members at reduced rates. In the summertime, Father Steffe and Father McDevitt [this was not the same Mcdevitt who abused Rich and many others.] This was Charles McDevitt, Anyway they played golf there. Over the course of several years, I caddied for these two priests many times.Father Steffe was a decent golfer but Father McDevitt was pretty bad. I can say this now because Father McDevitt made me promise not to tell any of my fellow students about his golf game or the language he used after making a bad shot.As a teenager, I heard and used every profanity known to man. It was no big deal to me. But to hear it coming from a priest did wonders for my soul. This was a priest that I could relate to in many ways.He was so down to earth in many ways, his swearing was just one way. The one thing, I knew about Father Mcdevitt was he wouldn’t have hurt me in any way. In school, he made several attempts to get me to open up to him. He sensed that I had some big problems. He didn’t know what those problems were[that I had been abused by one of his brothers in Christ].But I was not ready then. I couldn’t trust him or any other hunan at that time in my life. But Charles McDeviit certainly tried, profanity and all.

    1. Hello Jim,

      It’s really immaterial to me who uses profanity to express a point. Rich justifiably used it to show the depth of his feelings, and I respect that. I guess I was reacting to Kathy’s comment that no profanity was allowed on this blog when another poster made a recent comment about a judge’s apparent motives. In retrospect, I regret my flippant comment.

      I want you to know that I do find sexual abuse of a child – at whomever’s hands – to be a reprehensible act. Like many others, I was ‘shocked to my socks’ when I read the first Grand Jury Report. I had studied with these fellows for 5 years and could never – in my wildest imagination – envision anything like this ever happening. I still have a hard time with it. I can only assume that those accused of these abuses must have let their prayer life down somehow……….

      Like yourself, I was also a caddy back in 1960. I caddied at the Oak Terrace Country Club the summer before I entered Saint Charles. One day I caddied for one of the Shellenbergers (manufactured candy), and the next day I caddied for 4 priests whose language was sometimes ‘colorful’ which seemed kinda’ odd to me at 15. Work hard, play hard, I guess.

      Yes, I knew Father McDevitt, but not that well. I asked him one time if he was related to Bishop McDevitt, and he told me (tongue in cheek) that he was his father. I remember quite well how he could dish out the discipline along with Father Steffe. Father Horner (and his yardstick ‘Oscar’) deserves ‘honorable mention’ – at least in my book.

      It’s truly unfortunate that you were unable to make a connection with Father McDevitt at the level where you could share your violation with him. In spite of what some of the other C4C bloggers might say, I’m convinced that Father McDevitt would have believed you and would really have tried to make things right for you. He was that kind of a ‘take charge’, no bullshit (whoops!) priest.

      Jim, as this will be my last C4C post, I just wanted to wish you the very best in this New Year. I hope that you will find the contentment and peace of mind to which you’ve long been entitled, as you and your family members most certainly deserve it.

      I’d like to end this post with a profanity, but can’t think of a good one!

      God Bless!

      1. I would have no problem believing that Fr McDevitt would have helped Jim..I know a few Fr McDevitt types myself.

  1. I am just picturing the parents who have to answer the questions to their kids as to why the parish is in the news..the kids in CYO..PREP,Boy Scouts,Girl Scouts,altar servers,the children who attend mass at St Williams. Can you imagine that conversation? “We have a new priest in residence but he is under house arrest”.
    Does anyone for a minute think of the kids in these situations?
    In November we had the case of Fr Paul living in a parish rectory for a full year while being investigated for child sex abuse..now Msgr Lynn living at a parish wearing an electronic bracelet. Maybe the line ‘there is no room at the Inn” would apply in these situations

    1. There’s some pretty grim predictions on the site of Our Lady of the Roses:
      Woe, woe, woe to the man who defiles the young, better he had died in his mothers womb [spoken by Jesus June 18 1976].
      It must be still current as it hasn’t been removed…..yet.

      1. Oh, I got it a little wrong, I needed to add the pastors. Our Lady said on the 18th of March 1983: “They shall burn in an eternity of hell for their deception”.
        Sounds all very dastard for them and I doubt if they would like to hear that especially coming from The Mother of God…..

      1. Isn’t the seminary half empty? I can think of many places where it would not effect the people or kids of a parish

        1. I believe the bail conditions require he live in the city. That rules out the Villa and the Seminary. (Not saying St. William is necessarily the best location though).

  2. “Disgusting” is just not a strong enough word to describe what the Philadelphia AD and the pew sheep they dictate to have allowed to take place. Why would anyone want to be affiliated with an institution that has condoned the abuse of children and continues to support, directly and or indirectly the perpetrators of these crimes? Anyone who continues to financial support the Philadelphia AD and or the parishes must be having that Catholic guilt syndrome. Once again, what has really changed in the last four years other than a bunch of properties being sold, churches closing and Catholic Education has been outsourced to a third party which might be a good thing. I am a card caring Christian who is just plain disgusted with the Catholic Church and its pew sheep….

  3. BL, you are wrong. In your eyes it’s a legal issue. To the people here, it is an unfathomable moral disconnect Lynn made to chose obedience over right and wrong/his own conscience and the lives of innocent children. As entitled to your opinion as you may be, I really don’t see how you can defend the moral issue here. Fine, you and other Lynn supporters won. He’s off on legal technicality. It still doesn’t make what he did right. It doesn’t exemplify what the people of this page, want to see demonstrated in their Catholic leaders. All very reasonable. Take your hate and join your own group of Lynn supporters. Should be plenty of die hards from St. Joe’s like yourself. You may even be one of them. One of them who had no problem telling the children of that Parish/school that Lynn himself was a victim. I am from that parish, but not on the same side of the fence you are on. I am angry at his decisions, I am angry it was brought to the door of my parish and the school my children attended, and I am angry at the way he was defended there. What this experience has done to me and my faith has been life changing. But no where near the pain and suffering caused by those who have been abused and the pain of his actions to cover it up has caused. Remember the real issues, the abused and permanently ruined lives and Lynns contribution to them.

    1. Dee, Your words touched my heart. You have a heart of grace. Thank you for putting so beautiful how you care so for the victims. You bring some healing to those of us who hurt so. Thank you!

  4. Dee..I look at this way. You can look at the law and be horrified that it did not cover Lynn or look at the law and be pleased it did not cover..what category do you put BL and Joe B? I have had countless conversations with people about the law and Lynn’s overturned conviction and all that understand that the law may not have supported the conviction are horrified by the inadequacies of the past laws . I can talk to anyone 24/7 who supports that the law was inadequate for prosecution and is horrified for the ramifications of all that in regards to children. I will never understand the adults and parents who are pleased by that.

    1. The pew sheep have to be right otherwise everything the believe would be a lie. Legally Lynn clear. Morally he is so wrong.

      1. Right so now we will see a new movement among the laity to defend people who are legally protected but morally wrong..oh wait no we won’t …just for a situation like this.

        1. Use your imagination (American President) –

          Lewis Rothschild: You have a deeper love of this country than any man I’ve ever known. And I want to know what it says to you that in the past seven weeks, 59% of Americans have begun to question your patriotism.

          President Andrew Shepherd: Look, if the people want to listen to-…

          Lewis Rothschild: They don’t have a choice! Bob Rumson is the only one doing the talking! People want leadership, Mr. President, and in the absence of genuine leadership, they’ll listen to anyone who steps up to the microphone. They want leadership. They’re so thirsty for it they’ll crawl through the desert toward a mirage, and when they discover there’s no water, they’ll drink the sand.

          President Andrew Shepherd: Lewis, we’ve had presidents who were beloved, who couldn’t find a coherent sentence with two hands and a flashlight. People don’t drink the sand because they’re thirsty. They drink the sand because they don’t know the difference.

  5. But BL and Joe B are in the same class as people who condemn victims for taking years to report abuse and want it reduced to 60 days (aka Catholic League cheerleaders). Don’t try and solve the problem – let’s put the victims on trial. My hope here – gee, what a funny term to use in this situation – is the latest AOP bungle – the Fr. Paul incident – will once again prove that things remain the same at 222. My gut feeling is this is a BIG one they messed up!

  6. http://www.themediareport.com/2013/06/10/fr-james-greenfield-oblates-fr-charles-engelhardt/

    Thank you Michael & Dennis – that first comment is a real kicker if you know the history of Pennsylvania and Delaware with the Oblates – at the very least sins of omissions. Sorry net and keyboard are acting up so I will reserve comment – .

    Legal buddies – know about legal and the need of representing defendants but is this part of a defense? Are you fighting for our children or are you in denial as so many in the above blog from media report.

    http://www.rgsglaw.com/Articles/Pennsylvania-Toughens-Up-on-Sex-Offenses.shtml

  7. Assigning Msgr. Lynn to St. William’s PARISH with families and children……….

    I thought the archbishop and his fellow leaders were trying to get away from that

    “DEEPLY FLAWED THINKING AND ACTIONS”

  8. I read a post from a victim not that long ago. She said that Lynn told her she was an “empty well”. After seeing Lynn on tv last night, I have to say “who looks like the empty well”? His words came back to get him. God bless and protect every victim and I pray they can keep their heads held high as God shines the light little by little on every evil act done in dark secret. The pot continue to get stirred and the archdiocese HATES it. May the victims see past what is happening and trust that God is CLEANING HOUSE…..AND ALL THE RATS ARE RUNNING SCARED!!!!

  9. From the AOP Facebook page –
    Archdiocese of Philadelphia via ArchPhila Superintendent
    Sharing information with you via the Superintendents’ Facebook page on a Conwell-Egan high school family left homeless after a devastating fire last Friday.

    To learn more about how the community is helping the family of 10 you can visit the link below.

    Please keep this family in your prayers.

    Gee – do you think a donation from the Archdiocese, lets say in the amount of $25,000 might help this family out?

  10. I just caught a segment of the Katie Couric show and an interview with Megan Kanka’s parents. Megan is the child who was abducted and murdered by a neighbor who was a convicted sex offender..because of the work of her family ,our children are safer now with the existence of Megan’s Law which identifies sex offenders living in communities. This law did not exist before so when this tragedy happened rather than people argue over a law not existing, they made it happen..and whose idea was this law?..Megan’s grandfathers. That is the type of men I am used to being around..men who do something to protect children.

    1. Is this true in Pennsylvania? Have the laws caught up to the Federal request to have uniform reporting? How can we protect kids from the priests released by the church protected by Lynn and others – are they willing to release that info? Are the religious groups willing to list the offenders that taught and ministered in this(Pennsylvania) area ie the embezzler, the North Carolinian the person accused while in central pa of abuse that happened in Philly? How many still think they were the only victim ?

      I have noticed the longer reporting times for offenders on the sex offenders list, but there is plenty to be done. Put the link of one (Superior) who received credible evidence of abuse by a student according to bishop accountability while he taught a school mentioned by Michael. – the site(media report) as usual has too much victim bashing and little discussion The other link describes how our laws in Pennsylvania are too harsh. Would quote, but can’t violate copyright laws – all rights reserved for their material.

  11. egunn300g
    It is my understanding that a priest removed from ministry who has not been convicted in the courts of a crime is free to live anywhere they want without any registry( ex.Meghan’s Law) for sexual abuse. So, the church sets free the removed and accused sexual violators of children into the community to live on your street and mine. So, a priest who may have 20 complaints of abuse and no convictions (because of the SOL) can and may continue to violate children in their new community. They are not legally sex offenders. This is one way the church continues to place children in harms way, so in fact, they do not do all they can to protect children.

    1. Victim’s sister

      Yes, that is why it is important to try to get guilty priests convicted under charges that carry reporting as part of the sentencing. There is a case pending that the legal representative of one of our state caucuses assured me if it goes to trial and we get a conviction that the charges will stick and the sex offender registry should apply. We will see if that happens or did they line out that part. The defense lawyers have argued otherwise in court. Why any case isn’t over till the last appeal

      The one Priest from North Carolina is registered in the state he resides(under probation), while the other never went to trial so he isn’t required. Both are not on any lists under the A of P and both abused in Philly. There are strict agreements when using the sex offender’s list – when my kids are younger I had a few good ones, now I use the fact I am helping friends looking for an apartment – which is true – don’t want them having their grandchildren visiting them and finding a sex offender next door.

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