“Father Jack Niland is 12th Guam priest accused in latest sex abuse lawsuit” & related article

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Pacific Daily News

Published 7:13 p.m. ChT May 22, 2017 | Updated 7:33 p.m. ChT May 22, 2017

Former Agat altar boy Walter Denton, who has accused Archbishop Anthony Apuron of raping him when he was a child, has said he told another priest — Father Jack Niland — about the rape at the time, but said Niland’s response was that “priesthood is a very lonely life.”

Niland, who died in 2009, is now accused of molesting Francis Charfauros, now 49. Charfauros, who said Niland was supposed to train him to be a priest, filed a lawsuit Monday in the U.S. District Court of Guam, suing the church for $5 million.

Father John “Jack” Niland is now the 12th Guam priest accused accused of sexually abusing children decades ago.

Charfauros, who now lives in Arizona, alleged in his complaint that Niland sexually abused him in 1982, when he was around 14, during a sleepover at the Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church rectory in Agat.

Charfauros, represented by attorney David Lujan, is the 67th person to file a Guam clergy sex abuse lawsuit in local and federal courts after the statute of limitations was lifted late last year.

“Francis tried to get up but Niland held Francis down. Francis was disturbed, confused and terrified,” the complaint states. “After Niland was done sexually abusing Francis, Francis left the rectory and went home. Francis ceased residing at the rectory with Niland and no longer had any interest in the priesthood.”

Former altar boy Denton, in a libel suit filed against Apuron last year, included a letter he sent to Archbishop Martin Krebs in 2015, describing a conversation Denton and another altar boy had with Niland in the 1970s.

“We told Father Jack Niland that Father Anthony Apuron had raped us in the rectory. We asked him why. The sad response we got from Father Jack Niland was, ‘Well boys, priesthood is a very lonely life,'” Denton stated in his letter to Krebs.

Niland died in August 2009 at age 59, the lawsuit states.

Named as defendants in the case are the Archdiocese of Agana, the Capuchin Franciscans and the Capuchins Franciscans Province of Saint Mary.

Niland became a Capuchin in 1967 and was ordained as a Catholic priest in 1976, the lawsuit states. His first assignment on Guam was under Apuron in Agat.

The lawsuit states Charfauros wanted to become a priest, so he consulted with Niland, who promised him a full scholarship to attend Father Duenas Memorial School, a minor seminary that teaches young men to become priests.

The lawsuit states Niland suggested Charfauros live with Niland at the Agat rectory since it’s closer to school and it would be more convenient for him to assist the priest at the parish.

Reporter Haidee Eugenio covers Guam’s Catholic church issues, education and more. Follow her on Twitter @haidee_eugenio. Follow Pacific Daily News on Facebook/GuamPDN and Instagram @guampdn.

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New priest named in sexual abuse lawsuit

The Guam Daily Post

May 22, 2017 Updated

Mindy Aguon

A 14-year-old altar boy who aspired to be a priest in the early 1980s is the latest victim to come forward alleging sexual abuse by a member of the clergy.

Francis Charfauros, who now resides in Arizona, filed a lawsuit in the District Court of Guam against the Archdiocese of Agana and the Capuchin Franciscans accusing the late Father John “Jack” Niland of sexually abusing and molesting him when he was a young boy.

The civil complaint, filed by Charfauros’ attorney David Lujan, alleges the abuse happened when Niland was assigned to Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church in Agat under then-Father Anthony Apuron.

Niland became a Capuchin in 1967 and was ordained as a Catholic priest in 1976, court documents state.

In 1982, Charfauros aspired to become a priest and consulted with Father Niland, who advised him on how to become a priest. Niland proposed that Charfauros work for him at the Agat parish and agreed to pay him on a weekly basis and promised him a full scholarship to attend Father Duenas Memorial School, the complaint states.

The boy’s parents gave permission for him to work at the Agat parish and Charfauros became responsible for making preparations for Mass.

Later that year, Niland suggested that Charfauros live at the Agat rectory since it was closer to school and it would be more convenient for the boy to help around the church. Charfauros said he was “excited and eager” to learn first-hand about the priesthood and live at the rectory to learn the “ways of being a priest.”

Claims of sex abuse, molestation

Charfauros alleges during the time in which he lived with Niland, he was sexually abused and molested. On one occasion the boy awoke to the priest sexually abusing him. The complaint states he tried to get up but the priest allegedly held him down leaving him “disturbed, confused and terrified.”

The boy left the rectory and went home and no longer had any interest in the priesthood, the lawsuit states.

Niland died in 2011 at the age of 59.

The complaint accuses the archdicoese and the Capuchins of negligently continuing to retain Niland in service as a Capuchin priest, which enabled him to continue engaging in sexually abusive and predatory behavior.

The suit seeks a minimum of $5 million in damages.

According to capuchin.org, Niland served on Guam for 23 years from 1976 to 1999, and served in Agat and Our Lady of Guadalupe in Santa Rita and San Luis Bautista in Ordot. He then served in Hawaii as the pastor of Our Lady of Good Counsel in Pearl City from 1998 to 2008.

1 Response to “Father Jack Niland is 12th Guam priest accused in latest sex abuse lawsuit” & related article

  1. Sylvia says:

    An update on Guam. Imagine! 12 priests now accused in that small US island territory – population around 170,000.

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