Claims of abuse followed priest for years

In ’04, bishop found Emerson allegations serious enough to contact Ratzinger

The Rev. Dale Melczek, then-bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Gary, knew there was a problem with the Rev. Richard Emerson.

Melczek, who came to the diocese in 1992 and has since retired, found allegations of sexual misconduct serious enough that he sent a letter in 2004 to Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, who later became Pope Benedict XVI, about Emerson and sought Vatican permission to have him removed from the priesthood.

“Since my arrival in the diocese in 1992, on a number of occasions priests and lay people have expressed their concerns to me about Father Emerson taking on

several occasions, boys who were minors on outings or vacations with himself and also about his having them stay in the rectory,” Melczek wrote in the letter to Ratzinger.

Emerson had returned to the Diocese of Gary from Florida in 1992, the same time that Melczek arrived from Detroit. Prior allegations of misconduct had followed Emerson from the Sunshine State, but public records and testimony showed that while questions remained, the diocese did little to reprimand the priest for nearly a decade.

Late last month, the Diocese of Gary released a list of priests who had worked in Northwest Indiana churches and been disciplined after reports of abuse, after a Pennsylvania grand jury published documents that detailed abuse by priests and how the church moved them around and covered up the reports. The Diocese of Gary said it had four credible accusations of sexual abuse against Emerson.

“The crimes and sins of priest perpetrators and the bishops who covered up their wrongdoing continue to cast horrible shadows of pain, suffering and distrust both in the lives which have been shattered by the abuse as well as all members in the church,” Bishop Donald Hying said in an August statement. “We pray that this painful process of shedding light on these horrible crimes will produce greater accountability, transparency and vigilance in all levels of the church.”

Public records show that Emerson, 66, lives in Nevada. The Post-Tribune was unable to contact him for comment.

Emerson, in civil court proceedings, maintained he was innocent and did not abuse any boys, according to court documents, and he was not charged criminally.

Of the four civil lawsuits filed against him, one was in Lake County, and three were in Florida. The Lake County case was settled, records show. In Florida, the three cases were resolved by parties agreeing to joint dismissals, according to documents.

Emerson first worked for the Diocese of Gary at Hoosier Boys Town (now Campagna Academy) in Schererville from 1983 to 1987; transferred to Orlando, Fla., where he worked in several parishes until 1992; then returned to Indiana, working in East Chicago, LaPorte, Munster and Michigan City.

The first alert about Emerson’s conduct came from a bishop in Orlando, and he was told to return to Indiana, according to court documents.

Orlando Bishop Norbert Dorsey wrote to Bishop Norbert Gaughan, then-bishop of the Gary Diocese, saying it was “necessary to ask Father Emerson to return to his home diocese.”

Emerson was “giving inappropriate attention to two teen sons of a particular family, especially the 15-yearold,” Dorsey wrote in the letter. Dorsey said Emerson had been spoken to about the relationship, according to court documents.

Melczek said during a deposition in a 2009 Florida civil case that he didn’t have a sense Emerson was sent back to the Diocese of Gary because of improper conduct.

“I had no sense that there was a problem of — sexually with Father Emerson nor does this letter say there was a problem sexually,” Melczek said in a deposition. “It says inappropriate attention, which puts up a red flag in my mind that he was giving too much attention to the two sons of a particular family and something should be done about that.”

While assigned to Assumption Church in East Chicago, and later at St. Thomas More in Munster, Emerson invited young men to stay with him in the rectory, according to court documents.

When that conduct came to Melzcek’s attention, he warned Emerson that it was improper, according to court documents. Melczek said he was unaware that young men continued staying in the rectory overnight.

At St. Thomas More, a young man allegedly was abused by Emerson during a trip, according to court documents filed in 2008.

A student and parishioner at St. Thomas More identified as John Doe said, in court filings that he was sexually abused by Emerson and that diocese officials knew of past incidents of improper conduct.

By the time that lawsuit was filed in Lake County, several others had been filed in Orange County, Fla., that made allegations of abuse by Emerson.

“On December 9, 2004, entirely unsolicited, three women from Father Emerson’s prior assignment at St. Thomas More Parish in Munster, Indiana, came forward to express concerns about Father Emerson’s conduct with male youth,” Melczek wrote to Ratzinger.

Melczek said the accusations from a young man in Florida appeared credible in light of other comments.

Debbie Bosak, director of communications for the Diocese of Gary, said if the church receives a report of potential abuse, a review board is called in to look at the incident.

For an accusation to be seen as credible, there must be some kind of basis, Bosak said.

The Diocese of Gary said “‘credible’ is defined as when there is reason to believe that an allegation has merit, there is sufficient evidence that sexual abuse of a minor may have occurred, and the complaint is judged not to be manifestly frivolous or false.”

If a case is found to be credible, the review board alerts authorities, Bosak said.

“The police are always called,” Bosak said.

The review board can determine whether an allegation is credible but can’t say whether something is criminal, Bosak said.

The Diocese of Gary on April 12, 2005, sent a letter to the Munster Police Department saying allegations had been made against Emerson.

Emerson was laicized July 30, 2006.

Melczek said it wasn’t until the complaints in the early 2000s that he had reason to investigate Emerson.

“I never received a single complaint of sexual misconduct against Father Emerson until this year of 2004,” Melczek said during a deposition. “I received many commendations regarding him and no complaints about sexual misconduct.”

List of priests named by Diocese of Gary

Stanley Staniszewski, two allegations; left the Diocese of Gary on Oct. 20, 1983 and removed from public ministry. Died April 2, 2016.

Don Grass, one allegation; was removed from public ministry in 2004 and was no longer allowed to present himself as a priest. Died July 2, 2010.

Terrence Chase, one allegation; was removed from public ministry and laicized Jan. 4, 2016.

George Kavungal, CMI, six allegations; last known to be in India, was removed from public ministry.

Ambrose McGinnity, six allegations; was removed from public ministry in 1993. Died Feb. 27, 2000.

Stephen Varga, one allegation; was laicized in 1970. Died July 12, 2006.

Louis Jeziorski, three allegations; died April 6, 1973.

Joseph Buczyna, one allegation; died Jan. 12, 1976.

Julian Jercha, three allegations; died June 27, 1987.

Source: Diocese of Gary

The diocese’s list did not include the Rev. Raymond Lukac, a former teacher at Bishop Noll Institute in Hammond, who was named in the Pennsylvania grand jury report released in July.