News
Troy Record: Fr. (sic) Rodino Supported by Parishoners
“Fr. Rodino Supported by Parishoners”
January 9, 2010
By Danielle Sanzone
The Record
WYNANTSKILL — It’s been more than two months since Rev. Salvatore “Sam” Rodino was suspended from his position at St. Jude the Apostle parish for alleged sexual impropriety, but his flock of loyal parishioners still support him and have been conducting its own investigation into the matter.
“I think they thought people would get over this after a couple of weeks, but that is not the case at all,” said Denise Ryan, a member of the Wynantskill parish. “We will never leave him. The support will not stop. They did this to him, so they did it to us as well.”
The St. Jude parish has contacted all of Rodino’s old positions and they have not found anything negative in his past, said Ryan.
“This did not just hurt him, it hurt hundreds of people,” said Ryan. “The kids’ hearts have been broken and the teens still cry about it. They cry like they just lost a parent. All of his old churches have been supportive of him. I do not think he did it. I stake my son’s life on it.”
The church has 1,100 families and a majority of them have been continuing to show support for Rodino. Some have purchased newspaper ads in support of the priest (See Page 12).
The Albany Roman Catholic Diocese said Rodino purportedly engaged in sexual misconduct with a teenager in the 1980s.
“It’s understandable that they have remained so loyal,” said Diocese spokesman Ken Goldfarb.
The official process with the Diocese started months before Rodino was suspended at the end of October. A review panel, with seven members, conducted an investigation and found that the anonymous accuser’s claims had reasonable grounds to be true.
Rodino has not been allowed to practice any of the holy sacraments or wear his priest garb in public since his suspension.
He has shown interest in appealing and that “could take a long time,” said Goldfarb, adding that the ultimate decision would come from the Vatican.
Ryan, a Sycaway resident, said she has known Rodino for nearly five years, since around the time her son started kindergarten at St. Jude, and when Rodino began as the church’s pastor. In the past several years, she described how Rodino connected the parish in more than a spiritual way and they became like a family.
“He has a way to get everyone connected,” she said.
Rodino, who was unable to be reached for comment, had also worked at La Salle Institute in Troy, Bishop Maginn High School in Albany, St. Patrick’s Academy in Catskill, and Catholic Central High School in Lansingburgh.
Rev. Anthony Ligato has since become the St. Jude’s pastor.
Danielle Sanzone may be reached at
270-1292 or by email at dsanzone@troyrecord.com.
Finally, a Facebook group to support victims
Below is a link to a new group on Facebook, “Visit RodinosVictims.com.” After viewing Mr. Rodino’s support group on Facebook, we thought it was time for parity. We encourage all those who visit this site to join the group and help promote this website so that those long-silenced voices can at long last be heard.
http://www.facebook.com/search/?flt=1&q=rodino&o=69&sid=14000230.964380654..1#/group.php?gid=218538105659
Car Magnets Part II
To the administrators of the “Support Rev. Rodino” group on Facebook: why did you delete the wall post that contained a link to this website? The post was not offensive, not accusatory – simply informational.
RodinosVictims.com will continue to allow anyone – supporters of Mr. Rodino included – to voice their opinion, raise questions, etc, as long as they do so in a manner that is respectful to victims of clergy sexual abuse.
Car magnets that read “I Support Fr. (sic) Rodino” are offensive to victims. The logical implication is that the “supporter” has become an accuser – they are accusing the victim of lying. The Bishop and officials of the Diocese disagree – they found reasonable grounds to believe Mr. Rodino’s accuser.
Car Magnets
The following message was posted on Facebook earlier today:
I SUPPORT FR. RODINO CAR MAGNETS WILL SOON BE AVAILABLE FOR $5.
EMAIL ME WITH ANY ORDERS! (Editor’s Note: E-mail address omitted.)
We are not posting this in an effort to promote this new merchandise. Our intention is to remind readers that people continue to express their “support” for Mr. Rodino in inappropriate ways. Car magnets are for expressing support for our troops, political candidates, and cultural viewpoints.
At first glance, a car magnet saying “I Support Fr. (sic) Rodino” seems inoffensive. However, we should ask ourselves: what does that statement logically imply? The answer is offensive, because it implies that Mr. Rodino’s victim is lying. (”If I support Fr. (sic) Rodino, then his accuser must be lying.)”
While we doubt these magnets will be best sellers, we must remain vigilant and be prepared to defend the victims of clergy sexual abuse against all insults, however disguised they may be.
In the end, however, it doesn’t matter if a few of Mr. Rodino’s friends continue to express their support for him. What matters is that the Bishop and the Diocese does not support him. They have decided his accuser is telling the truth.
If these magnets are produced and displayed on cars belonging to Mr. Rodino’s former parishioners, we will write a formal letter of protest to Bishop Hubbard requesting that he remind those parishioners that the Church does not support public attacks against victims of clergy abuse and that disciplinary action be taken against diocesan employees that display such magnets until they are removed.
Op-Ed by John Aretakis
For The Record
All must act responsibly
I write in response to the Nov. 2 letter by Jim Baldwin regarding Father Sam Rodino. At first glance, it appears admirable and charitable to support a priest who has been found credibly accused of sexual abuse of a child by his own employer, the Diocese of Albany. But the most important issue has to do with the compassionate treatment of the two victims by all of us.
A lot of online chatter in The Record suggests that the victim may have come forward for some easy money. That is not true, as the church so far as been successfully hiding behind the Statute of Limitations defense that does not allow a lawsuit to be filed by a victim who is over 21 years of age. Secondly, the few settlements paid have been done for token amounts. Does anyone have any idea how much quality therapy costs for a victim of childhood abuse?
The data and statistics tell us that one out of every four girls is sexually abused as a child and one out of every six boys. We also know that false accusations are extremely rare. Do you really think a 40 year old wants to come out and tell the world that his first sexual experiences in puberty were with a man three times his age? Can you grasp how hard it is to keep this terrible and lonely secret for most of your life? Can you grasp how shameful and embarrassing it is to admit that your first sexual encounter was with a priest?
As children, we are taught not only to admire the priest, but calling him “Father” means he has a parent-like power over us, along with his religious and spiritual power of being “another Christ” on earth.
This gets us to the major point. The public outcry of support for this priest has the effect of scaring other prospective victims and witnesses. Who would dare come forward when a lynch mob of 200 people gathers to shout that Father Rodino’s removal was some sort of conspiracy by Bishop Hubbard?
Don’t get me wrong. I believe the Bishop has mismanaged and mishandled the clergy sexual abuse crisis. I don’t know why he or his hand-picked panel recommended removal of Father Rodino, when I have given the bishop dozens of other accusations that have not been acted on. And most people don’t even know Bishop Hubbard’s policy of refusing to cast guilt on any deceased priest who molested children.
Catholics, even supporters of Father Rodino, must act responsibly as their own religion teaches. And most importantly, Bishop Hubbard must follow his own guidelines; that is, to tell all of his flock to not say a bad work about those who accuse priests.
John A. Aretakis
Troy
Reprinted from the Troy Record, November 28, 2009.
http://www.troyrecord.com/articles/2009/11/28/obituaries/doc4b10b57a63e80356605810.txt
Mr. Rodino’s Statement
Many of our readers may be aware of a Facebook group titled “Support Rev. Rodino.” Recently, it has come to our attention that the group has a new member, namely, Mr. Rodino himself. We were not aware that Mr. Rodino had a Facebook account, and, in truth, we were more than a bit disturbed — Mr. Rodino found himself in quite a bit of trouble while he was Chaplain at LaSalle because of his activities on the Internet. Back then, it was on AOL and AIM (AOL’s Instant Messenger). Now, Mr. Rodino is on Facebook. He appears to have established his Facebook account before the recent allegations against him became public. The question arises: why does a middle age Roman Catholic priest need to be on a website marketed to teens and college students?
Since Mr. Rodino has now joined the Facebook group created by his “supporters,” we feel it appropriate to post his recent wall post on that group. In effect, it serves as his first public statement since he was placed on leave. Below is the text of his Facebook wall post:
How does one begin to say thank you to so many? I had to join this group in order to get a message out. Please know how much my mom and I appreciate your support at this difficult time. We miss you all very much. Together may we continue to grow and share in the love and life offered to each of us through Jesus Christ!… Anne and Sam Rodino
Other comments on the “Support Rev. Rodino” Facebook group essentially laud his praises and recount favorable memories of him as a priest. Once again, however, we are forced to remind his supporters that just because one person, two people, or a thousand people had a positive experience with Mr. Rodino does not mean that “reasonable grounds” did not exist to believe he sexually abused a minor years ago. Nor does the testimony of many of Mr. Rodino’s “supporters” negate the reports of disturbing conduct he exhibited while in contact with high school boys in his capacity as Chaplain at LaSalle.
Please continue to pray for all those involved in this scandal. Mr. Rodino’s family certainly needs our prayers, as do his accusers, as do the witnesses, and all those who have had their trust shattered. Our Faith in Jesus Christ demands prayers for all…even those we think our enemies.
Sound Off
From the Troy Record this morning: two comments on the “Passion” Letter.
http://www.troyrecord.com/articles/2009/11/10/opinion/doc4af8abf778c76079871378.txt
Truth is in his heart
Nice letter to the editor about Father Rodino from Jim Baldwin, but it still doesn’t suffice the fact that he’s on leave for sexual abuse. Only Father Rodino in his heart knows the truth.
Leave it to the justice system
I just finished reading Jim Baldwin’s Pulse of the People regarding Father Rodino. What a wonderful man he was, what a wonderful man of faith he was. Well, that’s fine, Mr. Baldwin, but you weren’t one of his victims. We will let the justice system, not the public, take care of the evidence.
Sound Off, Troy Record, November 10, 2009
The Passion of the Sam
Readers might be interested to read a letter to the editor in today’s Troy Record (a paper that, we should point out, has not carried the story of a second victim having come forward in the 1990s, and has not reported on SNAP’s reasoned, logical plea for compassion for victims).
Here’s the link: http://www.troyrecord.com/articles/2009/11/02/opinion/doc4aedd93381504327326491.txt
The author actually goes so far as to compare Sam Rodino to Jesus Christ. This comparison will surely please Mr. Rodino, as he routinely compared himself to Christ several years ago after viewing the movie, The Passion of the Christ. With a paranoia that can only be described as Nixonian, Mr. Rodino compared himself to Jesus, and his “enemies” (aka students that disagreed with him) to the mob and Roman authorities.
Below is the text of the letter, courtesy of the Troy Record, Monday, November 2nd 2009 edition:
For The Record
Will proudly bear witness
The Passion of Sam Rodino. I met Father Salvadore Rodino more than 14 years ago at a Mass at St. Bonaventure’s Church in Speigletown. I had been baptized Catholic, but only had attended Masses for weddings and funerals as I grew up. At 25 years old, I was at a point in life where I was ready to leave my childhood behind, and become a man. Not a man in the sense of “being over 18” made me a man, but more in the sense of responsibility and doing the right things to help the world around me. I was dating a girl who brought me to my first Mass at St. Bonaventure’s who is now my wife of 13 years. After meeting “Sam,” I was awestruck at a man who truly fit the mold of pastoral strength and guidance. His aura was one of an unconcealed personality that shone with a vibrant love of serving God. After attending a couple of more masses and having heartfelt conversations with Father Rodino, he directed me on my path to adulthood. In a year, I not only got engaged, but made my First Holy Communion, First Reconciliation, Confirmation, and celebrated the Sacrament of Marriage as well. Over the years, his word and homily’s were celebrated and lived by many devoted parishioners who grew to love and adore him, both as a person and a priest.
Now, as the Catholic Church approaches the season of Advent, preparing to celebrate the birth of Jesus, the accusations and reports surrounding Father Rodino seem to mirror the death of Jesus, the Passion. One of the most respected priests in the entire Diocese, Father Salvatore Rodino and his reputation are under attack, and he now has to carry a cross he didn’t ask for, a stigma that will stick regardless of an investigation’s outcome.
At the same time, the media, which carries the same power as a Roman Army, uses the sharp pointed tips of their misguided information to poke and jab at him, scarring him with undeserving marks of an innocent man.
Even our own Diocese, like Apostle Peter, with its cold sounding letter to the Masses, is in a sense, denying Father Rodino.
What are we to do as Parishioners, as followers of both past and present, of his? Of course many of us are angry, frustrated, maybe confused. During a time of economic woes, threats of wide spread disease, and political miscalculations, faith and prayer will be what sets our hearts in the right direction. When asked what we truly feel, we will not deny or yell “crucify,” but we should stand firm behind Father Rodino, as his friends and his disciples.
For the man that guided me into adulthood and helped me find responsibility and faith; the man that married my wife and I and baptized all three of our children; I pray for him in my heart, yet publicly I will proudly bear witness to his character and faith without regard to what is thought of me. It’s what he would do for us.
Jim Baldwin
Troy
Raising voice to urge calm
By SCOTT WALDMAN, Staff writer
First published in print: Friday, October 30, 2009
An advocacy group for those abused by priests is asking people to be sensitive about the victims who come forward.
Mark Lyman, Capital Region director of the Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests, said supporters of the Rev. Salvatore Rodino, a Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany priest accused of sexual abuse, should not malign the person who made the allegations.
Rodino was suspended Saturday as pastor of St. Jude the Apostle Church in Wynantskill after the diocese found “reasonable grounds” to believe he had sexual contact with a male teenager 27 years ago while at Blessed Sacrament Church in Albany. As they filed into Sunday Mass, some parishioners of the church Rodino has led since 2005 said his accuser was coming forward only to collect settlement money.
Lyman said Thursday that his group has written a 21-point booklet that offers guidance on the “appropriate and sensitive” way to support accused priests without attacking those who report alleged sex crimes. He said his group, known as SNAP, has asked Bishop Howard Hubbard to distribute it at all parishes in the 14-county diocese.
“Some people can and will believe that an accused priest is innocent,” Lyman said. “That’s fine. But it’s not fine when they act on those beliefs in ways that hinder criminal probes, intimidate vulnerable kids, silence already wounded adults, frighten potential witnesses and scare possible whistle-blowers.”
Diocesan spokesman Ken Goldfarb said he had not seen the pamphlet and was not aware if Lyman had requested that Hubbard or other officials review it.
Also Thursday, the address for a Web site — RodinosVictims.com — was disseminated to members of the media. The site bills itself as “a forum for those who have been silenced” and encourages victims and supporters to share their thoughts.
Rodino, a 1969 graduate of La Salle Institute of North Greenbush, also served at St. Bonaventure in Speigletown, St. Pius X in Loudonville and St. Margaret Mary’s in Albany. He worked at a number of schools in the area, including La Salle, Bishop Maginn High School in Albany and St. Patrick’s Academy of Catskill.
Read more: http://www.timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=859471#ixzz0VNXM4tSC
Rev. Rodino placed on leave
By Danielle Sanzone
The Troy Record
WYNANTSKILL — Alleged sexual impropriety from 27 years ago has come back to haunt Rev. Salvatore “Sam” Rodino who has been suspended from his position at St. Jude the Apostle Church.
The longtime priest with the Albany Roman Catholic Diocese was placed on administrative leave this week after charges emerged that he “had engaged in sexual misconduct with a teenager in the 1980s at the Blessed Sacrament parish in Albany,” stated a press release from the diocese.
Parishioners were given the news during Mass on Saturday and will be told in Masses today in the form of a letter from Bishop Howard Hubbard which was read aloud.
“It was a cold letter. The way it was presented it sounded like Father Rodino was guilty. But I don’t believe it. I’ve known him for four years. He’s the best priest we’ve ever had,” said Lindo Signorelli, 72, who has been a member of the parish of St. Jude’s on Brookside Avenue in Wynantskill for 40 years.
A La Salle Institute graduate, Rodino, 58, was assigned to St. Jude’s in 2005. He has increased programming at the church, which just had a festival last month and raised upwards of $10,000, and he helped to increase the number of parishioners, said Signorelli.
“He drew many families back to the church,” said Signorelli who had done work at the church for its buildings and grounds. “I think the whole parish is devastated. I know I’m devastated.”
“I knew him besides my work at St. Jude’s. We confided in each other,” Signorelli said. “I am 100 percent in support of Father Rodino.”
The Albany Diocese said the alleged victim from the 1980s recently came forward. The Diocese’s Sexual Misconduct Review Board, comprised of six lay people and two clergy members, reviewed and investigated the allegations and recommended that Rodino be placed on administrative leave.
Rodino — who has also served at St. Bonaventure in Speigletown, St. Piux X in Loudonville, and St. Margaret Mary’s in Albany — denies inappropriate contact with any youth.
Despite this, he is not permitted by the diocese to function publicly as a priest, he is barred from celebrating Mass or performing any other sacraments, and from wearing clerical garb in public, diocese officials said.
His removal was or will be announced at each of the churches where he had previously served.
The diocese, which has a zero-tolerance for sexual abuse of minors by clergy, urges anyone who has a child that was sexually abused by a Catholic priest or deacon to report the matter to the diocese or law enforcement.
Since 1950, the Albany Diocese has removed 23 priests from the ministry after finding reasonable grounds that they sexually abused minors, said diocese spokesman Ken Goldfarb.
Attorney John Aretakis said that there were more removed “pedophile priests” in the Albany Diocese than in New York City.
Rodino had also worked at La Salle Institute in Troy, Bishop Maginn High School in Albany, St. Patrick’s Academy in Catskill, and Catholic Central High School in Troy.
No one has been designated to take over as pastor at St. Jude’s, which also has a school on the premises, officials said.
“I don’t know what we’ll do without Father Rodino,” said Signorelli.
Danielle Sanzone may be reached at 270-1292 or by email at dsanzone@troyrecord.com.
