On Oct. 9, Diocese of Orange Bishop Tod D. Brown issued a letter to the county's Catholics explaining his recent $6.685 million settlement with four sex-abuse victims of diocesan lay employees. He talked about apologizing to two of the victims (read a different account here), about how sex abuse is wrong, and all that jazz. Then His Excellency said the strangest thing about Mater Dei High School, where two of the settled cases occurred:
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I want to say a few words to the Mater Dei High School community. You have been through a lot during the past few years over the handling of these painful matters. You are an excellent school, providing a well-rounded learning experience, with first-rate academic and athletic programs but most importantly exemplary faith formation. Your administrators, teachers and support staff are second to none.
I am proud of your strength and determination to ensure the high quality of the educational experience for your students.
Either Bishop Brown really is a nice guy, or he's an absolute idiot. Brown shouldn't be offering condolences to the Santa Ana Catholic high school; he should be revoking its charter and subjecting administrators to the stocks. Mater Dei has been Ground Zero in the Orange diocese sex-abuse scandal, with more settled cases originating originating from the athletic powerhouse than any other parish. President Patrick Murphy, the same man who wouldn't tell the Mater Dei community who are their latest statutory rapists (former assistant boys' basketball coach Jeff Andrade and choir director Larry Stukenholtz), was principal at the time Andrade and Stukenholtz did their evil deeds and Mater Dei teachers and administrators ignored blatant warning signs. Legendary boys' basketball coach Gary McKnight was the man who invited Andrade back to campus. And it's been the poor, tortured Mater Dei community that's been calling Andrade victim Christina Ruiz a slut and worse for years. Mater Dei has been “through a lot,” Bishop Brown? What did Christ say about children and millstones?
Brown's letter also talks about embattled Monsignor John Urell, but we'll deal with that claptrap on Monday…
