By Kay Ebeling
We will continue to scan and upload Paracletes Documents at City of Angels 11 over next week, then leave them here for the next months.
Add the letter on the right in with Island Letters from a previous post. Here we see the Paracletes have to get rid of the Island of Tortola, where they have sent problem priests to keep them away from the public. Dated November 1960. (Click to enlarge and print)
The second page, 1960 technology photocopy is at right. Father Gerald worked hard to establish these colonies to keep the pedophiles away from parishes, but by 1960 he was losing to a secular AA 12 step influenced form of treatment.
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Fitzgerald Pioneered Direct Mail Marketing sending letters to Archbishops All Over The Country about the Paracletes and their work with Problem Priests
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April 9, 1950 Letter from Fr. Gerald Fitzgerald to Bishop Charles Buddy of San Diego is at right, click to enlarge and print.
This is a fundraising letter for the already thriving Via Coeli treatment center for priests with problems including sex with children. It states they are treating priests "from more than 35 dioceses and 9 religious orders."
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The word "homosexual" in a 1950-60's letter between priests does not mean what the word means to us today.
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In letters from the 1950s and 1960s concerning Servants of the Paracletes, the "padres" often use euphemisms. “Psycho sexual problems” was an official term, but it was agreed (in other documents here) that “homosexual acts” included pedophilia.
And they were likely sex acts with children if they also involved the poice and criminal charges.
April 9, 1950 letter Quotes of Note:
Our institution is in no way Diocesan or provincial, and, due to the charity of our ecclesiastical superior, priests are received here from all over the country.
Demonstrates how they kept the Servants of the Paracletes work secret from parishioners and lay members of the churches.
Fundraising appeals were direct to the bishops. This letter was most likely typed and retyped, with a different address put in at the top, then the generic greeting and content of letter.
The April 1950 letter was likely sent to bishops all over the country since it states they are treating priests "from all over the country."
Hard to believe the bishops and their nearby colleagues did not know about pedophilia amidst all the fund raising and promotional work of Fr. Gerald Fitzgerald.
'nother quote from the letter:
“Hence this direct appeal to the Hierarchy for donations to build and equip a proper, modest monastic retreat house unit.
AND AGAIN proving the work of Paracletes with problem priests was no secret from church hierarchy, from April 9, 1950 letter:
"At the present moment we have priests at Via Coeli from more than 35 diocesses and archdioceses and from 9 religious communities."
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The June 1953 Letter
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June 21, 1953,Letter at right, (click to enlarge and print) another fundraising appeal as: “where else shall we find means to care for these most abject and despised of men.”
Another national appeal to bishops “all over the country” to “All the Archbishops” including another invitation to visit and tour.
Again, how can bishops claim they had no knowledge of priest pedophiles when Fr. Gerald, as he pioneered direct mail marketing techniques, bothered them for donations regularly, and reminded them of the Servants of the Paracletes work.
QUOTES
from the June 21, 1953 letter.
Fitzgerald is
ASKING:
“Of the Archbishops and Bishops of our country: from the Archbishops and the Archdioceses of America a yearly donation.”
“Last year less than half the Hierarchy gave anything directly to this apolstolate of priestly succoring."
FINALLY: Y’ALL COME DOWN VISIT
“We invite Your Excellency to visit us at any time in this Vally of the Blessed Sacrament, Jemez Springs, New Mexico.”
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NOTE FROM KAY: I'm swamped at work, working double shift so I can take time off next month and go to Chicago. So all this week, I'm doing a Renovation Nation tape, a Hulk Hogan Celebrity Wrestling tape, and then scanning a document, one after the other over the next week. . . onward.
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