Guam church official: 2 former altar boys say priests abused them

HAGATNA, Guam — At least two former altar boys have reached out to the Catholic Church to say priests abused them, a sexual abuse response coordinator said.

Deacon Leonard Stohr, who Archbishop Savio Hon Tai Fai recently appointed as the church’s new sexual abuse response coordinator, said he’s “very encouraged” that people are reaching out to the church for help.

Stohr said he’s following up on both cases, but declined to comment further.

A sexual abuse response coordinator is a person appointed by the archbishop to coordinate the archdiocese’s response to allegations of sexual misconduct.

Since May, former altar boys have publicly accused Archbishop Anthony S. Apuron of sexually abusing them in Agat in the 1970s, but Apuron and other church officials denied the claims, and threatened to sue accusers. Pope Francis temporarily placed Apuron on leave while allegations of sex abuse against him are investigated.

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A month after taking over, Hon named Stohr as the archdiocese’s new sex abuse response coordinator and sought the revision of the current church policy on handling sex abuse allegations including when the archbishop is the one being accused.

Stohr also said he was able to talk on the phone with Leo Tudela, 73, who publicly accused former island priest Louis Brouillard of sexually abusing him as an altar boy in Mangilao in the 1950s.

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“It was to express the concern of the Church and myself for his well-being, and willingness to support him at this time of his life,” Stohr told Pacific Daily News.

Three days after Tudela’s public accusation, Brouillard, now 95, said he possibly abused altar boys in Guam and is seeking forgiveness from his victims even though he said he doesn’t remember their names.

Hon on Wednesday said the Archdiocese of Agana is in the process of gathering information on the Brouillard issue.

“As part of efforts to gather more information, the Archdiocese has written to the bishop of Duluth, Minnesota, where Father Brouillard now resides. This will be the extent of our comment at this time,” Hon said in an email response to questions.

The archbishop reiterated his apologies to “Tudela and all other persons who may have been abused by Father Louis.”

Hon issued an initial statement on Aug. 5 expressing his and the Catholic Church’s apologies to Tudela and other victims of Brouillard.

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Attorney David Lujan, who’s representing some clergy abuse victims in a libel and slander lawsuit, said Brouillard might have sexually abused more than 50 altar boys, including those whom the priest photographed naked. Lujan’s office also has been the Concerned Catholics of Guam’s point of contact for anyone abused by clergy members.

Brouillard was a priest in Guam from the late 1940s to 1981. He continued his priesthood in his home state of Minnesota under the Diocese of Duluth until 1985, when that diocese removed him as a priest after he was credibly accused of sex abuse of minors.