From top: Belvedere College, Dublin 1; Clongowes Wood College
This afternoon.
A priest who abused students at Belvedere College has been publicly named by the Jesuit order as Fr Joseph Marmion.
The order has also revealed in a statement that Marmion, who also taught at Clongows Wood College, was moved on to head up chaplaincy at St Vincent’s Private Hospital after allegations of sexual abuse against him first surfaced…
…In 1977 the Jesuits received information from parents alleging sexual abuse at Belvedere College. “In consequence, a decision was taken that Joseph Marmion be removed from the staff in Belvedere with effect from the end of the academic year 1977/1978,” they said.
Fr Marmion “then spent a year on sabbatical in Paris with the Jesuit Community Saint François Xavier. He was then assigned to the Gardiner Street Jesuit Community. In 1990 he was appointed Chaplain to St. Vincent’s Private Hospital. We recognise that these subsequent appointments should not have been made.”
The statement continued that “while this particular communication relates to abuse that occurred in Belvedere College, Joseph Marmion also taught in Crescent College Limerick and Clongowes Wood College. Every effort will be made to communicate this information to former students in all schools”.
Priest ‘sexually and physically’ abused boys at Belvedere College in 1970s (Irish Times)
Pic: Wikipedia
The upper echelons dunnit and the lower echelons dunnit. Secular men in scouting and sporting circles took their opportunities too. What does it tell us about men in high and low places where boys who didn’t know about dark human nature were preyed upon?
What the absolute &*^%?
When they found out they gave his a year off in Paris and then moved him around.
“We recognise that these subsequent appointments should not have been made,” the Jesuits said.
Ya think?
God’s will.
“Marmion was moved on to teach at Clongowes Wood . . after allegations of sexual abuse against him first surfaced”
This isn’t true. He taught in Clongowes School before the abuse in Belvedere was reported. It’s a disservice to the victims to be so inaccurate – it allows those who want to protect the abusers to correctly state that you are lying.
Sorry, Peter, fixed now. Thanks.
Isn’t the Pope a Jesuit? Could this openness actually be policy now?