TYLER, Texas — Bishop Joseph Strickland has headed the Catholic Diocese of Tyler since 2012. However, it is unlikely Bishop Strickland ever faced a day like Thursday.
In an open letter, Bishop Strickland officially named the priests credibly accused of sexual abuse in the diocese.
One of those named is Gustave DeJesus Cuello, who was sentenced to prison in 2013 after being convicted of having sex with a girl under the age of 14.
The other two named, Monsignor John Flynn and Rev. Michael Barone, both served in Tyler but accused in other dioceses.
The process leading up to Thursday began in the spring of 2018 with a new Promoter of Justice, the person in charge of handling sex abuse accusations for the diocese.
We began [reviewing files in April or May] and then the McCarrick issues and other issues began to come out in June," Bishop Strickland said. "So we were already engaged in reviewing the files and just seeing what kind of issues might be there so that we could bring any issue that was to justice."
Bishop Strickland says their investigation was not in response to any other cases and was a proactive effort to address an issue that has stained the entire Catholic Communion.
Perhaps the most important name on that list for those in the Diocese of Tyler is Gustave DeJesus Cuello, a former priest at Our Lady of Guadalupe.
"The civil authorities were brought into it. That priest was dismissed from ministry at pending the investigation. The civil authorities got involved, and he went actually to a civil trial, was convicted, and is presently in prison," Bishop Strickland said. "That was the one case that the letter speaks of that actually occurred in the Diocese of Tyler."
Bishop Strickland says the Catholic Church continues to be more transparent on the subject of allegations against priests.
"Say 25 years ago, there was more just in society a tongue of, 'Keep it quiet, don't make waves. Don't talk about it.' And that happened in the church and in other organizations as well," Bishop Strickland said. "That's part of the reason the Texas Bishops are publishing names today - is because this needs to be brought into the light. Victims don't need to just continue to be victimized and feel like they can't speak up."
The Church continues to put in the work to make it easier for victims to report sexual abuse.
"[We have] basically a hotline established where people don't have to call me or call anyone here. They can call the firm that we're working with directly," Strickland said. "We want people [...] if they're victimized in any way, and hopefully it's it's not always rising to the level of sexual abuse of a minor, but anyway that people need feel a need for to speak up for justice in their cause, that we have a 1-800 number that they can call in, it's immediately referred to us."
Bishop Strickland says in these situations, it is most important to ensure the victims are taken care of throughout the process. He says the transparency the Church is showing will help victims' know the church's priority is to serve them.
"We need to care for people who have been harmed, especially by a priest that should be calling them to a holier life in Christ," Bishop Strickland said. "The victims can say, 'I can speak up. Someone will listen. I'll be respected as someone who's been harmed in society or in the church and it will be death dealt with seeking justice.' So that's the hope."
