Rev. Felix Owino, the Nigerian priest who most recently taught at Wheeling Jesuit University, has his hearing Sept. 1 [see comment below] in Virginia on charges of molesting an underage girl, and in three other states, The Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) is turning the heat on bishops and college administrators to pursue other allegations about him.
SNAP wants Manchester Bishop John McCormack, Wheeling Bishop Michael Bransfield, Allentown Bishop John Barres, Pittsburgh Bishop David A. Zubik, and officials at all three colleges [where Owino taught] (Wheeling Jesuit, Magdalen, and Duquesne) to disclose any allegations of sexual abuse against Owino in their dioceses or schools and seek out others who may have seen or suspected his misdeeds.
The group is also urging any current and former students and employees at the colleges to ask their colleagues about Owino. They believe that anyone who has seen, suspected or suffered Owino’s misconduct should “come forward, call police, protect others and start healing.”
In support of their position, SNAP leaders cite other cases:
The group is especially prodding the officials at Magdalen College [in Warner, NH] to ‘come clean’ about any allegation of abuse against Owino while he worked there.
“In repeated phone conversations and e mails, two credible New Hampshire residents have told us about three instances in which Owino engaged in alleged sexual misconduct with adults,” said Judy Jones, SNAP’s associate Midwest director. “We understand that the college staff already knows about these instances but to be safe, we’re writing them later today and sharing with them what we’ve heard.”
In the Pittsburgh diocese, Owino worked at Duquesne University and St. Bede’s parish off and on between 1997 and 2005.
Most recently, he worked at Wheeling Jesuit College in Wheeling. He also was pastor at St. Paul’s church in Weirton, WV.
Blithe Spirit 
There is no hearing today (as you say above) in professor Owino’s pedophilia case. There was a hearing eight days ago; the matter is now before a grand jury for an indictment. The Wheeling Jesuit U. associate professor of philosophy remains incarcerated sans bond.
On 9/5 David Clohessy, executive director of SNAP, wrote in Renew America: “The Pope pledged to ‘do everything possible’ to stop future child sex crimes by priests. Somehow, Wheeling Jesuit University’s president must not have heard or understood this promise. How else to explain their herculean efforts to duck and dodge and distance themselves from a credibly accused predator?” Not the first time for WJU — a credibly accused homosexual predator is a member of WJU’s Board of Trustees. He is Thomas F. Gleeson, S.J.
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Once again, Fahy to the rescue. The beauty of blogging with comments is that hurried posts get corrected by astute readers. Much obliged. By the way, the Wheeling Intelligencer had nothing; nor does any other news outlet that Google or Bing can discover. Better yet, I could have noted the date of the SNAP release, Sept. 2. Tsk.
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