At the end of August, the Catholic Herald of the Arlington Diocese published a notice saying that one of the former chaplains of Christendom College, Father James McLucas, has been accused of sexual abuse and therefore removed from his last position. Subsequently, a report came out about the fact that he made a settlement with a young woman whom he had counseled from the age of 14 on and finally led into a sexual relationship when she was a young adult.
In light of these terrible revelations about Father McLucas, Dr. Robert Hickson – a founding faculty member of Christendom College who was dismissed in 1988 and whose family subsequently broke apart – gives testimony about the fact that Father McLucas, as the chaplain of Christendom College from at least 1992 until the summer of 1995, had a subversively destructive role in the further break-up of his marriage. He gives specific details about his claim, among other things that Fr. McLucas once told him that he would have married a woman like Dr. Hickson’s wife and that he then, during the break-up, took off to the beach with her and her eight children.
Father McLucas refused to hear Dr. Hickson’s confessions after 1992 and clearly then took sides with the wife in a marital struggle.
At the time, Father John Hardon, S.J., when he heard about what Father McLucas had told Dr. Hickson about his wife and his subsequent acts, decided to intervene with Cardinal John O’Connor, McLucas’ own bishop in New York, which he unfortunately then never accomplished.
But more importantly, Dr. Timothy O’Donnell, as of 1992 the President of Christendom College, knew most of the claims against his chaplain but did not take any action against him. On the contrary, Dr. O’Donnell supported Dr. Hickson’s wife at the time (a later annulment showed the nullity of that marriage), welcomed her and the eight children of that family on campus and even later hired her as a professor on campus, in spite of the fact that she had broken her marriage and left her husband.
The result of this exclusion of a husband and father and, at the same time, of the covering-up for a priest so subversive of a marriage by Dr. O’Donnell, later had grave effects for the life of a young woman. Had he himself acted immediately, that sexual abuse might not ever have happened.
See Dr. Robert Hickson’s full account here.
The combination of clerical abuse and cover-up is a dangerous binary weapon.
Dr. Hickson continues to spin the facts about the break up of his marriage and family, blaming everyone but himself. This is typical behavior for a narcissist, which Dr. Hickson is. The article states that there were grounds for the nullity of the marriage, in a diocese in which is it somewhat difficult to obtain an annulment, yet the blame is put on those who helped his wife and children pick up the pieces of their lives after years of emotional abuse. Dr. Hickson needs prayers for the Holy Spirit to enlighten him to the destruction HE wrought.
Do you think it’s good for a molester-priest who’s got a crush on your wife to go spend ten days with her at the beach?
I agree with Scarecrow. Regarding the Hickson family troubles we have just one side of the story. And maybe it’s none of our business.
However, I totally agree with you, Frank, that it is totally imprudent for any woman to take her children on vacation alone with a priest. It puts everyone in a near occasion of sin. And sets a terrible example to the children.
I’m not sure from the story if the priest’s molesting behavior is known by anyone else at that time. It seems as if the author is trying to accuse Dr. O’Donnell of not acting. If he did know how do we know for sure that Dr. O’Donnell didn’t try to do something? If he made a call which went unanswered? Maybe O’Donnell was trying to distance himself from this distraught man and help his family. If Dr. Hickson knew about the priest’s molesting the child why didn’t he call the police?
Dr. Hickson clearly has an ax to grind with Christendom College. The college did not break up his marriage and did not cause the priest to act so badly.
I’m not sure Robert Hickson has an ‘axe to grind’ without cause. It seems there may have been a certain amount of slander involved here and it may have effected his own career. It’s hard to make a distinction between the college and the relationships since Fr. McLucas, Sharon, Robert, and Dr. O’Donnell were all employees and friends at one time. Christendom may not have caused Fr. McLucas to perhaps undermine the Hickson’s marriage, but you can say that about any institution that looks the other way at predatory priests.
The allegations of molestation of the minor against Fr. McLucas happened after he left Christendom College.
I think so much of the story is entangled with the pain of personal failures in a marriage that it’s hard to get to the unbiased story of who knew what when regarding Fr. McLucas. Is it fair to say these things about the College and Dr. O’Donnell without hearing from him? Or hearing from the former Mrs. Hickson?
I’d be surprised if they respond, but they might.
What a disgraceful comment!!
Let us say a pray for Timothy O’Donnell’s father, who passed away early this morning.
Christendom College should change its name to O’Donnell University in honor of its showboating president for life.
When I see a priest in a shirt and tie I know there is a problem.
Without going into the details, this post is full of lies and insinuations about at LEAST one person involved. Scarecrow is clearly more informed about the facts of the matter than the author of the post, who would, I trust, be heartily ashamed of himself if he really knew the actual facts, not the “spun” story of Dr. Hickson. Calumny is a serious sin. Fgwalker@att.net: now that you have dragged the names of certain people through the mud of lies and character assault, you are obliged to come to the real facts, and publicly correct yourself.
Why not go into details? The only assertions here are in the PA report and the linked accounts. The beach trip is a fact.
Does anyone know the grounds for the declaration of nullity of the Hickson marriage?
I’m wondering that myself. I’m sceptical of all annulments at this time in history.
Many of the commenters seem to have focused on the soundness or unsoundness of Dr. Hickson’s accusations against the Rev. McLucas.
However, the central point of this post concerned the publication by the Arlington diocese of an accusation against this same cleric for having molested a 14-year old girl and maintaining a bond with her into her adulthood.
Has this accusation been substantiated?
If it has, assuredly this raises questions about the integrity of Rev. McLucas, in spite of his purported advocacy of the pre-Conciliar liturgy and his subsequent affiliation with the S.S.P.X..
Followup regarding Fr. McLucas:
Just seeing at https://www.theamericanconservative.com/dreher/catholic-bishops-without-chests/ that on August 15, 2018, Cardinal Dolan reported to his Archdiocese that “Fr. James McLucas was alleged to have sexually abused a 14 year old girl. However, we have an affidavit from the woman involved who states that a sexual relationship did not begin until she was in her 20’s and in college. This does not excuse the behavior in any way, which is unquestionably and categorically wrong, but it is not a case of abuse of a minor. McLucas has not had an assignment since this came to our attention”.
Now, Mr. Berton, I was unaware of Fr. McLucas’ association with the SSPX. Would you kindly provide some verifying links?
With bitter irony one might acknowledge that it is somewhat of a refreshing relief when an alleged perpetrator priest story involves a consenting adult woman.
Three things stand out.
The annulment of this marriage in which there are eight children as a product. ?? Bizarre. Sounds like divorce by another name to me.
The trip to the beach by the Priest with a married woman and her children. ?? Bizarre.
The later naming of this same Priest as a sex abuser of a 14 year old girl under his spiritual care. ??!! Bizarre. Despicable.
And then all those here who say here; “they know the facts, the author doesn’t”, yet won’t say anything new to support their claim; won’t address the facts as they are. What facts are there to support this Priest named in the PA report who took a vacation with another man’s wife?
I read the embedded links within this article, and they support the author. The PA report also supports the author’s claims against another predator Priest. The Priest has valid accusations against him, from more than one source, over years.
Scarecrow, etc, you have something to say, say it. I have no sympathy or patience for predator Priests anymore, and the evidence supports these claims.
Trips to the beach with a married woman and her family, providing “spiritual support” is just not acceptable. It always goes bad; wrong on its face. If it were me, and my wife were involved, I would be really, *really* upset to learn my Priest took a vacation with my wife and kids. Given the Priest’s prior comment(s) about her and the subsequent “annulment”, he has grounds to demand justice.
This is your blog, not mine. I’m just a commenter. By all means go into details if you can, but your post plays fast and loose with the truth and with people’s reputations. I never said the “beach trip,” as you call it, didn’t happen. But here, especially, details make all the difference. The details that I know tell a VERY different story than the one you would have your readers believe. Since you have elected to sort through this can of worms on your blog, you had best be sure you’re telling the truth. You have spread the feathers to the wind. Now you are obliged to repair the damage you have done to the best of your ability.
Fast and loose with the worms and the feathers, eh?
The beach trip is an enormous red flag. Good grief!
Aqua, there are some facts that prudent people are not brash enough to air in a venue like this.
Aaron.
I read the article and the embedded links, one of which was an extended first person account from Dr. Hickson.
These words ring true to me. Especially, the first person account from Dr. Hickson, whose marriage was in fact annulled, (?!) rendering his eight children fatherless.
When it comes to stories like this, the time for tolerance is over. This is personal to me as I have to raise my large family in this environment of mistrust and systemic (personal and institutional) clerical sexual deviancy with all our souls hanging in the balance. Who knows if my kids have been exposed in some way? Who knows what they are told in Confession; in private?
If you have other facts, share them. In addition to his recorded past history, Fr. McLucas is named in the PA report, and is thus a potential but real current threat. You kind of have an obligation to do so, on behalf of those who are currently exposed to him.
The modern cleric-sex abuse scandal formed and mutated because no one came forward. No one believed those few who did. If the charges against Fr. McLucas are false, you really do have a duty to say how and why; especially so, now that he is officially named in civil proceedings. The spiritual harm with respect to an annulled marriage is worse, but the civil penalty for civil crimes and the harm they do is unstoppable.
Frank,
I don’t know who you are, or why you detest Christendom College, or why you believe everything my father says, but I can tell you are a sick man to be discussing a private matter of my family in a forum like this.
When I heard from a friend that there were people discussing the breakup of my family based on some letter that my father wrote, I promised to myself I would not get involved with a bunch of gossipers in some faceless and nameless blog.
But after reading this ridiculous article and some of the ignorant and scandalous comments, I couldn’t be quiet.
The fact that you and your followers are missing, is that my father does not tell the truth when it comes to family matters. He wants nothing more than to destroy my mother and purport himself as the victim. He frequently creates conversations and anecdotes that never happened. He likes to draw from conversations with people, especially priests, who have since passed away or can not verify stories. I still love him and pray for him every day, but I cannot trust him.
My siblings and I were fortunate and blessed to have key father figures in our lives, as my dad did not serve that role, including Dr. O’Donnell. Those men helped my mother create a loving, enriching, and Catholic experience during our formative years.
The other fact of which you are ignorant (but claim to be well-informed) is the visit that Fr. McLucas made on our family vacation. He visited us for three days and besides saying mass for us each day and joining us for a few meals, spent most of the time by himself.
If Fr. McLucas committed the atrocities of which he was accused after he left Christendom, that is tragic and his victim needs our prayers. But there was no cover-up by Christendom because there was nothing to cover up.
So it’s time for you Frank, and all the rest of you who think it’s ok to discuss the breakup of a family on a blog, to go to confession if you are a Catholic and start acting like adults in any case. You should be ashamed of yourself.
As an anonymous child of Robert Hickson, who calls him a vengeful liar and thinks Timothy O’Donnell is more of a father figure, how much have you spoken to your dad in the past 15 years?
Enough to know that he dwells in the past, that he convinces seemingly intelligent people that he is innocent, that he wants to ruin my mother, and enough to drive me to be the best father to my children that I can be because that is my responsibility and they deserve that, no matter how I might think they have done me wrong. And my name is at the top of my post.
OK, Peter. I don’t know how long you lived with your father, but I gather that you haven’t spoken to him much, if at all, about these things or anything else in a long time. If he is not ‘innocent’ then I don’t know of what he is supposed to be guilty. It doesn’t look to me like he’s trying to ruin your mother, but rather clear his own name if anything. I’m just wondering whether your conclusions may perhaps be only one-sided. How can your father be the ‘best father he can be’ if you won’t even speak to him and show such open contempt for him? Maybe if you communicated a tiny bit there might be a bigger picture.
I’m not going to waste my time arguing with such an ignorant man, Frank. I will pray that you have a change of heart and stop sticking your nose into family matters that don’t pertain to you. And I beg anyone else reading this to not enable Frank to continue his gossiping.
What do you mean by ‘family’?
Well this is all very sad. I’ve read the hit medium piece(s) by Mr. Hickson against Fr. McLucas and they do read like one intent on digging up old wounds, one who will not forgive once or even seven times let alone seven times seventy times! It’s all disturbing especially when the /publicly available information/ (emphasis by slashes) presents a pattern of behavior to portray a priest in a derogatory light. These are prima facie my opinions and therefore to be taken as such. It’s very dangerous when we take rumor to be truth as this article does: “… later had grave effects for the life of a young woman…” Are you aware that an accusation is just that or do you subscribe to the “believe all women! all the time” camp?
The devil would love to destroy a man, no, a priest, such as Fr. McLucas, and to take as many souls with him in the process! Peter is right that such muckraking serves no one. Taking assertions to be true is a form of slander. Look, I am just as nosy as anyone and would love to hear from all involved parties over all the years. But then I would be making myself judge of those people. Shouldn’t we reserve that to God? At the final judgment? Meanwhile back at the Church, Jesus would love to save a man be he McLucas or Hickson or his wife (wives?) their children all those who worked with them, and you publishing this brief scandal!