SUBIACO, Ark. — A monk at the Subiaco Abbey has been removed after a public statement from the monastery said child abuse reports were made while the monk was receiving mental health treatment.
Because there isn’t a confirmed investigation into the former Arkansas monk at this time, 5NEWS is electing to not use his name or photo until there are official charges or a confirmed investigation by local or state authorities.
The child abuse allegations come from when the monk worked in Louisiana and Pennsylvania, said Subiaco Abbot Elijah Owens in a statement.
“Let me be clear: I have no information that any child associated in any way with our Abbey was harmed by [the monk]. [He] has been adamant that he has never abused a minor while a monk of Subiaco Abbey,” Owens said.
While there aren’t official reports of the monk abusing children at Subiaco specifically, the monastery says it is cooperating with authorities in Pennsylvania, Louisiana, and Arkansas.
From 1997 to 2017, the monk worked as a teacher at Catholic schools in Louisiana.
The man arrived at Subiaco Abbey in September 2017.
According to Abbot Owens, in recent months the man had been experiencing anxiety and stress due to family health issues.
“As is sometimes common with people who are struggling with unusual pressures —monks, included— there were aspects of life that both [he] and I recognized required the attention of trained medical, mental health, and wellness professionals,” Owens said.
The monk had agreed to take time away from Subiaco to receive mental health treatment. It was after his evaluation that the medical professionals reportedly reached out to Abbot Owens to report child abuse by the monk while he lived in Pennsylvania and Louisiana.
“I want to make known that the Abbey will not interfere with their investigations,” Owens said.
Owens also included contact information for anyone who believes they were harmed in any way by the monk while he lived in Louisiana or Arkansas.
Louisiana:
- Alexandria Police Department Detective Chad Jeansonne (318) 441-6542
- Victim Assistance Coordinator for the Diocese of Alexandria Dr. Lee Kneipp (318) 542-9805
Arkansas:
- Arkansas Hotline for Crimes Against Children (800) 482-6964
- Victim Assistance Coordinator for Subiaco Abbey Fr. Reginald Udouj, OSB (479) 438-3335
The man will reportedly not return to Subiaco and continues to receive 24-hour supervised in-patient treatment at an out-of-state facility, the monastery confirmed.
Subiaco Abbey says it will investigate the former monk “at some point” and asks anyone who thinks they or someone they know may have been abused by the monk, to come forward.
The Abbey has an External Review Board, whom Owens said he will meet with shortly to ensure their child protection policies are being followed.
The board is also independently charged with evaluating the evidence that is compiled in a case to determine the next steps while not interfering with “the potential investigations of the civil authorities.”
5NEWS has reached out to authorities in Louisiana for more information. This article will be updated as the story develops.
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