A Louisiana church is facing severe criticism after its weekly bulletin asked congregants to pray for a former pastor recently sentenced to life in prison for sexual assault, while omitting any mention of his victims.
St. Anthony of Padua's community in Luling included Anthony Odiong in its mass intentions for June 14, following his conviction in Waco, Texas, for criminal clergy sexual assault against former congregants.
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The bulletin listing prompted immediate backlash from survivors of the disgraced Roman Catholic priest, who used his spiritual authority to exploit multiple women in Texas and Louisiana.
Kristi Schubert, an attorney representing one of the affected women, expressed deep disapproval of the parish's decision to exclude a general prayer intention for the victims.
"Unfortunately, I'm not even surprised because abusive priests – even those who have been convicted of sexual abuse – are regularly given a level of public support that the victims can only dream of receiving," Schubert said.
The legal representative noted that such public displays of support for abusers can actively discourage other victims from coming forward to authorities.
"Intentional or not, it sends a message to survivors of abuse who may be considering coming forward.
It says, 'If you come forward, your abuser will be supported, and you will be forgotten,'" Schubert added.
Victims Speak Out
One of the primary victims from the Waco trial, identified as Mary Doe, issued a public statement on Tuesday regarding the parish's actions.
The survivor emphasized that while praying for the convicted priest is acceptable, the recovery of the victims and the congregation must be prioritized.
"Any other mass intention is a grievous scandal after his criminal conviction," Mary Doe said.
Another victim involved in the Texas criminal proceedings expressed a different emotional reaction to the church bulletin, citing sadness rather than anger.
She warned that the local communities have not yet fully processed the manipulation they experienced from the former clergyman, noting that "a lot of people have yet to reckon with [the] fact."
According to her statement, the eventual realization of his actions will cause widespread distress among the parishioners.
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Advocacy groups also condemned the church leadership for failing to publicly recognize the trauma experienced by the survivors.
"A parish that can publicly intercede for an [adjudicated] abuser but cannot bring itself to name or pray for his victims sends a clear message, whether it intends or not: that the comfort of the community and the reputation of the church matter more than the cries of the wounded," said Letitia Peyton, Executive Director of TentMakers.
Peyton, who runs the non-profit organization supporting Catholic clergy abuse survivors, stated that the church must change its focus to be a place where the tears of victims are seen and heard first.
Following inquiries from journalists, the Archdiocese of New Orleans confirmed that the controversial bulletin was removed from the parish website.
The archdiocese stated that the prayer request was submitted by a regular parishioner based on Catholic theological principles of mercy.
"While there is much pain in the [church] from all this, they are certainly praying for all who were hurt by Odiong's actions, including primarily the women and their families," an archdiocese spokesperson said.
The official statement noted that New Orleans Archbishop James Checchio has directed the local pastor to explicitly include the abuse survivors in upcoming parish prayers.
The church authority also expressed its formal denunciation of the crimes revealed during the criminal trial in Texas.
"What Odiong is convicted of is reprehensible, and we are disgusted by the behavior revealed in trial," the spokesperson added.
A state jury in Waco convicted Odiong of first- and second-degree sexual assault, resulting in a life sentence with parole eligibility after 30 years and $30,000 in fines.
The trial featured testimony from multiple devout women, including St. Anthony congregants Lisa Smith and Presley Jones, the latter of whom had a child with Odiong in 2023.
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Prior to the bulletin controversy, Odiong's name was removed from a local chapel as part of a $305 million bankruptcy settlement involving the New Orleans archdiocese and abuse survivors.
