No one believes this nonsense!

i strongly believe he is innocent.

This is utter nonsense both from the accuser (probable screwball temptress?) as well as from the Abbey itself ... for punishing someone for merely being a man doing what a man does.

Why was he transferred if it's utter nonsense? Delbarton needs an independent investigation to see if the allegations are true or false.

Parents need to be asking more questions about the culture at the abbey?

... "and trying to get the student to run away with him." Running away with a monk - now there's an exiting proposition!

It is 20012 and I find it sad that Patrick Marker has to do Abbot Giles job for him. Abbot Giles is current president of the CMSM and his ranking is no different than a high ranking cardinal. In 2002 the CMSM put in place of how the monastic community and private order institutions nationally will handle child sex abuse issues past, present and future (see cmsm.org). It is no secret of what has taken place at Delbarton during the past 30 plus years in harboring abusive priests who have access to minors at the school .

According to the website Abbott Giles was the associate weekend pastor at St. Joseph's in Mendham during the height of Fr. Hanleys Olympic sexual reign with children, victims there knew Abbot Giles just as well as they knew Fr. Hanley. Mark Serrano did the work that Bishop Rodimer should have done in supporting victims. Abbot Giles did not reach out to any of Hanleys victims who served as alter boys for him either. There was a reason that Delbarton shut down the dorms in 1982 (the same year Hanley was removed from St. Josephs) that were monitored by abbey monks one of those monks heads up the Abbey Review Board and communicated to one of the recent victims that he spoke with Abbot Giles and that Fr. Luke's behavior towards you is "unpardonable". 

This is no isolated minor incident as Abbot Giles and Br. Paul would like you to believe, this is a very serious problem that should have been addressed a long time ago. The questions that should be raised by local law officials to Abbot Giles is what information does he know about abusive priests and when did he first know? Also  how many abusive priests are at the Abbey now? If it was not for public outcry Bishop Weakland would be living in retirement at the abbey, probly writing his sequel to A Pilgrim in a Pilgrims Church, maybe Abbott Giles was going to write the forward?

Victims will typically come forward and share their abuse and confide with the highest ranking clergy member at an abbey such as we witnessed recently. How many victims have come forward during the past and talked with Abbott Giles and other leaders such as  Abbot Brian Clark who was abbot for over 20 years? How many cases have settled internally? Delbarton has the answer to these questions and more, its time to turn over all internal records, its time to stop intimidating the victims. Abbott Giles has done some great important things at Delbarton just like Joe Paterno at Penn-State. The one common thread here is their lack of moral responsibility when making a decision on protecting the institution over children.

We do not care about all the archaic legal  laws that need to change in NJ and PA. What are the moral laws that Abbot Giles lives by and leads by example? The institution comes before the protection of children is the message that is being sent by Abbot Giles and his PR team. Just like Patrick Marker has appealed to Abbot Giles to do the right thing, I appeal to you to look into the culture that has been in place at Delbarton for decades and raise the questions what changes can we be apart of to make Delbarton a healthier institution, one that believes in accountability of the protection of children past, present and future.

With all the information that has been made available and privileged information that only Abbot Giles has, what is Abbot Giles moral responsibility here? What is yours? Thank God for people like Patrick Marker who stand behind the victims and wants to make positive change. Delbarton has graduated some very high intellectual students over the years and are more than capable of forming a committee and making positive change. Change is not always easy its painful, think what these victims have been through all they want is change in protecting children first. Penn-State was not successful in making change internally. The ball is in Delbartons court to make some very important decisions here. I hope they are successful in making the right ones.

Father Giles reminds me of Joe Paterno -- arrogant, ignorant, defensive, and caring more about the institution than the children he is responsible to protect. He doesn't "turn the other cheek;" he turns a blind eye. Delbarton Dad -- if Father Giles does have a "PR team," they should be fired. As a member of the public, I'm disgusted by what he's had to say.

There is a great irony here for those who are both informed and honest. The relatively few incidents of pedophilia which are wielded by liberal elitists to broadly smear the Catholic Church, and by extension all religion, are the very results of liberal elitists taking over the leadership of the Catholic Church and other churches!

St. Mary’s Abbey was not always a haven for liberal, elitist monks. It’s almost the reverse situation of the Dark Ages, when monasteries actually protected the treasures of culture— knowledge, art, morality, civility — from the destructive barbarians. Condemn pedophilia? Of course! But place the blame for its proliferation where it belongs: squarely on the shoulders of liberal elitists who tolerate perversions in secret and, hypocritically, are outraged when it suits their agenda.

There is nothing, absolutely nothing, in Catholic doctrine condoning pedophilia or covering it up.

Yes, Mbw, that must be it! Why else would someone have a problem with a priest making sexual overtures to a pre-pubescent student, and seeing it covered up by his superior. To what do you attribute Delbarton Dad's comments? His son got a bad grade?

Delbarton is an elitist school and parents will do just about anythingbto get their son into Delbarton. In their minds it's a ticket to a great University and it's a status symbol. Fr Giles and Bro Luke were and are gatekeepers to this Mecca of priviledge. The Delbarton parents will do nothing to risk alienating Fr Giles and other shcool leaders. their sons need college referrals and references, they need to play sports etc. It is a sad situation. A few years ago a very fine Delbarton graduate was caught up in the Duke lacrosse rape allegations that were proven to be false. Giles did everything he could to defend this fine young man from this injustice. That same level of commitment must be shown to the alleged victims at Delbarton. Transparency is the antiseptic needed to heal this matter.

That same level of commitment must be shown to the falsely accused.

Exactly depending on the truth there can be different victims

To me, it's very simple. Of course, the CC doesn't condone pedophilia. Duh. But it has had an entirely inadequate response to the instances in its midst, and hasn't looked into the "why" of what is happening (and has been happening for CENTURIES) and Father Giles's "inappropriate boundaries" comment is emblematic of that. It's so easy to say that "outside influences" have perverted the Church, i.e. "liberal elitists," but the fact of the matter is that the church IS the people who comprise it, and that has always been the case. Admit it is flawed.

For me, allowing a married father of four to be a priest in my parish (converted Presbyterian or something) but not allowing devout, celibate women to be priests was really the last straw. The CC likes its dogma more than Christ's true principles. It can never see the forest from the trees.

Tom, it sounds to me like you're looking for someone to blame for the near-demise of the Church's respectability. I'm half expecting to hear from you that this all that Arab Muslim Obama's fault.

Tom - You're getting closer, though it's hardly one facet I object to. The married priest with kids was the last straw, not the only one. I haven't bashed the Catholic Church anywhere here, just the louts that seem to be running the show. You say "Catholicism isn't about who gets to the priest." That may be true, but the Church is all about who is the priest.

Shane, TheMan crossed the line by attacking my faith in a very egregious manner. If he wrote it as graffitte on my churches door it would be a hate crime. I agree with everyones right to criticize the church leadership for the awful and horrendous handling of the pedophile tragedy. I too have openly criticized them.

Tom - I like Saint Thomas Aquinas, but I like Uta Ranke-Heineman, too. That pretty much sums it up about me.

Any day now ...

I find it appalling that anyone on any side of this issue can jump into a political rampage over it. What the hell does any of this have to do with "liberals" or otherwise? I certainly hope we can all agree that everyone, regardless of political bias or religious affiliation wants to ensure our children are safe from sexual predators. Conversely, I think we can agree that no one wants to see a falsely accused man hung in a witch hunt - take a deep breath, everyone.

It's no attack on the school or Catholicism to assert that allegations such as these should be taken seriously, and investigated accordingly.

For the record, I don't have kids at Delbarton, nor do I have kids who have applied there as they are toddlers. I've had friends attend who loved it, and would consider it an option for my own assuming I could afford it and they could get in. But I sure as hell want to make sure that the people who are running ANY school I consider for my boys take this issue very, very seriously.

i think the issue is the term liberal vs conservative, which we equate to a point on the political spectrum. I see it differenly when we speak about the interpretation of biblical principles and Church teachings. Their is no question that the seminaries in the 60's and 70's and perhaps beyond, took a very so called progressive approach to Church teachings. The requirements to become a Priest became lax. The Vatican tired to rein in the US Bishops in this regards and have made progress. That said I have no idea if this happened as well in Ireland, where pedophile priests really did tremendous damage.

Can someone tell how and if Delbarton explained this to the parent/students? Did they call or have a parent meeting at the school or did they get the information from SL?

Is it true that he taught classes last year until June? If so I think parents should be asking questions to why he was not removed.

It is unfortunately true that Luke is a child molester and has hit on many boys around the world I am told!

ok guys get ready for more coming about Luke because I see articles all over the net each and every day with proof he is a molester!

I am not shocked at all. My buddies went to Delby and also were molested and are afraid to this day to come out and say it. Under the Green Wave. COM is the site that shows EVERY MONK up there now was accused so far! Good record!

Does anyone know what Delby is telling the parents n students? What is the press release?