Proper reporting procedures not pursued

THE victim called Philip informed Bishop John Magee in March 2002 that he had been abused by the priest in about 1936 when he was aged 12.

Philip, who had become a priest in the US before subsequently leaving the priesthood in 1970 and going on to marry and have a successful business career, contacted the diocese because he wanted to “close it out of my mind and hopefully out of my memory”.

Philip stressed that he did not consider the bishop was responsible for what had happened.

Fr Kelven died in 1988. Bishop Magee had officiated at his funeral Mass.

On the recommendation of Monsignor O’Callaghan, Bishop Magee wrote to Philip and apologised for the harm done and complimented him on the way he had dealt with the matter.

Mgr O’Callaghan informed the commission that he carried out no further inquiries about Fr Kelven’s ministry.

The commission noted that none of the proper reporting procedures were followed in the case.

However, it acknowledged that there was only limited useful information available as the priest had been dead about 14 years at the time of the complaint.

It concluded: “Nevertheless, such information as was available should have been collated in case any other complainant emerged at a later stage.”