LC Catholic Diocese releases list of priests accused of sexual misconduct with minors

On Thursday, the Diocese of Las Cruces released the names of 28 priests and religious “credibly accused” of sexual misconduct with minors.

Of the 28 priests on the list, 12 of them have died, according to the Diocese. Four of the priests have been “laicized,” meaning they have been dismissed from their clerical state.

Some of the accusations were before the Diocese of Las Cruces was established in 1982, however, “the individuals are included because they served in the Diocese of Las Cruces at some point,” according to the Diocese.

“By publishing this list, the Diocese of Las Cruces is seeking to be transparent and accountable,” Bishop Gerald Kicanas wrote in a news release. “We invite anyone who may have been abused by church personnel to come forward and report that abuse to the proper authorities.”

According to the Diocese, the list “contains priests and religious who have been credibly accused of sexual abuse of minors and who have served in parishes located within the territorial limits of the Diocese of Las Cruces before and after its creation.”

“Some of the accusations have arisen when the accused were working in the Southern New Mexico and others are related to accusations made in another diocese,” The Las Cruces Catholic Diocese further stated.

1) Santiago Almaguer (Diocese of El Paso)
– Date of alleged incident: 1975-1978
– Date of Report: 2012
– Assignments in Las Cruces Diocese: (1978) Our Lady of Health, Las Cruces

2) Daniel R. Barfield
– Date of alleged incident: 1990
– Date of Report: 2013
– (Died: 2003)
– Assignments in Las Cruces Diocese:
1985-1990 Holy Family, Deming
1990-2003 St. Jude, Alamogordo

3) David Bentley
– Date of alleged incident: 1998-2000
– Date of Report: 2018
– Assignments in Las Cruces Diocese: 1998-2002 Holy Family, Deming
– Diocese: Bentley’s inclusion on the list is based upon complaints in the Diocese of Albany and not upon the veracity of any complaints in the Diocese of Las Cruces. Bentley is the subject of an unresolved lawsuit filed in 2018 alleging abuse at a parish in Deming.

4) Bernard Bissonnette
– Date of alleged incident: 1983
– Date of Report: 1989
– Laicized: 2005
– Died: 2008
– Assignments in Las Cruces Diocese:
– 1981-1984 St. Eleanor, Ruidoso
– 1984 Immaculate Heart of Mary, Las Cruces
– 1985-1987 St. Jude, Alamogordo
– 1988-1992 Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Truth or Consequences

5) Albert Chavez
– Date of alleged incident: 1984
– Date of report: 2002
– Died: 1996
– Assignments in Las Cruces Diocese:
– 1977-1983 Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Truth or Consequences
– 1984-1985 Our Lady of Purification

6) Wilfred Diamond
– Date of alleged incident 1987-1988
– Date reported: 2013
– Died:1995
– Assignments in Las Cruces Diocese:
– 1965-1988 St. Jude, Alamogordo

7) Miguel Esquivel
– No Claims in Diocese of Las Cruces
– List of Credibly Accused in Diocese of San Angelo
– Assignments in Las Cruces Diocese:
– 1996 La Tuna Prison Chaplain

8) Dennis Fountain
– Date of alleged incident: 1960
– Date of report: 2009
– Died: 2013
– Assignments in Las Cruces Diocese:
– 1992-1995 St. Peter, Roswell
– 1992-1999 St. John, Roswell
– 1994-1995 Immaculate Conception, Dexter
– 1999-2000 St. Peter, Roswell
– 2000-2001 St. Anthony, Artesia
– 2001-2008 St. Helena, Hobbs

9) Samuel Garcia
– Date of alleged incident: 1977
– Date of report: 1996
– Laicized: 2007
– Assignments in Las Cruces Diocese:
– 1971-1977 Our Lady of Fatima, Bayard
– 1979 Infant Jesus, Hurley
– 1982-1983 St. Joseph, Lordsburg
– 1984-1985 St. Joseph, Fairacres
– 1987-1991 St. Martin de Porres, Sunland Park
– 1992-1993 St. Joseph, Lordsburg

10) Kerry Guillory (Diocese of El Paso)
– Date of alleged incident: 1975-1978
– Date of report: 2007
– Assignments in Las Cruces Diocese:
– 1972-1974 St. Edwards School, Carlsbad
– 1972 San Jose, Carlsbad
– 1975-1978 Catholic Youth Organization, Carlsbad

11) David Holley (Diocese of Worcester)
– Date of alleged incident: 1972-1974
– Date of report: 1993
– Convicted: 1993
– Died: 2008
– Assignments in Las Cruces Diocese: 1972-1975 St. Jude Alamogordo

12) Irving Klister (Archdiocese of Santa Fe)
– Date of alleged incident: 1950s
– Date of report: 1993
– Deceased
– Assignments in Las Cruces Diocese:
– Holy Family, Deming
– 1968 Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Truth or Consequences

13) Laurier Labreche (Archdiocese of Santa Fe)
– Date of alleged incident: 1967
– Date of report: 2002
– Assignments in Las Cruces Diocese: 1962-1968 St. Eleanor, Ruidoso

14) Wayne Ladenburger (Franciscan)
– No Claims in Diocese of Las Cruces
– Arrested in Idaho
– Laicized: 1996
– Assignments in Las Cruces Diocese:
– 1969-1970 Holy Cross Retreat Center, Las Cruces
– 1969-1970 St. Albert, Las Cruces

15) Rosario Lopez (Diocese of El Paso)
– Date of alleged incident: 1974
– Date of report: 2010
– Assignments in Las Cruces Diocese: 1974 St. Genevieve, Las Cruces

16) Richard P. Lynch
– Date of alleged incident: 1971,1982
– Date of report: 1992
– Removed From Ministry: 1992
– Died: 2017
– Assignments in Las Cruces Diocese:
– 1967-1970 San Jose, La Mesa
– 1975-1977 Our Lady of Health, Las Cruces
– 1977-1978 Immaculate Conception, Alamogordo
– 1981-1983 Our Lady of Purification, Doña Ana
– 1983-1985 St. Thomas Aquinas, Lovington
– 1985-1987 Our Lady of Perpetual Help, T or C
– 1987-1990 St. Vincent de Paul, Silver City
– 1990-1992 Our Lady of Purification, Doña Ana

17) Manuel Perez Maramba (Diocese of El Paso)
– Dates of alleged incidents: 1976-1977
– Dates of reports: 2004-2012
– Current status: Living in Philippine Islands
– Assignments in Las Cruces Diocese:
– 1976 St. Francis Newman Center, Silver City
– 1976-1977 St. Genevieve, Las Cruces

18) Phillip Martin
– Date of alleged incident: 1984
– Date of report: 2002
– Assignments in Las Cruces Diocese: 1983-1984 NMMI, Roswell

19) Diego Mazon (Archdiocese of Santa Fe)
– Date of alleged incident: 1974
– Date of report: 2004
– Assignments in Las Cruces Diocese: 1972-1977 St. John Parish, Roswell

20) Arthur C. Morgan
– Date of alleged incident: 1973
– Date of report: 2013
– Died: 2007
– Assignments in Las Cruces Diocese:
– 1968-1971 Our Lord of Mercy, Hatch
– 1971-1991 San Isidro, Garfield

21) Arthur O’Sullivan (Diocese of El Paso)
– Date of alleged incident: 1950s
– Date of report: 1993
– NO CURRENT STATUS LISTED
– Assignments in Diocese of Las Cruces: Holy Family, Deming

22) Bruno Primavera
– Date of alleged incident: 1990
– Date of report: 1990, 2016
– Died: 2006
– Assignments in Diocese of Las Cruces:
– 1989-1990 NMMI, Roswell
– 1989-1990 Assumption, Roswell

23) Casilda Pudei (Archdiocese of Santa Fe)
– Date of alleged incident: 1957
– Date of report: 1993
– Died: 1987
– Assignments in Diocese of Las Cruces: 1956-1957 St. Edward’s School, Carlsbad

24) Frank Sierra (Archdiocese of Santa Fe)
– No Claims in Diocese of Las Cruces
– On Archdiocese of Santa Fe’s List of Credibly Accused
– Assignments in Las Cruces Diocese:
– 1962 Immaculate Conception, Alamogordo
– 1962-1968 Our Lady of Fatima, Bayard

25) Benjamin Silva
– No Claims in Diocese of Las Cruces
– On Archdiocese of Santa Fe’s List of Credibly Accused
– Assignments in Las Cruces Diocese:
– 1983 St. Thomas More, Chaparral
– 1984-1985 Immaculate Conception, Berino
– 1986 Holy Cross, Las Cruces

26) Dennis Tejada
– Date of alleged incident: 1973
– Date of report: 2002
– Laicized: 2007
– Assignments in Las Cruces Diocese:
– 1976-1981 St. Thomas more, Chaparral
– 1982-1989 Our Lady of Guadalupe, Hobbs
– 1990 St. Genevieve, Las Cruces
– 1991 Sta. Rosa de Lima, las Cruces
– 1992-1993 Our Lady of Purification, Doña Ana
– 1994-1996 Our Lady of Perpetual Help, T or C

27) John Tickle
– Date of alleged incident: 1976-77
– Date of report: 2004
– Removed: 2004
– Assignments in Las Cruces Diocese:
– 1984 Immaculate Heart of Mary, LC
– 1985 St. Francis Newman Center, Silver City
– 1985-1993 St. Albert Newman Center, Las Cruces
– 1999-2000 Immaculate Heart of Mary, Las Cruces

28) David Viramontes
– Date of alleged incident: 1986
– Date of report: 2012
– Died: 1997
– Assignments in Las Cruces Diocese:
– 1985-1988 St. Genevieve, Las Cruces
– 1992-1997 St. Joseph, Fairacres

Victims of sexual abuse by clergy or church personnel are first encouraged to contact law enforcement.

However, they can also call the victim assistant coordinator at the diocese, Margarita Martinez. Her phone number is (575) 523-7577 and her email is mmartinez@rcdlc.org.