Community Corner
2 Priests Suspected of Child Abuse Worked in Wauwatosa: Church Records
David Hanser was an assistant at Christ King Parish in the late 1950s, and Daniel Budzynski was associate pastor at St. Joseph's Parish.
Two priests whose names appear on a list of priests removed or restricted from ministry because of substianted allegations of sexual abuse of minors worked in Wauwatosa parishes, according to records released Monday.
The release, partly motivated by the archdiocese's Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings, includes about 6,000 pages of documents — from personnel files of priests accused of sexual abuse to depositions of high-ranking archdiocese officials, including former archbishop Timothy Dolan.
Among the names listed are David Hanser, who was an assistant at Christ King Parish in the late 1950s, and Daniel Budzynski, who was associate pastor at St. Joseph's Parish.
The documents were selected by the abuse survivor attorneys, archdiocese chief of staff Jerry Topczewski told Patch. Though the records were released as part of a bankruptcy agreement, Topczewski stressed that releasing the files can be part of the healing process for abuse survivors.
"Ultimately, we want them to know that the church loves them," Topczewski said. "And the church owes them a debt of gratitude for having the courage to come forward."
But according to press releases from SNAP Wisconsin, the local arm of the Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests, the documents have some major implications for the archdiocese.
In one press release, SNAP Wisconsin Director John Pilmaier suggests that archdiocese officials were involved in a “criminal conspiracy” with the practice of re-assigning known offenders to churches and schools after they underwent treatment for pedophilia.
According to the press release, a group of experts with the American Psychological Association compared the practice to “giving an alcoholic a job in a bar.”
Here is what the records have to say about the priests assigned to local churches:
Robert Hanser
Hanser was an assistant at Christ King Parish from 1958 until 1960. There have been no allegations of abuse against him from his time there, but there have been reports that he took teenage boys to his cottage, along with other reports of sexual abuse.In Hanser's file, there are numerous mentions of his therapist assuring the archdiocese that he "does not present any risk to any age person with whom he might work."
Hanser retired in 2002, and he was laicized in 2005.
Daniel Budzynski
Budzynski was associate pastor at St. Joseph's Parish from 1974 to 1976. There was one report of sexual abuse by Budzynski during his time there. It was reported in 2004.His files include a 1966 letter from Budzynski requesting that he be assigned as a guidance counselor or teacher, as he has "since been especially interested in helping boys."
He later spent many years on leave and in counseling, as detailed by his timeline. Most of his treatment focused on alcoholism and his subsequent solicitation of young boys.
In 1983, there were letters expressing his therapist's belief that Budzynski should not work with children. Still, he was given other assignments in parishes until his 1995 retirement.
One document in his file lists over 42 potential victims. He was laicized in 2004.
Allegations Treated Differently Now
According to Topczewski, "no priest today can serve in ministry if there's a substantiated allegation of sex abuse."He told Patch that allegations are immediately reported to the police. If the district attorney determines that an allegation cannot be prosecuted, he said the church conducts its own investigation, headed by an independent review board and often facilitated by retired Milwaukee police detectives.
The complete documents can be viewed at the Jeff Anderson & Associates website.
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.