Seattle Archdiocese settles sex abuse lawsuit
»Play Video
SEATTLE -- The Seattle Archdiocese will pay $635,000 to settle a sex abuse lawsuit that was heading for trial.
Rolfe Eckmann claimed he was abused in the mid-80s by Jim Funnell, who is a former youth minister at Saint John Vianney.
He says the Archdiocese hired Funnell without a background check at the same time that the church was implementing its sex abuse prevention policies.
"They certainly didn't handle it well when I was a child in the eighties," Eckmann said.
Eckmann says he fought inner demons and turned to drugs and suicide attempts as the years went on from the abuse as a teen. In the last few years he learned it all could have been stopped and church reform came too late. That's why he sued and why he believes the archdiocese settled out of court.
Greg Magnoni at the Archdiocese said in a statement: "Always glad to reach a settlement. Pleased that they reached a settlement that was fair and just. Glad to be able to bring closure to the victim."
Eckmann just wants more people to come forward and not be afraid to step from the shadows.
"I'm being taken seriously, and I'm being heard and I'm being believed," he said.
Rolfe Eckmann claimed he was abused in the mid-80s by Jim Funnell, who is a former youth minister at Saint John Vianney.
He says the Archdiocese hired Funnell without a background check at the same time that the church was implementing its sex abuse prevention policies.
"They certainly didn't handle it well when I was a child in the eighties," Eckmann said.
Eckmann says he fought inner demons and turned to drugs and suicide attempts as the years went on from the abuse as a teen. In the last few years he learned it all could have been stopped and church reform came too late. That's why he sued and why he believes the archdiocese settled out of court.
Greg Magnoni at the Archdiocese said in a statement: "Always glad to reach a settlement. Pleased that they reached a settlement that was fair and just. Glad to be able to bring closure to the victim."
Eckmann just wants more people to come forward and not be afraid to step from the shadows.
"I'm being taken seriously, and I'm being heard and I'm being believed," he said.
Maybe this is just a thing with Saint John Vianney. Back in the 80's, the local Little League was promised perpetual use of the four ball fields at the seminary and use of a meeting room for $1/year as contrition for sexual abuse of alter boys at Saint John Vianney. Then there was a change of archbishops and the Little League was kicked out of the meeting room.
Â
Saint John Vianney used the chapel at the seminary for their church. We were told that the building was unsafe and Saint John Vianney parish would have to build a new church. Of course, that was a big lie. The building, without modifications, is now home to Bastyr University.
Â
Bastyr University tore out the baseball fields for student housing (one field was replaced).
Â
So much for contrition. I am sure Archbishop Hunthousen feels he is absolved for his sin, but the church didn't keep its faith with the community.
Â
Note that the offending priest was just reassigned to another parish, only to be prosecuted for raping children two decade laters. I wonder what happened to the alter boys?
 @A.V. Thank you for this. The abuse of our son took place in 1986
Â
Why should you be able to write off money given to churches as a tax deduction? This pre tax welfare is not being used as a charity. Ending all government support of all religious organizations would be the only fair way to ensure that the government is not supporting the churches that abuse the tax breaks.Â
If they do charity work let them set up a charity.
The Catholic church has a history of repressing its priests, this is why the incidence of harming children is lower in the eastern orthodox, where priests can marry. Also in protestant churches. Do away with celebacy for priests.Â
 @NorthwestEconomist The person in question was a youth minister. The priests, when there are problems are reassigned to another area. Sad but true.
 @bj There is an over-arching culture of sexual repression within the catholic church, and it's quite possible this "youth minister" was on track to eventually become a priest at the time.Â
Yes maybe so. He did change his name to Fionnghael. I am sad for the other kids he may have harmed.
Thank you Mr Humbert, for handling this interview with my son with grace and integrity. He considers your article and interview to be closure for him. Being able to tell his story is tremendously healing to him and brings to me as his mom the peace that his story that was s long time coming is out and visible for other moms. The signs that my child was possibly abused came from a story in a newspaper that I found when he was 13.
Â
Kids do not talk. Here are some warning signals that were in the article.
Â
*An adult wants to consume all of a child's time arranging an endless round of activities for him.
Â
*The adult's whole life is wrapped up in his young charges and he has no other interests or activities with other adults
Â
* The adult wishes to take the child to his home.
Â
*A child suddenly doesn't want to play a sport anymore is terse about why.
Â
*The child can't sleep, is worried or preoccupied starts to isolate himself from others, starts haivng night mares or confusion about sexual identity. His grades may start dropping or he shows a dramatic change in behavior or loss of self esteem.
Â
This was happening in our home and we recognized the signs. For us an honor student was nearly failing, his hygiene was deteriorating and he was angry. Please be aware from one mom to another. We were aware and yet my son was in denial and secretive.
Â
I am so proud of my son. It is a miracle he is alive and is brave enough to tell his story. I hope you all get to meet him someday. So thank you Mr Humbert, for helping him tell his story.
Proud Mom
Â
Â
 @bj Thank you. Heal well and fast. I am so sorry this took so long. My daughter, 14 JUST told me about something when she was little. I thought she told me everything, always, sometimes to the point my thoughts were "wow, TMI" but there is no such thing as too much information. I noticed changes and asked, she denied anything. When we left the state for vacation she told me. I guess she felt "safe" as we were over 2000 miles away. She doesn't remember a lot.
My heart hurts for her. She is getting help. At first I just wanted to know who, so I could go find them and tear their head off, but I realized that she needs ME here, with her always. I HAVE to do it right.
You did it right. I am proud of all of you.
Take Care, again thank you for listing some of the warning signs.Â
 @Yeah_andÂ
I wish you and your daughter well and I am so sorry that you are having to deal with the pain of a daughter so cherished. Thank you for sharing with me. As a mom I couldn't protect my child. It is an encouragement to me that you were an informed parent. Please pass the warning signs to every mom and dad you can. That article that I read many years ago and the one Mr Humbert shared with you may start the process of healing for one more child.Â
 @bj Thank you for sharing this difficult subject and experience.
"Always glad to reach a settlement" ? Sounds like "always glad to have served a customer". I guess the word "always" makes it routine. What does it take to reform the catholic church and get rid of celibacy?
Simply settling abuse cases with the money of the parishoners, who would NEVER condone such behavior, does NOTHING to change the root cause and end the cycles of abuse or truly hold these animals accountable. I consider myself a believer and I was raised Catholic, but I walked away from the Church because of their decisions to continually sweep abuse under the rug, hide the pedophile priests in other parishes and simply pay through the nose while insisting victims remain silent. It's sickening and it needs to end. All Catholics should rise up against the powers that make these decisions. Withhold all donations until they deal with this problem once and for all. Do God's good works in your own neighborhoods, schools, and communities. Give your tithes to local food banks, shelters and senior centers and STOP contributing to the payouts of deception and hypocrisy !!!
 @takncarabizniz Very well said. I was raised catholic and still believe..but not in THIS! I will not give them a dime. I will and have been doing as you say, giving to charities..well my own family has been one giant charity recently, but I will and do when I can. I remember an old catholic woman saying to me "Throw your money in the air, what ever God wants, he can keep, whatever falls on the ground is yours." For some reason that just stuck with me.
I do not need the church to be a good catholic and I do not need a "reason" like going to heaven to live my life as a good person. I no longer feel like I left the Church, I feel like they left us.
 @takncarabizniz So can we withhold our school taxes to punish the schools until they get their sex offender problem straightened out?
 @Gino  @takncarabizniz The ENTIRE world has a sex offender problem. Your comment made no sense to me at all.
 @Gino  @takncarabizniz Thank you for clarifying. I guess I just don't see the Church doing as much good with money as schools and other organizations. I didn't mean to sound like a bi@#.Â
Take Care
 @Yeah_and  @takncarabizniz Takn was stating that Catholics should withhold donations to the Catholic church until they church deals with the abuse problem. I was merely pointing out that was a somewhat silly idea because, as you said, the entire world has a sex offender problem. If they withhold donations to an organization that as a whole is good they can also justify withholding funds from another organization that has similar issues.
 @takncarabizniz I agree, you do not need the Church to be a good catholic.