I, Diane Toler, of 1020 Cardinal Lane, Cherry Hill, New Jersey, affirm the following:
On January 12, 2002, I wrote a letter to Father Dominic Carey of the Society of St. John. A copy of this letter is attached. [See below.] At the time, my husband and I were continuing to receive requests for donations from the Society. My knowledge of the allegations of sexual misconduct prompted me to write the letter.
On February 12, 2002, I received a phone call from Father Dominic Carey. He expressed concern about the allegations and said he wanted to respond. He said the rumors about the Society were very damaging to their work and that he wished people would speak to the Society about these rumors instead of just assuming they were true.
Father Carey gave his explanation about the first two points in the letter regarding the misapplication of funds for the College of St. Justin Martyr and the inflated price of the Shohola property.
Father Carey then answered the third allegation. He stated that some Society priests did, indeed, sleep with young boys. He said that this was no secret and that they had no reason to hide this or deny this. Father said that this was Father Urrutigoity's method of having the Society priests bond with boys. Father Carey said that there was nothing sexual about this. He said that in many societies in other times and places, including Ireland, it was common for men to share beds. He said that there is nothing wrong with this and we in America at this time are upset about it only because we are seeing it through the eyes of a sexually promiscuous society. I told Father Carey that, given the problems in the Church today with molestation of teenage boys by homosexual priests, this practice of sleeping with boys was not very prudent. He restated that nothing sexual was happening. When I told him that teenage boys were easily aroused sexually and that this sleeping with the priests was an occasion of sin, he replied that it would only be an occasion of sin if the boys were sleeping with women, since men are naturally attracted to women. For two men to sleep together is not an occasion of sin, since there is no natural attraction between men. Father Carey also told me that if I would go to St. Gregory's Academy on any given night, I would probably find boys sharing beds. He said he couldn't swear to it, but that it was just natural for the boys to do this: that two boys may be studying together and just naturally fall asleep with each other. He said that it was all very innocent.
These are my recollections of my conversation with Father Carey.
Signed by Diane L. Toler
Dated May 6, 2002
Subscribed and sworn before me this 6th day of May, 2002, in Cherry Hill, New Jersey.
Signed by Cesar Lorenzana
Notary Public, Camden County, New Jersey
Letter from Mrs. Toler to Father Carey
January 12, 2002
Rev. Dominic Carey
Society of St. John
702 Route 434
Shohola, PA 18458
Dear Father Carey:
My husband and I are the recipients of mailings from your society. We have considered making a donation and even visited your chapel for Mass several times last summer.
However, there are currently rumors circulating about the Society, and we are concerned that they may be true, though we certainly hope that they are not. The first has to do with the misapplication of funds intended for the college. The second rumor is that, despite advice to the contrary, you purchased your property at an inflated price and that it will cost a small fortune to make it usable for your purposes. The last rumor is the worst. It is alleged that men and/or boys are sleeping together in the same beds. All of these, particularly the last, if found to be true and made public, would be a terrible blow to our holy Church, as well as to all Catholics with an affection for the Ancient Rite.
Please assure us that there is no truth to these matters.
