4 days ago
At nan suburban New Orleans treatment chapel he erstwhile helped build successful his domiciled arsenic a Roman Catholic priest, hours aft he had been convicted connected Friday successful Texas of criminal clergy intersexual assault, Anthony Odiong’s sanction had already been removed.
But what still remained inscribed among lists of hundreds of supporters extracurricular nan Our Lady of Guadalupe treatment chapel successful Luling, Louisiana, were nan names of 2 women whom Waco, Texas, prosecutors revealed were portion of a broader group whom Odiong victimized earlier his condemnation connected charges of illicitly exploiting his belief authority arsenic a clergyman to prosecute activity pinch devout female parishioners.
The segment illustrated really nan legally adjudicated activity offender’s bequest had been erased, and now only nan survivors stood, providing a poignant coda to a high-stakes, four-day proceedings whose result near Odiong facing up to life imprisonment.
Odiong, 57, had reportedly raised astir $600,000 to conception and unfastened Luling’s Our Lady of Guadalupe chapel successful 2020, while he was nan pastor astatine nan adjacent St Anthony of Padua church. That was years earlier authorities criminally charged him successful Waco, wherever he had ministered anterior to his presence successful Luling, successful 2015.
Inscriptions connected and astir Our Lady of Guadalupe itself provided reminders of Odiong’s manus successful founding nan chapel, whose sanction commemorates reported 16th-century apparitions of nan Virgin Mary successful what is now Mexico.
One engraved quote attributed to Odiong read: “This Mission of building Mother Mary’s location successful Luling, Louisiana, is simply a labour of love.”
Another engraved quotation attributed to Odiong beseeched its reader, erstwhile distressed, to singing nan Hail Mary dream 7 times. Right beneath that quote, connected a marble pedestal, were words attributed to Jesus Christ: “I americium emotion and mercy itself. When a psyche approaches maine pinch trust, I capable it pinch specified an abundance of graces that it cannot incorporate them wrong itself, but radiates them to different souls.”
But past nan Catholic archdiocese of New Orleans, to which St Anthony belongs, announced successful late 2023 that it had suspended Odiong from nationalist ministry complete allegations of misconduct pinch aggregate women. He had besides publically made a drawstring of anti-LGBTQ+ comments to his congregation arsenic world Catholic leaders were seeking to make their religion much inclusive.
The Guardian and reporting partner WWL Louisiana past published an question and reply pinch 1 of nan women complete whom Odiong had been suspended, who met nan cleric years earlier astatine Ohio’s Franciscan University and accused him of intersexual coercion arsenic good arsenic abusive financial control.
Her communicative prompted different woman, who would later beryllium referred to successful ineligible documents arsenic Jane Doe, to interaction nan Guardian and publically recount really – while successful Waco – Odiong offered to counsel her connected marital problems that she was enduring.
She maintained that successful 2010 he successfully directed her to taxable to a shape of intercourse that was painfully uncomfortable for her for nan liking of her marriage, which yet failed. She besides revealed that Catholic religion officials whose purview included Waco had informed her that they banned Odiong nary later than 2019 from ministering successful and astir location complete misconduct allegations. They said to her that they contemporaneously – and privately – alerted their New Orleans counterparts to that decision, too, though astatine slightest 4 much years passed earlier his removal from St Anthony.
Jane Doe’s relationship to nan Guardian successful move prompted different woman, who would yet beryllium identified successful tribunal papers arsenic Mary Doe, to spell to Waco constabulary and show a past detective named Bradley DeLange that Odiong initiated a years-long intersexual narration pinch her. Mary Doe told DeLange that Odiong had done truthful successful 2008 arsenic he provided her pinch belief guidance successful nan aftermath of a tumultuous divorcement which near her pinch superior custody of 7 children – and it each but ended erstwhile her boy walked successful connected them having activity aft a family statement successful 2011.
Texas rule considers nan benignant of behaviour described by Mary Doe felony intersexual assault. And nan ensuing investigation that DeLange mounted – and Waco prosecutors Ryan Calvert and Liz Buice would later effort successful tribunal – brought him into interaction pinch Jane Doe.
DeLange besides identified respective different further Odiong accusers gathering nan ineligible modular of probable cause. Those included astatine slightest 3 Luling congregants – 2 fixed nan names Lisa Smith and Presley Jones, and different who has different been anonymous passim nan ineligible proceedings, according to shoe-leather reporting by nan Guardian successful Louisiana and names Calvert said successful tribunal during nan trial.
Importantly, nan full number of accusers was precocious capable that, nether Texas law, it did not matter really agelong agone nan crimes reported by Mary and Jane Doe occurred. Authorities truthful could – and did – charge, apprehension and effort Odiong successful relationship pinch first-degree and second-degree intersexual battle of those 2 women.
Each testified astatine Odiong’s proceedings successful downtown Waco’s courthouse. So did Lisa Smith.
Smith described nether oath really Odiong approached her arsenic she mourned complete her father’s sedate site, invited her to speak pinch him astir her mourning whenever she needed, and proceeded to buss and grope her connected consequent occasions. He made his desire for intimacy pinch her clear arsenic she assisted his efforts to build Our Lady of Guadalupe, she said – but aesculapian issues pinch which she was grappling prevented that.
The assemblage of 8 women and 4 men who deliberated Odiong’s destiny besides heard of a 2nd Luling congregant. DeLange and his colleagues obtained statements and DNA samples establishing that nan congregant had a girl pinch Odiong aft he met her successful his domiciled arsenic St Anthony’s pastor – living, breathing impervious of his shape of pursuing women whom he met done his ministry, according to testimony.
Calvert astatine 1 constituent showed jurors a image of Odiong holding his babe woman adjacent to her mother, who was fixed nan pseudonym Presley Jones. He stood wrong a religion successful nan New Orleans area wherever nan Guardian confirmed nan kid was baptized. He wore a achromatic priestly vestment that matched nan colour of nan girl’s baptismal gown and her mother’s dress.
Jurors took conscionable 2 hours connected Friday to find Odiong blameworthy of each pending charges.
He became astatine slightest nan 5th clergyman serving successful nan archdiocese of New Orleans to either plead blameworthy aliases beryllium convicted of intersexual unit since nan statement pleaded
With a sentencing shape scheduled to statesman 3 days later, fewer progressive successful Odiong’s proceedings offered nationalist reactions to nan verdict.
And it was arsenic quiet arsenic nighttime fell extracurricular Our Lady of Guadalupe astir an eight-hour thrust eastbound of Waco. Yet nan locale said it all.
The Guardian had learned and reported that section religion officials began readying to region Odiong’s sanction from nan treatment chapel arsenic his proceedings loomed. The outlet verified that officials had fulfilled those plans immoderate clip earlier Friday evening.
Black portion covered Odiong’s sanction wherever it erstwhile was inscribed, including complete nan quotes astir building Mother Mary’s location and of being emotion and mercy itself.
Some region distant nan mounting sun shone complete nan inscribed names of 2 of nan St Anthony congregants whom Waco constabulary alleged had been preyed connected by Odiong.
One was that of Lisa Smith. The different was that of nan 1 who, arsenic of Friday, has remained anonymous.
