Reverend Virgilio Elizondo, 80, a former Notre Dame Theology professor and accused sex abuser, was found dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound in his San Antonio home on Monday.
In a 1983 lawsuit brought forth by an unidentified San Antonio man, Elizondo and another priest, Rev. Jesus Armando Dominguez, were accused of sexual abuse. The Archdiocese of San Antonio was also named in the lawsuit after failing to bring to light the multiple sexual abuse incidents in their cathedrals.
The accuser originally came to Elizondo for guidance after being sexually abused on multiple occasions by Dominguez. However, instead of providing the man with the proper counsel, Elizondo allegedly fondled and kissed him. Elizondo fervently denied these allegations.
According to Thomas J. Henry, the accuser’s representation in the lawsuit, the next step in the litigation was discovery production and the taking of depositions. This step could have potentially unveiled the truth about what happened over 30 years ago.
Dominguez was found guilty on 58 criminal accounts of sexual abuse and as a result was dismissed from the church, the Los Angeles Times reports.
In 1997, nearly 14 years following these allegations, Notre Dame awarded Elizondo with the Laetare Medal – one of the most prestigious awards available to American Catholics. In 2000, he became a Theology professor at the University and most recently taught during the fall of 2014. He is still honored as “Extraordinary Faculty” on his academic page.
Elizondo was regarded as “the father of U.S. Latino religious thought.” ..Source.. by
Hunt Is On for Ex-Priest Charged in Abuse Cases
Feb 2005
A defrocked Roman Catholic priest was charged Tuesday with molesting two teenage altar boys after allegedly plying them with alcohol, cash and pornographic movies while he served parishes in Coachella and Perris in the 1980s.
Jesus "Father Jesse" Armando Dominguez, 55, allegedly abused the boys over a four-year period and faces 58 counts of sexual abuse. Dominguez was registered as a sex offender in 2001 when he was convicted of trying to take nude pictures of a 15-year-old boy from La Mirada.
Authorities believe the former priest has fled to Mexico, where he may have relatives.
"We're looking for him, working with all authorities, including Mexico," said Sgt. Earl Quinata, Riverside County Sheriff's Department spokesman. "We're putting as many resources as possible into this. Based upon his offenses, he's a priority for us."
Ordained as a priest in 1983, Dominguez took an extended personal leave in 1993 and was formally removed from the priesthood in 2000 after serving at churches in Coachella, Perris and Chino, said Father Howard Lincoln, spokesman for the San Bernardino Diocese, which oversees those cities.
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