He got to them at Arrow Bear Camp, in his car, in hotel rooms, in his office at St. John Bosco School, in family homes, now Motion to Strike April 1st

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By Kay Ebeling
Catholic Church Attorneys try again to have civil cases against them thrown out of court next week in a hearing that was first on calendar April 7th then moved up to March 19th, then slipped to March 21st. Now the Motion to Strike hearing takes place on April Fools’ Day. First jury trial in LA regarding a Salesian pedophile priest is still on calendar April 14th.

Re Father Titian Miani: “The first documented incident of child molestation took place in 1947," reads a plaintiff motion from June 2007. "On a retreat with other clerics Miani ‘attempted a dishonest act’ with a 13 year old boy who ‘knew how to resist.’ (Salesians try again to have the 1947 exhibit dismissed in hearings on motions in limine April 10th.)

In Miani’s personnel file translated into English are several documents from the 1940s from reverends and others with very Italian names that City of Angels unfortunately did not copy into notes last June.

“Still he was ordained in 1955 into the Salesian order."

Once Titian (Jim) Miani came to St. John Bosco in 1958 he immediately began molesting children

His file includes a case of Father Jim “having his hand on a boy’s crotch. . ."

At the Bellflower high school, "Miani immediately began molesting children and tartgeted 8th grader Plaintiff (Ron H). Despite the so-called Salesian “mantra” of “no two alone,” Miani repeatedly isolated Ron, abusing him in his “off limits” bedroom in the priests’ quarters, as well as on a trip to the Salesian campsite at Arrow Bear. (as exhibited in Declarations and depositions attached)

Ron reported the abuse to a priest.

“No one stepped in to save Ron,” continues the plaintiffs’ motion.

Salesian Clergymen “are quite possibly the most dangerous and despicable child molesters in the Catholic clergy.”

Today’s Salesian Society has made a mockery of Giovanni Melchior Bosco’s “dedication to guide and protect vulnerable youth in 19th Century Italy” by knowingly permitting its priests to engage in egregious and outrageous practices towards children in their parishes.

Father Titan Miani.
Brother John Verhart.
Brother Anthony Juarez.
Brother Mark Epperson.
and Fr Larry Lorenzoni
As well as every Salesian Priest and Brother who knew of their habitual molestation of children --

-- used and manipulated the respect and reverence given to Catholic clergy in order to prey on innocent young boys and girls.

II:: THE NUMEROUS REPEATED, EGREGIOUS ACTS OF SALESIAN CLERGY CLEARLY ESTABLISH A PRIMA FACIE CASE

Quotes from earlier plaintiff documents in upcoming Salesians trial continue:

Miani worked at Salesian High School in Richmond until 1968 and then came back to St. John Bosco to “once again to work under his friend and Director, Father John Malloy.”

Miani was promoted to Prefect as well as Latin teacher.

Miani molested at least one more boy and two females who are all plaintiffs here now in this case. Plus other victims who are witnesses.

He got to them at Arrow Bear Camp, in hotel rooms on overnight stays, in his car on trips to Sebastopol, in Miani’s office during the school day, behind closed doors at St. John Bosco School. And in the family homes.

Malloy obviously knew about Miani’s proclivities in 1967, as shown by his letters, argue the plaintiffs.

“Despite 20 years of knowledge that Miani was a dangerous pedophile, the Salesian Order allowed Miani to leave the Salesians “for personal reasons.”

He then went to the Stockton Diocese in 1974 and nobody warned anybody in advance.

Titian Miani was finally arrested in 2003 and released weeks later due to the Stogner Decision.

“To this day, Father John Malloy states that since Miani was such a ‘model priest’ that he never had any reason to read his personnel file.”

City of Angels Blog will be there to cover the motion to strike April 1st -- if it happens -- pretrial motions April 10 and 11, and the jury trial April 14th.

Onward. . .