2 Berwyn Priests On 'Credibly Accused' List

BERWYN, PA — Several priests with connections to the Berwyn area are part of a comprehensive list of Catholic clergy who have been "credibly accused" of sexual abuse.

The searchable database — which includes hundreds of priests accused from the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, as well as dioceses in Scranton, Allentown, Pittsburgh, Harrisburg, and more — comes on the heels of a grand jury report that revealed hundreds of "predator" priests across the state.

The list, put together by Patch partner ProPublica, includes dozens of other priests who served in neighboring municipalities.

Here's the list of clergy who have worked in the Berwyn area and have been credibly accused of sexually abusing minors. Most have either passed away or been defrocked.

Gerard W. Chambers

Ordained in 1934, Chambers was the Assistant Pastor at St. Monica in Berwyn from June 1939 to June 1941.

He is deceased.

Thomas J. Wisniewski

Wisniewski was also the Assistant Pastor at St. Monica in Berwyn.

He served that role from June 1974 to November 1978.

While not laicized (defrocked), Wisniewski is listed as serving a "life of prayer and penance."

>>Full List Released Of PA Catholic Clergy Accused Of Sex Assault

The Pennsylvania grand jury investigation, which prompted ProPublica's project, was described by the Associated Press as the "biggest and most exhaustive ever" into priest sex abuse by an individual state. The investigation revealed many priests admitted to their actions and were allowed to continue in the ministry for years despite having confessed to molesting children.

>>300 PA Priests Sexually Abused 1,000 Children: Grand Jury

In one case, after a priest confessed to anal and oral rape of at least 15 boys, a bishop who later met with him commended him as "a person of candor and sincerity."

Another priest who was "grooming his middle school students for oral sex," was accused by several victims before he was removed 15 years later, the grand jury found.

The Pennsylvania grand jury report was pivotal in spurring dioceses around the country to release lists of abusers associated with their churches, ProPublica said.