UPDATE: Two priests named in letter have ties to Roanoke

Roanake, Virginia --  has confirmed that two of the priests listed in the letter released by the Diocese of Richmond have served in Roanoke-area churches.

Dennis Paul Murphy, Steven R. Rule, Dwight Edward Shrader, James Lee Rizer and Eugene John Teslovic were all named in the release and have ties to Southwest and Central Virginia.

Rule served at St Andrews in Roanoke. Rizer served at Our Lady of Nazareth when it was located in downtown Roanoke.

All of the priests are either dead or have been suspended or removed from the priesthood.

The Catholic Church has released a list with the names of clergy members who have a credible and substantiated claim of sexual abuse against a minor, according to Bishop Barry Knestout, head of the Diocese of Richmond which encompasses Southwest Virginia.

Several of the clergy members on the list are no longer serving and others are deceased.

In a letter to Catholics released Wednesday the Bishop of the Richmond Diocese said the following: 
"I express my deep gratitude to the victims and survivors that have come forward and for your patience as we prepared this list," Knestout said.
"As your bishop, I am called to be a good shepherd, attentive to the care and needs of all our people, especially the most vulnerable. Therefore, I asked for an independent and comprehensive review of clergy personnel files, and the files from the Diocesan Safe Environment Office and the Diocesan Review Board."

List of Clergy (Updated February 15, 2019) 

Priests of the Catholic Diocese of Richmond

Name of Priest     Status (2)
Beardsley, Frederick James    Suspended/Deceased
Blankenship, John Paul    Convicted/Laicized
Bostwick, John Raymond    Removed
Butler, John Robert    Laicized
Dozier, Carroll T. (1)    Deceased
Goff, Richard Bernard    Laicized
Goodman, Julian B.    Removed
Hesch, John Beaman    Deceased
Higgins, Philip J.    Removed/Deceased
Leonard, John E.    Convicted/Removed/Deceased
Leveille, Roland Edmund    Dispensed/Deceased
Majewski, Joseph B.    Suspended
McConnell, James Henry (1)    Deceased
Murphy, Dennis Paul    Suspended
Pham, Joseph Thang Xuan    Suspended
Rizer, James Lee(1)    Deceased
Rodriquez, Oscar Alexander “Paul”    Convicted
Rule, Steven R.    Suspended
Shrader, Dwight Edward    Laicized/Deceased
Teslovic, Eugene John    Removed 

Priests ordained in the Catholic Diocese of Richmond, alleged to have committed abuse in the present-day territory of the Catholic Diocese of Richmond and later incardinated to the Catholic Diocese of Arlington, or alleged to have committed abuse in both dioceses.

Findlay, Harris Markham (1)    Deceased
Kamerdze, Paul Jude (1)    Deceased
Krafcik, Andrew William Paul    Laicized
Munley, John Joseph (1)    Deceased
Nudd, Robert Eugene (1)    Deceased
Rea, John (1)    Deceased
Reinecke, William Thomas (1)    Deceased
Ryder, Austin Lewis    Deceased
Religious and Priests of Other Dioceses with allegations of abuse that occurred in the Catholic Diocese of Richmond
Name of Priest/ Religious    Status (2)    Religious, Other Diocese
Bourbon, Francis C., S.J.    Deceased    Jesuit
Brady, Martin D., T.O.R.    Deceased    Franciscan
Burkhardt, Gordian, O.S.B. (1)    Deceased    Benedictine
Earley, Richard R., S.S.J.    Deceased    Josephite
George, Frederick, O.S.B.    Removed    Benedictine
George, George    Convicted    Maronite
Melody, Roland (Owen John), m.s.ss.t    Convicted    Trinitarian
Philben, Francis M., C.S.Sp. (1)    Deceased    Holy Ghost
Ryan, Paul David    Convicted/ Removed    Ballarat, Australia
Smalls, Oliver Joseph    Unknown    Belize, S. A

Religious and Priests of Other Dioceses with allegations of abuse elsewhere, who worked in the Catholic Diocese of Richmond

Burton, Charles Jeffries, S.J.    Removed/Deceased    Jesuit
Dyer, Bernardine George, O.P.    Dismissed/Deceased    Dominican Friar
Fedor, James    Laicized    Scranton
Ludwig, Augustine, O.S.B.    Abandoned Ministry/Deceased    Benedictine
Scales, Donald, O.S.B.    Deceased    Benedictine

Notes:

(1) – The allegation of abuse was made after the priest’s death.
(2)– A glossary of terms used is included with the Frequently Asked Questions.