Wednesday, March 25, 2026: I stand with Dolores Huerta and all others who are speaking out.
The first part of today's meditation was written by my friend and fellow seminarian Vince Pérez. Vince was a quiet and intense young man who attracted the attentions of our prefect of discipline, Father Maria Cimmarusti. During his life as a priest, Father Mario may have molested more than 250 young men ages 14 - 18. In this reflection Vince Perez discusses the news about Cesar Chavez and his molestation and rape of young girls and women.
" I write as a former Catholic and survivor of clergy sexual abuse during my four years at St. Anthony’s Seminary in Santa Barbara, where I was a minor seminarian. In 1968, after Cesar Chavez’s weeks-long fast, he came to St. Anthony’s to recover. As one of the infirmarians, I brought some of his meals and would occasionally chat with him after classes. At that time, he represented a powerful example of nonviolent struggle and spiritual dedication, especially after his public fast and the attention it drew from church leaders and the wider public.
Recent reports that Cesar Chavez sexually abused Dolores Huerta and other young women have been deeply traumatic for me. Learning that a figure I once admired—and briefly helped during his recovery—is now credibly accused of rape, grooming, and exploiting girls and young women has surfaced memories of my own abuse at St. Anthony’s. That seminary has since been publicly identified as a site of widespread abuse over decades, with multiple friars confirmed as perpetrators and patterns of institutional cover-up and protection of abusers.
Because of this history, I believe it is crucial that church and community leaders do not respond with minimization, deflection, or quiet damage control. We have seen too clearly how in the Roman Catholic Church, efforts to protect institutions or revered figures—whether bishops, religious superiors, or charismatic leaders—by silencing or sidelining victims only deepen harm and prolong trauma over generations.
Even though Chavez may have done much good for farmworkers and the labor movement, those accomplishments cannot erase or justify the violations described by Huerta and other survivors, nor serve as shields against accountability.
I believe true solidarity with the farmworker movement and all those seeking justice requires us to listen to these women, take their testimonies seriously, and acknowledge what happened as abuse. Political leaders, labor groups, churches, and educational institutions that have honored Chavez should establish transparent processes to review how they present his legacy, support survivors, and ensure their public memorials do not silence those harmed. Anything less risks repeating the patterns that allowed a “cesspool of abuse” at places like St. Anthony’s Seminary to remain hidden for so long, while survivors suffered in silence.
For me, openly sharing my own history and these new allegations is part of reclaiming my voice after years of silence and shame. I stand with Dolores Huerta and all others who are speaking out, and I urge church and community leaders—especially those who publicly celebrate Chavez—to honor our stories with truth, transparency, and a strong commitment that no one—regardless of how revered—will be placed above the safety and dignity of those they serve."
Sincerely,
Vincent Perez, MD
Comments
Post a Comment