02 - Ryan Scott - Dioceses issue warnings

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Office of the General Secretary

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BISHOPSo 3211 Fourth Street NE Washington DC 20017-1194 (202) 541-3100 FAX (202) 541-3166 CONFERENCE

Most Reverend Anthony M. Pllla, D.D., MA
Bishop of Cleveland
President

Monslgnor Dennis M. Schnurr. J.C.D.
General ^ccrclarj

Sister Sharon A. Euart. RSM. J.C.D.
Reverend William P. Fay. Ph.D.
Reverend Paul D. Theroux J.C.L.

Associate General Secretaries . , ,

November 6, 19965

To:

From:

Re:

All Bishops

Msgr. Dennis M. Schnurr
Ryan Patrick Scott

The Conference has been advised by the Most Rev. Raymond L. Burke,. Bishop of
La Crosse, that an individual named Ryan Patrick Scott (born Randall Dean Stocks) has
been attempting to raise funds for the "Holy Rosary Abbey," which he has established near
Viroqua, Wisconsin. Bishop Burke relates that Mr. Scott has claimed, falsely, that he is a
Roman Catholic priest. Mr. Scott is said to be qoing by the name "Father Ryan St. Anne
Scott, QSB," and is reported to have been simulating the celebration of the Mass and other
sacraments. He is reported to have been, at one time, ordained by the "American Catholic
Church," also known as the "Reformed Catholic Church in America." but he was
subsequently excommunicated therefrom. He is not now and never has been ordained as

a priest of the Roman Catholic Church, is not a Benedictine and has received no official'

recognition from Bishop Burke.

Bishop Burke further advises that Mr. Scott is currently on probation as a result of
a felony conviction and is not to leave the state of Wisconsin, but was recently arrested
and charged with violating the terms of his probation. If further information is needed,
contact should be .made with Bishop Burke's office, at (608) 788-7700.

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OFFICE OF THE BISHOP

608/ 78K- 7700

PC) Box /HIM
3/10 East Avenue South
t.O Crosse. Wl M602-/10CM

Announcement to be Published in the Chancery Bulletin and in the Times Review

It has come to my attention that Ryan Patrick Scolt who calls himself "Father Ryan St. Anne Scott,"
continues to claim to be a Roman Catholic priest and abbot of a Benedictine abbey under the title of Holy
Rosary Abbey. He has relocated the supposed Holy Rosary Abbey at the following address:

At the same time, it has also come to my attention that the same Ryan Patrick Scott has attempted to confer
the Sacrament of Confirmation upon members of the faithful, claiming for himself the authority to do so in
virtue of his office of abbot.

There is no reason to believe that Ryan Patrick Scolt is a validly ordained Roman Catholic priest. Neither
is there any reason to believe that he has the title of abbot within the Order of Saint Benedict.

Ryan St. Anne Scott has never had the permission of the Bishop of La Crosse required by canon law to
establish a religious house in the Diocese of La Crosse (can. 609, §1). Neither did he have the permission
of the Bishop of La Crosse to relocate the so-called Holy Rosary Abbey to the Eastman area.

The conferral of the Sacrament of Confirmalidn by Ryan St. Anne Scott is certainly illicit and, in all
probability, invalid, since there is no reason to believe that he is a validly ordained priest. The ordinary
minister of the Sacrament of Confirmation is the Diocesan Bishop. Priests equivalent in law to. the Diocesan
Bishop have the faculty by law to confer the Sacrament (Cann. 883, §1; 381, §2; and 368). There is no
reason to believe that Ryan Patrick Scott is a Catholic priest. Certainly he is not a priest equivalent in the
law to the Diocesan Bishop. Therefore, any members of the faithful who have presented themselves to him
to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation have uot received a valid Sacrament.

r

I warn the faithful of the Diocese of La Crosse to avoid any contact with Ryan Patrick Scott and with his
supposed Holy Rosary Abbey. He is not a priest of the Roman Catholic Church. Holy Rosary Abbey is not
an institution in the Roman Catholic Church.

Given at La Crosse on the fifth day of May in the year of our Lord 1997.

Rl. ill - Box 3e - O'Brien Lane
Lastman, WI 54626

SEAL

Bishop of La Crosse

Chancellor

Diocese warns Catholics against man posing as priest

Galesburg, 111., Feb. 07, 2005 ( CNA ) - The Diocese of Peoria has issued an advisory to Catholics
in western and central Illinois not to attend mass or receive sacraments or counseling from a man
who goes by the name Fr. Ryan St. Anne Scott.

This is not the first time such an advisory has been issued. Four other diocese have publicly
warned that Scott is not a legitimate priest and that the baptisms, weddings, funerals and other
ceremonies he conducts are not sanctioned by the Church, reported the Chicago Tribune.

Scott claims he is bishop of the independent Holy Rosary Abbey, currently housed in a converted
home for the mentally ill in Galesburg, III.

For more than 15 years, Scott, who is divorced and convicted of felony, has moved his "abbey"
around the Midwest. Most of those who attend his services are elderly Catholics who long for the
Latin mass of their youth, reported the Tribune.

"We are not sure what he is, but we are sure what he is not: a priest," Fr. Ben Nguyen, chancellor
of the Diocese of La Crosse, Wis., told the Tribune. "He appears out of nowhere, sets up and
then disappears."

Scott, 51, says his calling now is to be a thorn in the side of the modern-day church by living out
the embodiment of "the true Roman Catholic Church" of ancient days.

http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/new.php?n : =3038

ST. MATTHEW ' S CONGREGATION
344 TfORTH JUDGEMENT ST.
SHULLSBURG, WIS. 53586
PHONE NO. 608-965-4518

May 24. 1997

Joar Sir: ' - ^

It was with great interest I read the article in the May 1.8th
edition of the Telegraph Herald: "Diocese alert a 'vendetta* claims
priest."

In the article Fr. iRyan St. Anne Scott. OSB maintains Bishop
Raymond Burke of La Crosse has a vendetta against him because he
"preaches and teaches according to the true traditions of the Church/''
If Scott truly believes those words "true traditions" he would not be
engaged in his present activity.

I say this because in the summer of 1989 he was floating around
the southern part of Lafayette county under the name of Brother
Damien St. Anne. OSF -- a Franciscan Brother. He was attempting to
set up a Franciscan Friary. He also had papers at- that time -- or
was getting them in order. My name appeared on those papers as a
reference -- even though I had spoken with him for only five
minutes. That, apparently, is his concept of a valid reference.

The Edqerton. Wis. episode is simply proof of how he operates.

And now a Benedictine priest with a new ,naine and an abbey l .
How times change! Sounds rather unbelievable — if you consider the
time frame. How many name changes has this individual had? Perhaps,
this is something your paper could investigate.

No. the only vendetta Ln this entire situation is the vendetta
Scott is carrying o'ut against the people of Eastman and himself.

Sincerely. .

Revu James R. Lins.
Pastor

FILE COPY

RECEIVED JUW 7 im

Diocese of Sioux City

Chancery

June 4, 2004

Mr. Jeff Nehring u
Furuseth Law Firm, P.C.
417 1 st Avenue East
Williston, ND 58801

Dear Mr. Nehring,

At the request of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Wingert of United Country Real Estate in
Spirit Lake, Iowa, I wish to inform you that no person by the name of Ryan Scott,
or Father Ryan Scott St. Anne, O.S.B. had permission to minister as a Roman
Catholic priest in the Diocese of Sioux City. We were aware that such a person
did operate Holy Rosary Abbey at 313 N.E. 5 th Street in Pocahontas, Iowa but
without the permission of the Bishop of the Diocese of Sioux City This Holy
Rosary Abbey was not recognized as an entity of the Roman Catholic Church in
the Diocese of Sioux City.

With all good wishes and kindest greetings, I remain
Sincerely yours in Christ,

Rev. Msgr. .Michael D. Sernett, J. CD.
Chancellor

cc: Mr. & Mrs. Charles Wingert

1821 Jackson Street • P.O. Box 3379 • Sioux City, iowa 51 102-3379

7 A 2-255-7933 . • FAX: 7 \ 2-233-7598

Diocese warns about Galesburg abbey

Friday, December 16, 2005

GALESBURG - The Catholic: Dioceses of Peoria is once again warning Catholics that
the Holy Rosary Abbey is not recognized as part of the diocese or the Roman Catholic
Church.

The abbey is in the former Cottonwood Health Care Center, 820 E. Fifth St. It bought
the building for $75,000 in September 2004. It had previously been located in
Wisconsin, Iowa and North Dakota.

When word reached Galesburg about the abbey relocating here, local priests warned
their congregations no Catholic should participate in its services.
The abbey's leader, Father Ryan St. Anne, claims to be an ordained priest. On Nov.
6, 1996, the Office of the General Secretary of the National Conference of Catholic
Bishops sent a letter to all bishops in the United States saying St. Anne was not and
never has been ordained a priest of the Roman Catholic Church.
On the abbey's Web site, it claims "Holy Rosary Abbey is a traditional Latin Rite
Roman Catholic Benedictine Abbey." It recently added to its Web site a statement
that St. Anne and several members of the abbey met with the Diocese of Peoria and
the diocese admitted the abbey is a valid Roman Catholic religious order and it has
valid Roman Catholic priests and valid sacraments.
The diocese says the abbey's status has not changed.

"The Holy Rosary Abbey is not in communion with his Holiness Pope Benedict XVI or
with the church of Rome," Bishop Daniel R. Jenky said in a news release. "No faithful
Roman Catholic should offer any support to this organization or have anything to do
with its services, sacraments, prayer or ministries. "

According to the diocese, "any contrary statements reported do not appropriately
reflect the position of diocesan officials."

http://www.re gister-mail.com/stories/ 1 2 1 605/LOC B8DRKJI7 .GID.sfatml

BISHOP WARNS OF MAN CALLING HIMSELF A PRIEST DIOCESE RECEIVES
REPORTS HE IS PERFORMING CONFIRMATION

Copyright Wisconsin State Journal May 21, 1997

A shorter version appeared in the second edition on page 3B. The headline was:
Bishop warns of man calling himself a priest. Staff writer Dave Becker
contributed to this report.

A former city official who left Edgerton with a felony conviction for misconduct in
public office has surfaced as a renegade priest in Crawford County, Catholic
authorities say.

Last week, Bishop Raymond Burke of La Crosse placed ads in the Wisconsin
State Journal and other area newspapers warning Catholics that Ryan P. Scott,
who calls himself "Father Ryan St. Anne Scott, O.S.B." is neither a Catholic
priest nor a member of the Order of St. Benedict. For two years, Scott has been
conducting Masses in Latin at the Holy Rosary Abbey near Eastman and at an
earlier site near Rising Sun.

Rose Hammes, spokeswoman for the Diocese of La Crosse, said Tuesday that
Burke has been warning Catholics about Scott since January 1996 but decided
to take the message to a secular audience because of reports that Scott was
performing the sacrament of confirmation. She said people have the right to
worship where they choose but should be aware that they are not receiving
sacraments recognized by the Roman Catholic Church.

"Our concern is that if good Catholics are approaching this man in good faith for
sacraments such as baptism, marriage and confirmation, the sacraments are not
valid," she said. "It could cause some real problems for them on down the line."

A man answering the telephone at the Holy Rosary Abbey Tuesday said he had
no comment for the media, adding, "our lawyers will be coming out with a
statement in the very near future."

Scott told the Dubuque Telegraph Herald Friday that Burke has a "vendetta"
against him because he preaches according to the "true traditions of the church,"
including the LatinMass. He also accused the bishop of having him arrested in
October for violating probation.

"That is absolutely not true," Hammes, of the La Crosse diocese, said Tuesday.

Scott, Edgerton's finance director from February to July 1993, was on three
years' probation after pleading no contest to felony misconduct in public office in
February 1994. A Rock County judge dropped charges of theft and felony
forgery, in connection with a city of Edgerton check made out to Scott that had
been altered from $30.97 to $300.97.

Crib * Crass * Cretan

Franciscan Friars of Mary immaculate
St. Maximillian Kblb; Friary

Oct. 18, 1989

Mrs. Geta Derer

Box 121 E

Avoca, Wise. 53506

Dear Mrs. Derer;

We have received your letter dated Oct.. 3, 1989. We are confused as to its con-
tents. Please allow us to clarify something for you by merely stating a few facts.
It appears you have been misled.

. One Ryan Scott presented himself to us in early March of 1989 as a possible
candidate for our community, Franciscans of Mary Immaculate.

. Later, after he arrived, we found out that he had been in another community
in Davenport, Iowa, Franciscan Brothers of Christ the King. It was also
later discovered that he had supposedly made vows (private) in that community.

. He left that community, seemingly, without any diocesan official approbation.

. He proved capable in office work. He had his own computer. So he worked in our
office in which he had access to our important community documents which he
proceeded to put into his computer. No one knew to what extent.

. After only' three and one-half months with us, he left of his own free will on
July 9, 1989. At his departure, it is presupposed, that he severed any ties,
relationship, association, and or connection with our community WHATSOEVER!

. It appears,, also, that he had for some time before his departure from our
community, that he had prepared^ to accept employment as a school principal
in a Catholic School in Darlington, Wise. One of our novices left with him..
As far as we know, nothing official of this "assignment" was known to the
officials at the Chancery of the Diocese of Madison, Wisconsin.

. Our community has no official and formal request from the Ordinary of the
Diocese of Madison, Wisconsin to in any way engage in any apostolic activity
in his diocese much less establish a house there.

.. Since that time ( July 9, 1989 ) we' have had several complaints from Bishop
John Michael Sherlock, Ordinary of the Diocese of London, Ontario in which we
are presently situated, also from Fr. William Gulas, Minister Provincial of
Assumption Province, B.V.M., Pulaski, Wisconsin of claims which Ryan Scott
(Bro. Damian St. Anne) and Barry Rodgers, the novice who departed with him,
have made of some connection with our Franciscan Community. However the
contrary is true: THEY MAY NOT CLAIM ANY RELATIONSHIP TO US WHATSOEVER! We
have no responsibility for any of their activities, actions, business dealings
whatsoever. We do not in any way involve ourselves with the venture and acti-
vities of any former members of our community.

.. Neither Ryan Scott(Br. Damian St. Anne) nor Barry Rodgers( Br. Gregory) have
ever made vows( private) in our community,,

,. We have every desire that they NOT use our name whatsoever in whateverway in
whatever dealings they may have. In fact, we have informed our entire mailing
list, that, these two men have departed our community willinging and that we
assume no responsibility for their actions.

Rural Route #2
Lucan, Ontario, Canada N0M-2J0

Derer, Oct. 13, 1989; p. 2

None of the above statements are meant in any way to be unkind, uncharitable, or
judgmental. These are absolute facts without in terpretations given to you in
order that your misconceptions be clarified..

We wish only God's blessings upon the both of them. But we must insist and we
have every right to insist that they desist in using our name in connection with
their activities . We are trying to work within~the structures of Holy Mother
Church and this includes obtaining the bishop's, the local ordinary's permission
for anything we do in his diocese.. Before we would locate, establish a residence,
or do apostolic work in any diocese we would first seek and obtain the explicit
and formal permission of its ordinary. We suggest this pattern for Ryan Scott and
Barry Rodgers so that their work might trully thrive and be blessed by God.

Wishing you every blessing from God, we are yours...

Respectfully yours in Christ,

Fr. David-Ladislaus Przedwiecki O..FM.
Director-.General of 0. F.M.I.

1

cc: Fr. William Gulas, O.F.M. Minister Provincial, B.V.M. PRovince, PUlaski, Wi.
MOst Reverend John Michael Sherlock, D.D., London, Ontario Diocese
Most Reverend CLetus O^Donnell, D.D.. Diocese Of Madison, Wis.

DIOCESE OF GALLUP

711 SOUTH PUERCO DRIVE

P. 0. Box 1338 • Gallup; New Mexico 87305 • Telephone (505) 863-4406
April 25, 1997

Board of Directors
The Refuge
P.O. Box 1857
Snowflake, AZ 85937

Dear Board Members :

This is to acknowledge receipt of your registered letter, dated
April 15, 1997 and addressed to Most Rev. Donald Pelotte. As his
canonical advisor and Judicial Vicar, Bishop Pelotte has asked me
to reply on his behalf.

You state in your letter, "To the best of our knowledge we have
never been disobedient to any bishop or to Canon Law." You then
proceed to cite certain canons of the 1983 Code of Canon Law
which purportedly render canonical justification to your efforts.
You fail, however, to mention canons 305 or 323, which speak of
associations of the Christian faithful being subject to the
vigilance of ecclesiastical authority.

I would begin by noting that the letter of April 15, 1997 is the
very first instance of communication your group has seen fit to
establish with the Diocese of Gallup, even though you have been
operating within this diocese for almost one year. That in
itself is in violation of the. Code of Canon Law (cf., canons
312.2, 773.1), and of the spirit professed in your letter "... to
follow the Magisterium of the Church, being faithful to our Pope
John Paul II (who is, in fact, the Legislator of the 1983 Code of
Canon Law) ..." The fact that you have attempted to establish a
"Catholic" community within this diocese, and took almost one
full year to make yourselves known to the Bishop of the diocese
evinces either incredible ignorance of proper canonical
procedure, or bad faith on your part.

According to reports received in this office, you have
established a "chapel" and solicited funds from the Catholic
faithful for the erection of that chapel (as reported in your own
publication, My Heart Awaits You , June/July 1996, p. 2). This is
in violation' of canon 1224.1, requiring permission of the
ordinary before any chapel or oratory can be legitimately
erected.

In addition to illegally establishing a chapel within the Diocese
of Gallup, your group secured the services of a "chaplain" - one
Ryan Patrick Scott (aka Randall Dean Stocks) - without bothering
to advise, consult with or obtain the approval of the Bishop.

This is in clear violation of canon 565. It has been reported to
our office that this individual celebrated Masses and conducted
weddings and baptisms - all without proper authorization of the
Bishop or delegation by the local Snowflake pastor. This is in
violation of canons 265, 530, 862 and 1108.1.

As it turns out, Mr. Ryan Patrick Scott is not now, nor ever has
been, ordained a priest of the Roman Catholic Church. A notice
to this effect, dated November 6, 1996 was sent to all the
Bishops of the United States by the Office of the General
Secretary of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops.
Whatever "services" he may have conducted while at your
establishment were not only illicit, they were invalid according
to Canon Law.

It is our understanding that your group is now involved in civil
litigation revolving around charges of fraud being brought
against you. I must inform you that in addition to these civil
charges, you stand in serious violation of the provisions of
Canon Law. The points cited above are far from exhaustive.

Before consideration would be given to any request by your group
for canonical approval by the Bishop of Gallup, the following
documentation must be submitted: (1) a formal written request for
such approval, as well as separate and individual requests for
whatever privileges you are asking to be granted (e.g., the
erection of a chapel, reservation of the Blessed Sacrament,
etc.); (2) copies of the group's constitutions, bylaws, statutes,
etc., stating its nature and purpose, methods of procedure, etc.;
(3) certified documents of approval by competent ecclesiastical
authority for previous foundations of the group in other
dioceses; (4) documentary evidence that all civil complaints
filed against the group have been equitably resolved; (5)
written statements from the canonical Pastor of the Snowflake
parish, and/or whomever other officials the Bishop of Gallup may
designate that, after a thorough investigation of your operation,
nothing inimical to the Catholic faith is found to be advocated
or perpetrated by your group.

In light of these considerations, I have been instructed by-
Bishop Pelotte to issue a canonical warning that your group, the
so-called "Our Lady of Guadalupe Refuge of Snowflake, Arizona",
is not now, and never has been, recognized by the Roman Catholic
Bishop of the Diocese of Gallup as an approved or authorized or
legitimate faith community of the Roman Catholic Church.

I have been further instructed by Bishop Pelotte to order you to
desist immediately from all attempts to celebrate the Eucharist
or any of the sacraments within the confines of your "refuge"; to
desist immediately from reserving the Blessed Sacrament on those
premises; and to place yourselves immediately under the
sacramental care and jurisdiction of Fr. Jose Rodriguez, Pastor
of Our Lady of the Snows Parish in Snowflake, Arizona.

Please supply the Chancery office of the Diocese of Gallup
written evidence of your compliance with these directives within
ten days. Thank you .

As directed by the Bishop,

Very Rev. Lawrence J. O'Keefe, J. CD.
Judicial Vicar

Canonical Consultant to the Bishop

cc: Rev. Jose Rodriguez
Rev. Frank Chacon
Rev. Alberto Avilla
Paul Bergman
Det. James Stansberry
Very Rev. Michael B. Woster
Msgr. Dennis M. Schnurr
Most Rev. Raymond L. Burke