LEADERS
LEADERS ALSO RECOGNIZED LAW ENFORCEMENT AND MENTAL HEALTH
PROFESSIONALS.
PROFESSIONALS. >>> CHILD SEX ABUSE ALLEGATIONS
AGAINST 300 PRIESTS IN
PENNSYLVANIA HAVE PROMPTED A
NEW LOOK AT SIMILAR ALLEGATIONS
HERE IN COLORADO.
COLORADO CATHOLIC LEADERS
AGREED TO A REVIEW OF THEIR
ABUSE RECORDS GOING BACK DECADES
ANNOUNCED BY THE STATE ATTORNEY
GENERAL.
GENERAL.
GENERAL. >> OUR INVESTIGATOR KEVIN
BARNES LOOKED INTO TWO
ALLEGATIONS AGAINST A FORMER
PRIEST IN COLORADO WHO LEFT THE
MINISTRY NEARLY 40 YEARS AGO.
>> THIS IS SOMETHING --
>> Reporter: A SECRET.
>> FOR MY WHOLE LIFE REALLY.
>> Reporter: THAT HAUNTED THE
CATHOLIC CHURCH FOR DECADES.
>> EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE IT
WOULD COME UP.
>> Reporter: SHROUDED IN SHAME.
A SECRET THAT CENTERS ON THE
SEARCH FOR ANSWERS IN THE
ARIZONA DESERT.
ARIZONA DESERT. >> IT WASN'T A SUNDAY TYPE OF
DEAL.
DEAL.
DEAL. >>
DEAL. >> Reporter: GROWING UP, THE
RHYTHM OF THE CHURCH WAS
MICHAEL SMILANIC'S LIFE.
THE RITUALS, MASS EACH MORNING
BEFORE CLASS. A REFERENCE THAT
EXTENDED TO THE MEN AND CALLERS
AND ROBES AT AURORA SAINT
THERESE CATHOLIC CHURCH.
>> THEY ARE PEOPLE OF GOD AND
ADDRESS DIFFERENT AND DO
EVERYTHING DIFFERENT.
EVERYTHING DIFFERENT. GROWING UP TO THAT YOU ARE KIND
OF IN AWE OF THAT.
YOU LOOK UP TO THEM A LOT.
>> Reporter: IN JUNE 1965, A
NEW PRIEST ARRIVED.
>> HE HAD A REALLY NICE CAR FOR
PRIEST.
PRIEST.
PRIEST. HE HAD A PONTIAC GTO.
>> Reporter: PETER COULTER AND
MICHAEL SMILANIC DIDN'T KNOW
EACH OTHER BUT THEY BOTH KNEW
FATHER NEIL HEWITT WHO WAS
UNLIKE ANY PRIEST EITHER HAD
EVER MET.
EVER MET.
EVER MET. >> IT WAS LIKE THIS GUY IS
REALLY COOL.
REALLY COOL. HE SEEMED MORE HUMAN.
>> Reporter: STILL IN HIS 20s,
A PILOT AND US A SKIER, HE IS
BEEN ORDAINED IN 1962.
SAINT THERESE WAS HIS THIRD
ASSIGNMENT IN THE ARCHDIOCESE
OF DENVER.
OF DENVER. >> WE WENT TO THE LAKE AND
STOPPED AT A RESERVOIR.
>> Reporter: MICHAEL AND PETER
HAD REMARKABLY SIMILAR
EXPERIENCES.
EXPERIENCES. >> HE SAID LET'S GO SWIMMING
AND YOU COULD TELL HE WAS
TRYING TO GET EVERYBODY TO GO
SKINNY DIPPING AND IT'S LIKE I
DON'T HAVE A SWIMMING SUIT OR
ANYTHING AND HE WAS LIKE DON'T
WORRY ABOUT IT.
WE WILL SKINNY DIP.
>> Reporter: REMARKABLY SIMILAR
RIDES IN THAT GTO.
>> I SAT IN THE BACKSEAT AND
THEY WERE MAGAZINES ON THE
FLOOR.
FLOOR.
FLOOR. HE
FLOOR. HE WAS LIKE YOU SHOULD READ
THIS.
THIS.
THIS. >>
THIS. >> Reporter: THIS WAS AN BOOK.
>> IT WAS NOT SOMETHING THAT A
14-YEAR-OLD KID SHOULD BE
READING.
READING.
READING. >> Reporter: THEY BOTH SAY THEY
WERE GROOMED WITH BOOZE AND
OTHER SUBSTANCES, BUT IT'S HERE
THAT THEIR STORIES DIVERGE.>> I
DON'T THINK I WAS MOLESTED.
I DON'T THINK IT WAS ANYTHING
LIKE THAT.
LIKE THAT. >> IT IS PAINFUL.
IT'S TIRING RELIVING SOME OF
IT.
IT.
IT. >>
IT. >> Reporter: WHAT MICHAEL SAYS
HAPPENED TO HIM ON A TRIP TO
MONTRIAL IN 1967 WENT BEYOND
GROOMING.
GROOMING.
GROOMING. >> SO FATHER HEWITT AND I WERE
IN THE SAME BED.
>> Reporter: MICHAEL STRUGGLES
TO FIND WORDS TO FOR SAY WHAT
HAPPENED NEXT.>> HE TRIED TO,
HE MADE ADVANCES AND DID A
BUNCH OF VERY -- MADE ADVANCES.
AS A KID I DIDN'T REALIZE THAT
I COULD HAVE PUT MY CLOTHES ON
AND RAN DOWN TO THE LOBBY.
>> Reporter: INSTEAD MICHAEL
SAID NOTHING, NOT TO THE TWO
OTHER BOYS ON THE TRIP WHO WERE
ASLEEP IN A DIFFERENT BED, NOT
TO HIS FAMILY.
MICHAEL BURIED IT FOR NEARLY
HALF A CENTURY.
>> WHEN YOU ARE POOR KID FROM A
POOR FAMILY AND IT PRIEST PAYS
ATTENTION TO YOU IT'S A BIG
DEAL.
DEAL.
DEAL. >>
DEAL. >> Reporter: IN 2015, MICHAEL
SAW THE MOVIE SPOTLIGHT AND
REALIZED THAT:
REALIZED THAT: >> THE SAME EXPENSE IT HAPPENED
TO THESE KIDS HAPPEN TO ME.
>> Reporter: HE WAS READY TO
SHARE HIS SECRET.
>> IT'S OUR TO COME FORWARD,
IT'S EMBARRASSING.
IT'S EMBARRASSING. >> Reporter: MICHAEL WENT TO
THE ARCHDIOCESE OF DENVER WHICH
COMMENDED HIS GREAT COURAGE TO
FACE THE WOUNDS OF HIS PAST AND
OFFERED TO PAY FOR A YEAR OF
COUNSELING.
COUNSELING. HE ALSO HAD A LOT OF QUESTIONS
FOR NEIL HEWITT AND STARTED
CALLING.
CALLING.
CALLING. ONE DAY, HE WOULD ANSWERED.
>> I TOLD HIM WHO I WAS AND I
ASKED HIM IF HE REMEMBERED ME
AND HE DID SAY OH YEAH, AND I
SAID DO YOU REMEMBER WHAT YOU
DID TO ME?
AND HE DID.
HE ADMITTED IT RIGHT AWAY.
>> Reporter: BUT WOULD HE
ACKNOWLEDGE THE SECRET TO US?
>> I WANTED TO COME DOWN AND
TALK TO YOU AND GIVE YOU THE
OPPORTUNITY.
OPPORTUNITY. >> IT'S ABOUT MY FORMER LIFE.
>> Reporter: AFTER DISCUSSING
PRIEST ABUSE INVESTIGATIONS
GOING ON AROUND THE COUNTRY,
HEWARD OFFERED AN ADMISSION.
>> I HAVE NOT DONE ANYTHING
LIKE THAT SINCE, WELL, WE WERE
MARRIED IN 1980 --
>> IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU ARE
ADMITTING YOU DID THOSE THINGS.
>> YEAH, I DID DO THINGS THAT
WERE WRONG, I REALIZE THAT.
>> Reporter: HE REPEATEDLY SAID
HE WAS SORRY.
>> I TALKED TO MICHAEL AND
ANYBODY ELSE I WOULD BE GLAD TO
TALK TO AND I WOULD APOLOGIZE.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT ELSE I COULD
DO.
DO.
DO. >>
DO. >> CAN YOU TELL ME HOW MANY
BOYS THERE WERE?
>> NO.
>> NO.
>> NO. >>
>> NO. >> YOU HAVE AN ESTIMATE?>> MY
GUESS WOULD BE AROUND EIGHT,
MAYBE NINE.
MAYBE NINE. >> Reporter: LAST WEEK, MICHAEL
SMILANIC TALKED WITH
INVESTIGATORS FROM THE ATTORNEY
GENERAL'S OFFICE.
GENERAL'S OFFICE. THEY ARE TRYING TO GET MORE
VICTIMS TO COME FORWARD WITH
THE STORIES BECAUSE THEY WANT
TO COMPLETE PICTURE OF WHAT
HAPPENED IN COLORADO.>> WERE
TALKING ABOUT THE SITUATIONS
FROM DECADES AGO.
HOW DO WE KNOW THAT THE ADULTS
THAN KIDS ARE REMEMBERING THE
RIGHT PEOPLE.
RIGHT PEOPLE. >> WE USE STORIES AND
INTERVIEWS WITH PEOPLE AND
WOULD PUT THAT TOGETHER ON A