Raymond T. Schultz

Ordained: 1947
Diocese: Diocese of Pittsburgh

From Report I of the 40th Statewide Investigating Grand Jury for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania:

In 2009, an adult male reported to the Diocese of Pittsburgh that he was sexually abused by Monsignor Raymond T. Schultz around the year 1978 when he attended SS Peter and Paul Catholic School in Beaver.  Correspondence in the file from the male’s mother and father indicated that they were not aware of the sexual abuse until around the time when it was reported in 2009.  The victim’s mother indicated that she recalled one incident when she was doing laundry and she discovered that her son’s underwear was in the pocket of his pants. He told her that he had an accident. She did not ask any further questions.  But, she realized now that the underwear had a pinkish-red stain.

In 2010, a psychologist reported that she had been seeing the victim since 2007 and that he was being treated for symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder and panic relative to reported sexual molestation by a priest during his elementary school years. The victim reported during treatments that he had nocturnal memories of the sensation of breath on the back of his neck from when Schultz was sexually assaulting him. He also recalled a particularly distressing incident of anal penetration by Schultz that occurred on a rainy day when his clothes were wet. He participated in 67 therapy sessions and required inpatient hospitalization.  He also suffered from substance abuse.

An attorney representing the victim subsequently wrote a letter to the Diocese stating that the victim did not wish to discuss or accept the offer for counseling and spiritual assistance. The Diocese indicated that it was unable to confirm independently the allegation of sexual abuse.

The Diocese contacted some of the nuns and teachers that taught at SS Peter and Paul during the years when the victim was a student.  The responses to questions about confession indicated that the children went to confession as a classroom group until eighth grade when three to four students could go at a time.  However, it was reported that no single child was sent to confession alone.  The nuns also stated that there were often secretaries and parents present at the school and that students were not placed in a room alone.  The nuns also stated that there were only a few bus riders.

A report of the allegation of sexual abuse by Schultz [REDACTED] was reported to the Beaver County District Attorney’s Office by the Diocese in 2010.

On April 11, 2017, the victim testified before the Grand Jury. He explained that he made a complaint to the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General on September 22, 2016 through the child sexual abuse hotline that was opened after the investigation into the Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown.

Prior to testifying, the victim provided a document detailing his ordeal as a victim of clergy abuse.  This document was read to the Grand Jury.  The document stated:

“[REDACTED]

The abuse from Monsignor Schultz occurred when I first started to serve the early mass. At first, he would tell me to turn around and not move.  He would — then he would stand behind me and rub his private area on my behind as he made some noises.  I then noticed something on the floor, which I would later realize was his (Schultz’s) semen and that he had had an orgasm.  After a few times of doing this, he had me take down my pants and he stood behind me. Then he rubbed his penis on my behind and put his penis into my rectum as I screamed loudly in pain.  After that, he covered my mouth and told me no one will ever hear me scream again. I now know he had an orgasm, as I felt his semen on my back.  No one could hear me because I served the early masses alone. Usually, the masses were served by two altar boys.  As a child, I didn’t realize that I was the only one serving alone; but now I know why I was. This all started at the end of my seventh grade year. After he told me no one would hear me scream again and I won’t be able to tell anyone, he never let me go back to class again.

[REDACTED]  One day, after an instance of abuse by Monsignor Schultz, [REDACTED] I thought I had an accident in my pants.  [REDACTED]  I didn’t know then, but the wetness I was feeling was the drainage of semen from my rectum.  [REDACTED]  When I would go to confession, I would always be last.  When it was my time to go in, Monsignor Schultz told me to sit down and [REDACTED]

When everyone was gone, Monsignor Schultz would come into the confessional with me. This happened about five times.  He would get very angry with me because he would take his penis out and make me kneel in front of him as he put his penis towards my face.  He got angry because I didn’t know what he wanted me to do. When I asked him, he started to hit me in the head and then he masturbated.  When he had an orgasm, some of the semen got on my face. He took his white handkerchief from his pocket and told me to wipe my face. To this day when I see a white handkerchief, I go from sad to angry. When it rains, I just try to make the best of that day.

As I look back on this now, I try to figure out when I could have asked someone to help me. There was a time when, after I was abused by Monsignor Schultz [REDACTED].  Then I had to put my pants back on without underwear because it was almost time for the buses to come take us home. I put my underwear in my pocket, [REDACTED].  I can remember my mother asking me as she was doing laundry why my underwear was in my pocket. I told her I put them there because I had tinkled a little in my pants.  Really, they were in my pocket because, if I would have taken the time to put them back on, I would have missed my bus and would have had to have called for a ride home. That is the only time that I can remember when I had a chance to get help.

When I look back now, it was made very clear to me that I was a, quote, bad boy, unquote, and would be punished more if I ever told anyone what was happening. Most of these abuses happened after my dad dropped me off for early morning masses. I try to see through a child’s eyes; but as an adult, it is very difficult to look back.

As another form of punishment, I would have to clean and organize the altar and the altar boy’s closet.  I was also abused by Monsignor Schultz behind the altar in the room where we got dressed as altar boys or in the confessional.  I would say Monsignor Schultz touched or raped me about 10 to 15 times.  [REDACTED]”

The victim estimated that this abuse occurred “From around fourth grade to the end of–middle of seventh grade probably. Eleven, 12.”

The victim stated that the first time he came forward about this abuse was seven years ago when he informed his wife.  The next time he spoke of the abuse was when he was in counseling. He said that approximately five years ago, he along with his mother and father, had a meeting with Bishop Zubik.  According to the victim, Zubik responded by saying “he was sympathetic. He [Zubik] made it very clear that he believed in me. Asked me if — started to offer me certain things.” Zubik offered, “College tuition for my children, little bit of money, and then the last one was to pay for counseling.”

The victim stated that he ultimately refused Zubik’s offer because by taking the offer, the Diocese told him that:

“[Y]ou are going to have to meet with our lawyer and this and sign these documents that basically say you are done with — you can’t come after us. It is over. No public. Your mouth is closed.”

He said the greatest insult was that by taking the offer, he would not be allowed to talk about the abuse and what he endured.

In addition to testimony, the victim provided a letter from a former classmate.  Some of the excerpts from the letter read to the Grand Jury stated:

“My first memories of [the victim] were in the third grade. He was well liked and popular with the students. He was funny.  Once we got older, I remember seeing [the victim] less and less in the classes. When we asked, there was always a reason why he wasn’t there.  The reason I most remember is that it was not our business. I remember seeing him sleeping in the room we called the health room.  It was on the right near the exit stairs.  It was the room we had physicals in when the doctor was there. It was also the room that we used when we weren’t feeling well.  [The victim] was in there on more than one occasion. I remember wondering why he was always lying down there. I remember seeing him in there on a consistent basis.  Another memory I have of [the victim] is in what was the learning center on the first floor. We were in a small tutoring group of some kind.  [REDACTED]

The victim recalled being offended on by Schultz first, with the sexual assaults consisting of oral and anal sex and also Schultz ejaculating onto the victim’s face.  He testifed that these assaults occurred in Schultz’s residence, next to the school, and, in the church.  [REDACTED].  The victim testified:

“It started with me having a tummy ache . . . [REDACTED] when I became an adult, I realized what that stuff was.”

The “stuff” was Schultz’s seminal fluid.

Approximately six years ago, the victim met with Beaver County investigators to officially report the abuse.  He stated that the Beaver County District Attorney’s Office contacted him and advised that nothing could be pursued because of the statute of limitations.

The victim concluded his testimony by stating that this abuse has had a destructive impact on his life “that consumes you.” When asked how important it was for him to be able to come into a grand jury after all of these years of wanting transparency, he responded, “This is the most important thing besides my wife and children on this planet in this world.  This is a sign for hope.”

[REMAINDER REDACTED]

Additional information regarding the widespread sexual abuse of children within the Catholic Dioceses of Pennsylvania and the systemic cover up by senior church officials is compiled in the Pennsylvania Diocese Victim’s Report published by the Pennsylvania Attorney General following a two-year grand jury investigation.  A complete copy of the Report is available on the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s website.