We do, and they’re not positive memories. I was personally assaulted for nearly 2 years at Mohan’s private residence in Anaheim in 1978 when I was 10 years old. Another victim was assaulted while preparing for mass at St. Anthony Claret.
If you or anyone you know is a Monsignor Mohan Survivor, please contact me at tomemens@gmail.com to get the help and justice you deserve. I’m a victim/survivor and I know exactly what you’re going through. You’re not alone. We are survivors and we’re here to help.
On October 2, 2018, I filed a lawsuit against dioceses across California, as well as the Archdiocese of Chicago to pressure each cardinal or bishop there to release all the names of accused priests (living or dead) so that there can be a full accounting like that seen in the Pennsylvania Grand Jury Report released on August 14, 2018.
The Facts:
Mohan served most of his time as a priest in the Chicago, Illinois area from 1936–1973. During that time, he was in ministry at both St. Edward Catholic Parish and St. Genevieve Parish in Chicago. Mohan retired to CA in 1973. During his retirement, Mohan assisted ministry at St. Anthony Claret Church in Anaheim and St. Juliana Falconieri Catholic Community in Fullerton from 1973–1993. He died in 2002 in a rest home in Illinois.
Tracing the past:
In 1973, Mohan would have been under the control of the L.A. Diocese, as all churches and their staff within Southern California were at that time. Mohan would have then been transferred to the O.C. Diocese when it was formed in 1976. Essentially, for the 24 years Mohan spent in retirement, he was in active ministry, presiding over mass and anything else the parish needed him for.
As you can see from his bio in the 1987 St. Anthony Claret Directory, it’s quite obvious that the parish was smitten with him over the course of the previous 14 years he had already served with them:
“Monsignor Thomas J. Mohan is well known over the last 14 years by the parishioners for his eloquent homilies expressing the word of God and authoritative teachings of the Church. His clear, commanding voice needs no amplification…Although Msgr. Mohan has been retired since 1973, he has been celebrating Mass serving the people of St. Anthony’s.”
Despite all of this, the Orange County Diocese claims to have absolutely no files on Mohan for this 20-year timespan. No personnel or payroll files, nothing at all (read letter from the O.C. Diocese Chancellor)
Aliases:
Mohan went by the following aliases during his ministry:
Joseph Mohan (1936–1937 in Rome Italy)
Joseph Mohan (1937–1956 in Chicago at Quigley)
J.T. Mohan (1956–1958 in Chicago at St. Edward)
Thomas Joseph Mohan (1958–1966 in Chicago at the Stritch Retreat House)
Thomas Joseph Mohan (1966–1973 in Chicago at St. Genevieve)
Monsignor Mohan (1973–1989 in Anaheim at St. Anthony Claret)
Monsignor Mohan (1989–1997 in Fullerton at St. Juliana’s)
