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Two whose dad is a Catholic priest file lawsuit
DNA testing proves cleric fathered the children
But he never admitted it or paid anything to their mom
Baltimore church officials knew of his 'misconduct,' suit says
SNAP: "Archbishop must reach out" to others who've been similarly betrayed
Carla A. Latty and Adrian Senna have filed a civil lawsuit seeking millions in damages against the Baltimore Archdiocese and a Baltimore-based Catholic religious order called St. Joseph's Society of the Sacred Heart (410 727 3386). The reason: through DNA testing, they recently learned that their biological dad is a Catholic priest. The two never received any meaningful support – financial or otherwise – from the cleric or his supervisors. In the 1940s and 1950s, Fr. Francis E. Ryan emotionally and sexually manipulated, exploited and impregnated their mother, Anna Maria Franklin Senna, who met him while she was an organist at St. John The Baptist Catholic Church in Montgomery, Alabama. Senna gave birth to Adrian in 1945. He lived in an orphanage some and some with his mother. Carla was born in 1952 and was put up for adoption.
Ryan continued his relationship with/exploitation of Ms. Senna for years but the priest neither acknowledged his paternity of the children. The lawsuit says Catholic officials were aware of Ryan's misdeeds (or should have known) but "did not intervene or otherwise take responsibility" for the children’s well-being. On the contrary, the suit says they "actively worked to prevent (the kids') parentage from coming to light,” and concealed Ryan's misconduct ”to avoid having to compensate Ms. Senna and her children.”
The suit, which was filed in Baltimore Circuit Court and just served on the defendants, seeks $10 million in damages (1/2 punitive & 1/2 compensatory) and a jury trial.
Carla and Adrian are represented by attorneys Carmen Durso of Boston (617 728 9123) and L. Palmer Foret of Washington DC (202 332 2404). Baltimore lawyers Brian T. Tucker and Thomas Dame (410 951 1405) represents the defendants. Ryan is deceased as is Ms. Senna. Carla, now 56, is an attorney in New York City and lives in New Jersey. Adrian, now 63, is married, is a semi-retired actor/musician living in Burnaby, British Columbia.
CONTACT
David Clohessy (314) 566-9790, Barbara Dorris (314)503-0003, (312)455-1499
PRESS COVERAGE
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