Msgr. Jacob has NOT been released from the sexual abuse charges brought against him in the Diocese of Kalalmazoo, Michigan. In fact, the case was sent to the CDF in Rome, and Archbishop Moolakkat told the CDF that Msgr. Vellian was elderly and quite sick and staying in a retirement home for retired priests and would not be able to do any public ministry. So the CDF wrote to Bishop Bradley here in the Kalamazoo Diocese reporting that info. However, it has been seen on the internet several times that Msgr. Velliam is seen singing, lecturing, and presiding at a few very public masses. It appears that Archbishop Moolakkat misrepresented the situation to the CDF. The Diocese of Kalamazoo is currently trying to get someone at the Vatican to speak with the Archbishop and encourage him to not allow Msgr. Vellian to do anything that could bring scandal to the church or that would allow him access to sexually abuse any other young people!
I happen to be that young 15 year old that was sexually abused by Msgr. Vellian back in 1975. I can guarantee you it was NOT a lie, it was NOT made up! He made me think I was special, he made me think he was my confessor and mentor, and he started buying my gifts, and then he started to sexually molest me. This went on for two years. The pastor at the church walked in on us one time with Msgr. Vellian laying on top of me and did or said nothing other than telling me to get back to my office where I volunteered. I went home and told my mother what happened and she told me I must have misunderstood his touches because a priest would never do that. That is exactly what Fr. Vellian was telling me. When he fondled me he said he was praying for me, he was asking the Holy Spirit to enter into me - and my Holy Spirit was located in my chest right where he was fondling me. He also told me he was from a mission in India - that was a medical mission, and he wanted to “examine my private areas” to see if woman in the US were built like the women in India, and that it was ok, because he worked at this medical mission and he was like a Dr. and saw these things all the time. PLEASE, I BEG you - it is all true - if there is anything you can to do help protect any other little children he might be around, or to get his Archbishop to not let him perform public ministry, I beg you to do so. It seems the bureaucracy of the Catholic Church, and the compounded problem of him having retreated to India from California when he heard of my accusations are making it very difficult to hold him accountable for his actions! I only started speaking of this about 8 years ago, after I had been through considerable counselling for anxiety and depression and PTSD. It was during this counselling that I wsa finally able to tell someone else about what happened to me. After having 2 other adults know about it and not doing anything I vowed I would never tell another soul. However, this counselor gained my trust and I finally spoke up, and that is when I made the report to my diocese, and filed a report with the police department. Our police cannot come after him, because we have a statute of limitations that does not allow for prosecution of a crime committed so long ago. So the only disciplinary avenue I have is the church. The church has not been able to get cooperation from Archbishop Moolakkatt. I know it was a long time ago, and Msgr. Vellian was relatively young at the time but I fear for any other young children he may have molested. Please pray for me as I still suffer from anxiety and fear of God because of what he did to me. Thank you.
