Church whistleblower says she 'didn't do enough'

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — After she made her First Communion as a little girl, Jennifer Haselberger was distraught to learn the Catholic church had no saint Jennifer, and she had no saint to call her own. So her mom opened up a book and pointed to Joan of Arc.

Years later, Haselberger is in a fight of her own after going public with claims that archdiocese leaders in St. Paul mishandled allegations of clergy sexual misconduct. Turns out, Haselberger may have borrowed a little bravery from the headstrong French heroine she has long admired.

Haselberger, a former canon lawyer for the archdiocese, took on leaders of the church she loves after she felt her warnings about troubled priests were being ignored, setting off a firestorm in the local church.

"If a child was hurt, Jennie would do everything within her power to stop that. The lengths that she went to were probably heroic," said Anne Maloney, Haselberger's former college adviser.

Haselberger resigned in April after she says Archbishop John Nienstedt and others did not respond appropriately when she found pornography, including images of possible child pornography, on computer disks that once belonged to a priest who was still in ministry. This came after she says church leaders ignored her repeated warnings dating back to 2008 about another priest who went on to molest two boys in his camper in 2010.

"Tom Doyle, founder of the Catholic Whistleblowers group, said it is still rare — and risky — for someone from within the church to come forward and challenge bishops, who he likened to absolute rulers."

"Everyone I know of who has been a whistleblower has sacrificed their career," said Doyle."

Jennifer Haselberger, JCL, PhD
Canonical Consultation and Services, LLC

Dr. Jennifer Haselberger is a canon lawyer who received her licentiate degree in canon law from the Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium, in 2004. She also has a Doctorate in Philosophy from the University of London, England, She is a member of the Canon Law Society of America and served on the Resolutions Committee of that Society. She has practiced as a canon lawyer in the United States and internationally.

Following the completion of her academic work, Dr. Haselberger returned to the United States and accepted a position as Judge on the Metropolitan Tribunal of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis. She later became Director of the Tribunal of the Diocese of Crookston as well as Director of the Diocesan Safe Environment Program. After serving as the Bishop's Delegate for Canonical Affairs in the Diocese of Fargo, Dr. Haselberger returned to the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis to serve as Chancellor for Canonical Affairs, a position she held until establishing Canonical Consultation and Services, LLC.

In addition to her ecclesiastical appointments, Dr. Haselberger has provided consultation and advice to bishops, Catholic institutions and organizations, and religious orders. She has served on independent review boards and is a noted speaker on issues relating to canon law and the Catholic Church.
http://canonicalconsultation.com/about.html

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ok, I do not get the saint thing, but even not understanding it, I understand this is still just silly beyond belief.