[4] Fr. Maciel's "Personal Assistants" and Male Nurses

El Puma’s Personal Assistants and Male Nurses

[Excerpt from "Our Father (Maciel) who art in bed"'s sole chapter on Fr. Maciel's Pedophile Activities]



During Novitiate in Salamanca, 1961-62, I was trained

as community nurse—which included giving shots of various

kinds—by Jesus Martinez-Penilla. Called “Padre Penilla,”

he was probably just another philosophy or theology student

appointed as “Prefect”, i.e., assistant superior. I never had any

problems with him, despite later reports linking him to sexual

abuse scandals in Ontaneda, Spain. He may have been Father

Maciel’s nurse, administering intravenous, intramuscular, and

subcutaneous shots to him. There was always a good stock of

injections, from vitamins to sedatives, in the supply cabinet.

Some medications were used exclusively by Father Maciel,

“Nuestro Padre’s medicines,” or could only be administered with

his authorization. I distinctly remember largactil phials which,

I believe, Father Penilla administered either to Father Maciel or

other members of the community on an as needed basis. We all

knew that Nuestro Padre was affected by a variety of illnesses

that required rest, special care, and medication. Knowing Father

Maciel’s secretive nature, it is more than likely that he kept

his personal effects—including more personal medications—

always close at hand, in his room, with his luggage, or in the

infamous crocodile-skin briefcase.



I was never Nuestro Padre’s nurse.

During my stay in Salamanca, Brother Guillermo

Adame was his personal assistant, secretary, valet, nurse and

chauffer. This young man—a dark-skinned well built Mexican

with chiseled features and jet black hair, who was never

ordained—later had a nervous breakdown and left the order; a

“throwaway”? His younger brother, Carlos, was also a member

for a period and he too left without holy orders. Both were

musically talented. I distinctly remember Guillermo playing

Bach’s Toccata on the chapel organ. Other special “secretaries”

to Maciel paraded by during my Legion training in Salamanca

and Rome: Valente Velasquez, Raul De Anda, Bonifacio Padilla,

Francisco Parga and others. In retrospect I thank God for not

having the “privilege” of being particularly close to El Puma.

He did want to be our “father”; he loved to be considered such

by the brothers, and to be addressed with terms of affection.

I remember feeling early on some anger toward a fellow Irish

novice for using what I perceived as the even more endearing

term of “Mon Père” when addressing the Founder. Although

some of the older members used this name, the title smacked

of too much adulation for me.