He was a man everybody called “Father Mike.’
But to Matt Severson, a former altar boy at St. Paul of the Cross in La Mirada, ex-priest Michael Stephen Baker was the man who molested him from 1976 to 1985.
“In addition to my innocence, it robbed me of my faith,’ said Severson, who reportedly shares a common experience with hundreds in the Southland.
As children, they were allegedly molested by someone they were supposed to be able to trust – a priest.
The alleged abuse happened in church basements, rectories and homes in Los Angeles County from the 1950s to the 1980s, according to documents.
The 36-year-old Severson is among the alleged victims of clergy abuse who have filed 300 claims against the Los Angeles Archdiocese. Victims have until the end of this year to file a civil lawsuit.
The criminal courts are no longer open to decades-old cases. The Supreme Court ruled in June that California cannot retroactively erase statutes of limitations.
