John Beno (November 13, 1931 – December 5, 2000) was a Catholic priest and Democratic Party politician from Colorado, U.S. He served two terms in the Colorado Senate, totaling eight years, from January 1979 to January 1987. He was ordained a Catholic priest in 1959 and served as a priest in several southern Colorado communities, chiefly in Pueblo.[1]
John Beno | |
|---|---|
 Beno during his time in the Colorado State Senate | |
| Member of the Colorado Senate from the 3rd district | |
| In office January 12, 1983 – January 14, 1987 | |
| Preceded by | Regis Groff |
| Succeeded by | Larry E. Trujillo Sr. |
| Member of the Colorado Senate from the 26th district | |
| In office January 9, 1979 – January 12, 1983 | |
| Preceded by | Ray Kogovsek |
| Succeeded by | Martha Ezzard |
| Personal details | |
| Born | John Richardson Beno November 13, 1931 Council Bluffs, Iowa, U.S. |
| Died | December 5, 2000 (aged 69) Pueblo, Colorado |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Residence | Pueblo, Colorado |
| Education | Iowa State University, Loras College, Creighton University, Loyola University Chicago, Iliff School of Theology, the University of Denver, and St. Thomas Seminary |
| Profession | Catholic priest, politician |
| [1][2][3] | |
Elections
editBeno was first elected to the Colorado Senate in 1978. He was re-elected in 1982. He faced little opposition in the primary or general elections.[2][3]
Legislative leadership positions
editAmong the committees Beno served on in the Colorado Senate were the Appropriations Committee and the Joint Budget Committee.[4]
Sexual abuse allegations
editA 2019 report by the Colorado Attorney General published after Beno's death implicated him in the sexual abuse of two children, one in 1961 and one in 1968 or 1969.[5]
Death
editReferences
edit- ^ a b "Senate memorial 01-001: Memorializing former senator John Beno" (PDF). 2001. Archived (PDF) from the original on June 24, 2021. Retrieved May 23, 2024.
- ^ a b "Colorado Secretary of State candidate profile page for John Beno (Senate District 26)". Colorado Secretary of State. Retrieved May 23, 2024.
- ^ a b "Colorado Secretary of State candidate profile page for John Richardson Beno (Senate District 3)". Colorado Secretary of State. Retrieved May 23, 2024.
- ^ "John Richardson Beno". Legislator History Database — Colorado legislators past and present. Colorado General Assembly. n.d. Retrieved May 23, 2024.
- ^ Colorado Attorney General (October 22, 2019). Roman Catholic Clergy Sexual Abuse of Children in Colorado from 1950 to 2019 (PDF) (Report). State of Colorado. pp. 208–209. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 2, 2021. Retrieved May 23, 2021.
When Victim #1 was in first grade at St. Francis Xavier Parochial School in Pueblo, Beno asked her to come to the rectory with him. He forced her to perform oral sex on him and then raped her. He ensured her silence by telling her that a child of God does not reveal this kind of incident and that to do so would be a mortal sin (p. 208)
- ^ Espinosa, Juan (December 5, 2000). "Father John Beno dies at 69". The Pueblo Chieftain. Archived from the original on May 23, 2024. Retrieved May 23, 2024.