By Tony Brockmeyer
Bob Breidensteiner, a lifetime St. Charles resident, reported to St. Charles Police that he was threatened by telephone late Sunday evening because of a letter he had written and was published in the last edition of the First Capitol News.
Breidensteiner said he was at home Sunday evening when he received a telephone call. “The caller told me in no uncertain terms what he was planning on doing to me. He made it perfectly clear he was threatening my life.”
In the last edition of the First Capitol News, the newspaper had printed a letter from Breidensteiner regarding a former priest at St. Charles Borromeo Church. In his letter, Breidensteiner told of rumors going back about 25 years ago regarding a priest assigned to the parish who was known as Father Duck. Breidensteiner wrote, the rumors at the time implied that the priest was doing more than just his priestly duties with young men in the parish. He also wrote that he contacted the organization headed by David Clohesy that tracks these types of priests and found out the Duck is alive and living in south county and has been sued numerous times by individuals he has allegedly taken advantage of. He has been defrocked and the Catholic Church paid off on two of the suits against him and two additional suits are pending.
Breidensteiner has been a frequent writer of Letters to the Editor and has been a vocal opponent of Mayor Patti York who also serves as a Eucharistic minister at the church. He has been at the front of a movement to recall the Mayor and is a frequent visitor and spokesman at City Council Meetings.
Breidensteiner told the First Capitol News, “They can threaten me all they want but they will not stop me. It is important that we let the people of St. Charles know what outrageous things the Mayor and her cronies are doing and how they are hurting the taxpayers of this fine City. I refuse to be intimidated by their threats. It is evident these people cannot deal with the truth of what has happened and what is happening in this town and they are determined to use any means to keep the public from knowing what they are doing.”
An investigation is being conducted by the St. Charles Police.
