How did confidential letters to U.S. Congressman's office wind up in hands of Fall River Samaritans?

Sticky questions for Blute aide in nun's case

by Ed Rice

Winchester Town Crier
December 14, 1995

In a statement to the Town Crier, Edward J. Florino, director of veterans services in Medford, claims that he and Sister Michaelinda both attempted to help resolve the dispute between Gen. John S. Ross and his wife Elaine of Winchester and the Samaritans of Fall River through confidential letters intended specifically for U.S. House of Representatives member Peter Blute (R-Massachusetts) and an aide to Blute from his Fall River office, Lou Cabral.

Florino charges Cabral violated trust by turning over the confidential letters sent to him to the Samaritans.

Further Sister Michaelinda, who has brought a defamation lawsuit against the Samaritans, charged in a recent interview with the Town Crier she subsequently wrote specifically to Blute, concerned about the "unprofessional behavior" of Cabral, and the aide then joined seven members of the Samaritans organization who went to complain about the Sister of Mercy nun to Bishop Sean O'Malley of the Fall River diocese.

In a deposition in the nun's lawsuit, given by Barbara Makowski, assistant to the director of the Samaritans, Makowski testified that even Sister Michaelinda's confidential letter to Congressman Blute--which the nun says she sent to his Washington office--also wound up in the hands of Samaritan officials.

Makowski stated she did not know how her organization came into possession of the letter.

Asked to characterize what was in Sister Michaelinda's letter to Blute, Makowski stated, "It was saying how Lou Cabral was not acting professionally."

Makowski testified that Cabral was present for the meeting with the bishop because he was "concerned"--as a direct result of Sister Michaelinda's letter to Congressman Blute--"that he [Cabral] would lose his job and he cared very much about the work he did and his reputation, and he felt it was very unfair that she wrote it...and that the bishop should know that she had written this letter."

Moreover, Makowski indicates in her deposition that the Samaritans' meeting with the bishop "was set up when Lou Cabral" became aware of the nun's letter to U.S. Rep. Blute.

Contacted at Blute's Fall River office two weeks ago, Cabral stated: "I have nothing to say about this matter," adding that any inquiries on the issue were to be referred to Rob Gray, a staff member of Blute's Washington, D.C. office.

For two weeks the Town Crier has made repeated calls into Blute's Washington office and Fall River district office and, as of Wednesday at press time, neither Blute nor Gray have returned any of those calls seeking their responses to the charges.

To date, it cannot even be ascertained by the Town Crier if Blute ever saw Sister Michaelinda's confidential letter, which the nun stated she sent on July 12, 1994.

When no answer to that letter was forthcoming, Sister Michaelinda said she sent a second version of the letter by registered mail on July 27, 1994, and received confirmation of its arrival through the signature block of someone named "Berry" in Blute's Washington office.

Brief history

Sister Michaelinda, formerly principal of St. Mary's School in Winchester, attempted to mediate a dispute between a Winchester couple and the Samaritans organization. The Winchester couple had attempted to create a praise and fundraising campaign for the Samaritans' Fall River chapter in gratitude to the organization for its four-year relationship with their suicidal son. The son subsequently died by his own hand.

However, the Samaritans ultimately branded the campaign as "fraudulent" and its creators as being "involved in criminal activities," and rejected all letters of praise and $27,000 in donations.

The Winchester couple, identified as U.S. Marine Brigadier General John S. Ross and Elaine Ross (as alias the family is said to use to protect national security as well as their real military and international business identities), asked the nun to intervene. Sister Michaelinda says she is a long-time acquaintance and friend of the Rosses and had their son as a student.

But Sister Michaelinda's role in the case was rejected and she says she was forced to resign her post as associate superintendent of elementary schools for the diocese of Fall River after a delegation from the Samaritans organization plus Cabral went to Bishop O'Malley on July 19 and made defamatory statements about her character and her reputation.

No answer came

Florino, who is identified as the spokesman for the Rosses and was a leader of the praise campaign the couple intended for the Samaritans, said he, Sister Michaelinda and Swansea constable/co-leader of the praise campaign Yvonne George held a Nov. 11, 1993 meeting with Mario Medeiros, director of the Portuguese Cultural Center in Fall River.

The purpose, Florino stated, was to request Medeiros' help in resolving the dispute with the Samaritans. "I found Mr. Medeiros to be most gracious and sincere. His efforts in helping to mediate a solution with the Samaritans proved to be fruitless, just as were the efforts of Mrs. Susan Lyman, chairwoman of the American Suicide Foundationm Sister Michaelinda Plante and myself," related Florino.

It was Medeiros, Florino said, who suggested that Lou Cabral be contacted for his help.

"I wrote to Mr. Cabral on February 3, 1994, in an effort to ask him if he might help us find a peaceful solution. I even made several attempts to call. But no answer was ever received," Florino said.

Florino said he often wondered why Medeiros had ever suggested Cabral.

Then Florino, Sister Michaelinda and Lyman were successful at arranging a June 15, 1994 meeting with the Samaritans.

"I was simply astounded at this meeting when Mrs. Ellie Leite [executive director of the Samaritans] held up a personal and confidential letter which I had sent to Mr. Cabral's office...Sister Michaelinda then wrote a letter regarding this matter to Congressman Blute's office in Washington, expressing concern and asking for an opportunity to discuss this issue," stated Florino.

To date, Florino continued, neither he nor Sister Plante have received any reply from Congressman Blute.

He added, "It is not clear whether the congressman ever received any letters from any member of our group, because the Washington office had stated the mail concerning the matter was returned to Fall River. No one at the congressman's office was aware of any mail having ever been received. Rather odd in my opinion."

© copyright 1995 The Winchester Town Crier. Reprinted by written permission of Ed Rice, former editor.