CALIFORNIA BRIEFING / SOUTH LOS ANGELES

Members of a support group for victims of alleged clergy abuse distributed leaflets in front of St. Columbkille Catholic Church in South Los Angeles on Sunday, urging parishioners and church employees who have information about sex crimes to speak out.

St. Columbkille is the former parish of defrocked priest Michael Stephen Baker, who in 2007 was sent to prison for sexually abusing two boys, and who authorities have identified as a prolific child molester.

Joelle Casteix, southwest regional director of the Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests, said the group believes there may be many more victims of Baker in the parish. St. Columbkille officials were not available for comment.

Baker was recently questioned by a federal grand jury investigating how the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles and Cardinal Roger M. Mahony dealt with priests accused of molestation, according to sources familiar with the proceedings.

J. Michael Hennigan, an attorney representing Mahony and the archdiocese, has said the cardinal is not a target of the inquiry.

Casteix alleged that the archdiocese has not aggressively sought out other victims and witnesses, and said she believes parishioners could help law enforcement build a case against Catholic higher-ups and potentially bring new charges against Baker.

-- Carla Rivera