Just days before Sonoma County voters decide the 2nd District supervisor race, a Cotati mayor running for the seat is facing questions about her years-long involvement with a Monterey County religious-society group tied to a Catholic priest named in a 2019 report of credibly accused clergy. Sylvia Lemus says she left the group in 2019 and was unaware of the allegations against Rev. Carl Faria, but photographs show the two together at events spanning nearly a decade.
Lemus, who lives and campaigns in Sonoma County, is one of two candidates vying for the 2nd District supervisor seat in the election scheduled for Tuesday. As reported by The Press Democrat, Lemus joined the Honorable Order of Knights of Saint Michael the Archangel and the Most Honorable Order of Christian Knights of the Rose in 2014 after Ron Quintana, who is listed as a constable on both orders' leadership councils, introduced her to the groups. The two religious societies are based in Monterey County, about 130 miles south of the Sonoma County district Lemus hopes to represent.
Lemus served as secretary for both councils, a position also listed for her on the orders' website. She told the outlet she volunteered as secretary for four or five years and said she left the group in 2019, adding that she had not been involved with the organization for seven years and does not remember attending its events after that point.
Photos Place Lemus and Faria Together for Years
Carl Faria is listed as vice president of both orders, as well as a board member of H.E.R.O.E.S. of Monterey County and the Marina Foundation. The Knights of Saint Michael the Archangel Facebook page published photos of Faria and Lemus at events dating back to 2015, including a 2017 banner photo showing the two side by side, according to the Press Democrat's review of the page. The same Facebook page posted event photos in December 2023 showing Lemus, her husband and Faria together.
Lemus said the 2023 photos were taken before 2019 and that she does not know why they were posted years later. She said she may have met Faria in passing but could not say whether he should continue holding board positions with the organizations.
The two orders describe themselves as supporting law enforcement, military personnel and first responders, with the Knights of Saint Michael the Archangel describing itself as an ecclesiastical order of chivalry recognized by the Catholic Church and dedicated to humanitarian work. H.E.R.O.E.S. of Monterey works to increase support for law enforcement and military personnel, while the Marina Foundation supports youth, teens and seniors. Lemus said the groups raise money for scholarships supporting students pursuing public safety and military careers, and that she valued the scholarships for prospective firefighters, paramedics and police officers, as well as the organization's practice of donating money when someone needed help.
What the Diocese Report Says About Faria
Carl Faria was named in the Diocese of Monterey's 2019 report as credibly accused of sexually abusing a minor. The report, which was reviewed by an outside law firm and the diocese's Independent Review Board before the board concurred with releasing the names, says alleged incidents involving Faria occurred from 1968 to 1971 and again from 1973 to 1976, with the accusation reported to the diocese in 2002. That same report identified 30 clergy total who had been credibly or plausibly accused of sexual misconduct with a child dating back to the 1950s, and states there have been no credible allegations raised against a clergyman since 2009.```) 2009 reference confirmed.
Faria was ordained a priest in 1988 and served at Madonna del Sasso Parish in Salinas starting in 1989 through 1992, then at St. Jude's Catholic Church and Shrine in Marina from 1995 through 2002, also working as a scouting chaplain for parish-sponsored youth programs. According to BishopAccountability.org, he retired and had his priestly faculties removed in 2002, was publicly named on the diocese's list dated Jan. 2, 2019, and was removed that year from the Monterey County Peace Officers Association board after the list's publication. He continued working for the diocese's archives department and on special assignment until he was first listed as retired by the diocese in 2021. As of March 2025, BishopAccountability.org's review found Faria still listed on the Marina Foundation's board of directors, with an organizational biography describing him as serving on five nonprofit boards in total.
Advocate Calls Faria's Continued Role a Conflict
Dan McNevin, a childhood sexual abuse survivor and former board member of SNAP, said Faria's position at a law-enforcement-supporting society creates a conflict of interest. McNevin, per the Press Democrat's reporting, said the continued presence of accused clergy in civic and religious groups can harm victims and argued that local boards should remove credibly accused clergy from influential positions. He described the church's system for addressing sexual abuse as broken.
Diocese of Monterey spokesperson Matthew Godinez said the 2019 report remains publicly available, according to the outlet, though the diocese declined an interview request on Oct. 29. The Press Democrat said it received no response to its requests for comment from Faria.
A Late Mailer and an Unread Report
The scrutiny arrives alongside a political mailer distributed by a spending committee sponsored by Service Employees International Union Local 1021, which endorsed Lemus's opponent, Joanna Paun, a Petaluma City Schools trustee. The mailer read, “Before you vote for supervisor, look at the company Sylvia Lemus keeps.”
Lemus said she first learned of the Diocese of Monterey report on Thursday. She said she was unaware of the allegations against Faria and stated she was against any kind of sexual assault.
Lemus, who was appointed to the Cotati City Council and became the first Latina to serve as Cotati mayor, has also volunteered for Santa Rosa's Cinco de Mayo Festival and Los Cien, building a reputation as a longtime community organizer. She was photographed in late May near the Petaluma River Turning Basin as her campaign for the 2nd District seat entered its final stretch, a race that will be decided Tuesday.
