August 23, 2005

Allegations of affair with priest hang over custody battle

WHITE PLAINS (NY)
The Journal News

By BILL HUGHES
whughes@thejournalnews.com
THE JOURNAL NEWS

(Original publication: August 22, 2005)

WHITE PLAINS — A Family Court judge partially lifted an order of protection against the Greenburgh woman at the center of a bitter divorce case involving allegations that she had an affair with the former rector of St. Patrick's Cathedral.

Laura DeFilippo had been barred from entering the home she shared with her husband, Philip, and seeing the couple's two children after he filed court papers earlier this month claiming she threatened him after he told her he had videotaped her and the priest at a motel together.

Family Court Judge Kathie Davidson modified the order she issued, saying a court appointed law guardian had met with the couple's children and had approved limited visitation for Mrs. DeFilippo. Davidson also awarded temporary custody to Mr. DeFilippo and ordered both parents to refrain from discussing each other and their divorce case with their children.

Monsignor Eugene Clark, a 79-year-old Catholic priest and former pastor of the Yonkers church where the couple married, stepped down from his post as rector of the most influential parish in the country in the wake of the scandal. Both Clark and Mrs. DeFilippo have released statements denying that they had an affair.

Posted by kshaw at August 23, 2005 08:18 AM