September 18, 2005

Controversial deacon put in parish

PENNSYLVANIA
Renew America

Matt C. Abbott
September 17, 2005

From Dr. Jeffrey M. Bond, president of the College of St. Justin Martyr (slightly edited):

"Deacon Joseph Levine, former Superior General of the suppressed Society of St. John, has recently been assigned to a parish. Monsignor John T. Conway of the Mother of Divine Mercy Parish in King-of-Prussia, Pennsylvania, made this announcement in his August 21, 2005 bulletin (http://www.mdpparish.com/parishlife/news.htm):

"'I am pleased to tell you that Rev. Mr. Joseph Levine has been assigned to Mother of Divine Providence Parish for his Sunday Diaconate Placement during the 2005-06 Academic Year. Deacon Levine's home diocese is Scranton. He is studying for the diocesan priesthood at Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary. Deacon Levine will preach at Sunday Masses and assist with the administration of the Sacraments. His assignment will begin on the weekend of September 3rd and 4th. We warmly welcome him to our staff.'

"The parishioners of this parish must be warned about Deacon Levine. As Those familiar with the Society of St. John scandal already know, Deacon Levine became the Superior General of the SSJ after Carlos Urrutigoity, the former Superior General and founder of the SSJ, was exposed as a homosexual predator priest. While I have no evidence that Deacon Levine was personally involved in the homosexual molestation of boys or young men, Deacon Levine actively sought to protect those in the SSJ who engaged in these perverse deeds.

"In fact, upon his election to the office of Superior General, Deacon Levine publicly praised Urrutigoity in the SSJ's May 2002 Epistle. Deacon Levine gave this public endorsement of his predecessor despite his having been informed, as early as August 19, 2001, that Urrutigoity had a habit of sleeping with students from St. Gregory's Academy in Elmhurst, Pennsylvania.

"On that day Mr. Alan Hicks, the founder and headmaster of St. Gregory's Academy, personally informed both Deacon Levine and me that Urrutigoity was the object of a possible lawsuit for his 'sleeping sickness.' Moreover, Deacon Levine was fully aware by May 2002 that there was abundant and weighty evidence, including affidavits, establishing Urrutigoity's habit of sleeping in the same bed with boys and young men. (See www.SaintJustinMartyr.org/news/notices.html.)

Posted by kshaw at September 18, 2005 08:49 AM