LITTLETON (CO)
Rocky Mountain News
By Gwen Florio, Rocky Mountain News
September 19, 2005
A Roman Catholic church in Littleton launched a youth program Sunday over objections from a parishioner concerned about accusations against the program's founder.
Monsignor Dale Fushek, the Arizona priest who founded the Life Teen Inc. program, is the subject of a probe into sexual misconduct. Fushek has denied the allegation.
Last week, Jo Wessels sent letters and e-mails to about 60 fellow parishioners at Light of the World Catholic Church, noting that the Catholic Church in the United States has paid an estimated $1 billion to settle sexual abuse cases.
"Why is Light of the World giving even one penny to a private corporation that is supporting a program and a priest currently being investigated on a multitude of fronts?" she wrote.
Life Teen is a private organization that runs Catholic youth programs. Its Web site says more than 120,000 teens attend weekly Life Teen Masses in 19 countries.