November 21, 2005

Allegations cloud memories of deceased Enfield, Manchester pastor

CONNECTICUT
Journal Inquirer

By Alex Wood, Journal Inquirer November 21, 2005

When Monsignor Edward J. Reardon died in 1991, more than 200 parishioners and dozens of clergy gathered for his funeral at St. James Roman Catholic Church in Manchester, where he had served as pastor for 13 years before his retirement in 1976.

Before coming to the Manchester parish, Reardon had served from 1950 to 1963 as pastor at St. Bernard Church in Enfield.

But 14 years after his death, Reardon's name has come back into the news in a very different context.

The Archdiocese of Hartford last month named him as one of 14 priests against whom child sexual-abuse allegations had been made. Those allegations led the archdiocese to agree to pay a total of $22 million to 43 people.

Hartford lawyer Hubert J. Santos represented Reardon's accuser. Contacted by telephone, Santos said he would ask his client about the possibility of an interview with the Journal Inquirer. But a subsequent call to Santos' office wasn't returned.

Posted by kshaw at November 21, 2005 03:48 PM