December 14, 2005

Priest who was under investigation dies

ELLWOOD CITY (PA)
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

By Jason Cato
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Wednesday, December 14, 2005

The former pastor of Holy Redeemer Parish in Ellwood City, who resigned earlier this year under "serious allegations of impropriety," has died.

The Rev. Mauro Cautela, 57, collapsed Saturday while Christmas shopping with his mother and was taken to Ohio Valley General Hospital in Kennedy, where he died of an apparent heart attack, said the Rev. Ronald Lengwin, spokesman for the Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh.

Bishop Donald W. Wuerl will preside over a 10 a.m. Mass Thursday at St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Coraopolis, Cautela's home parish.

In August, Cautela was placed on administrative leave, but Lengwin would not elaborate, except to say it was related to "improprieties with his role as pastor."

Posted by kshaw at December 14, 2005 07:22 AM