December 21, 2005

Maine bishop suspends priest accused of groping teen

MAINE
Portland Press Herald

By MARK PETERS, Portland Press Herald Writer

Maine's Catholic bishop has suspended a retired priest who was charged with groping a teenage boy in a Texas movie theater last week.

The decision by Bishop Richard Malone means the Rev. Paul Clogan, 74, can no longer minister to parishioners, including those at a church outside Austin where he agreed to serve as pastor after retiring last year. The suspension was up to Malone because Clogan was ordained in Maine, said Sue Bernard, spokeswoman for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland.

Clogan has not served in a Maine parish since the fall of 2000. He spent 18 months in the state, serving in Machias, Cherryfield and Waterville, after being ordained in May 1999 at age 68.

Malone is alerting those parishes of the suspension and pending criminal charge. The diocese received no allegations of wrongdoing by Clogan during his time at the Maine churches or when he served as hospital chaplain for a month in Bangor, Bernard said.

Posted by kshaw at December 21, 2005 06:09 AM