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	El Paso Diocese Cooperates in Priest Investigation By Tammy Fonce-Olivas El Paso Times September 14, 2007 http://www.elpasotimes.com/living/ci_6888272 The Rev. John Stowe, moderator of the Curia/vicar general for the Catholic Diocese of El Paso, said the church is cooperating with officials in the arrest of a visiting priest on sexual-assault charges that stunned parishioners. The Rev. Philip Taban, 39, of the 12000 block of Picasso, was arrested Wednesday on two counts of sexual assault and was jailed. His bonds are set at $50,000. Stowe said Taban is from Arua, Uganda, and was working with the diocese this summer by serving at St. Frances Xavier Cabrini Catholic Church in East El Paso. The church, at 12200 Vista Del Sol, is also known as Mother Cabrini. "All I can say is it's under investigation by the district attorney's office, and we are cooperating with their investigation," Stowe said. Lucy Kurita, a longtime parishioner at Mother Cabrini, was shocked to learn of the arrest. "Oh, my God. It's unbelievable. It's hard to believe," she said Thursday. Kurita said the parish's regular priest announced after Mass on Sunday that the visiting priest had been removed because of allegations of misconduct. She said gasps could be heard in the church after the announcement. "People were sad. I'm sad. It's just a very sad thing. I didn't question it. "I didn't ask anything. I just prayed for him. É It's not my place to judge. We should let God take care of that," Kurita said. Kurita said she met Taban this summer. She described him as very polite. "He seemed to me to be very nice and very humble, a very quiet priest," she said. "He was there for a very short time." Tammy Fonce-Olivas may be reached at tfonce@elpasotimes.com; 546-6362.
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