By George Graham
The Republican
July 2, 2010
http://www.masslive.com/news/index.ssf/2010/07/rev_charles_dimascola_pastor_o.html
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| Rev. Charles J. DiMascola has been reinstated at Our Lady of Czestochowa Church in Turners Falls. |
MONTAGUE - A Turners Falls priest, placed on leave early last month after being subject to a complaint alleging violations of diocesan child protection policies, has been reinstated.
The Rev. Charles J. DiMascola, pastor of Our Lady of Czestochowa in Turners Falls for more than 25 years, will return to deliver Masses to his parish on Saturday. He was placed on temporary leave in June while church officials investigated the complaint.
The Most Rev. Timothy A. McDonnell, bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield, told DiMascola late Thursday that he may resume his duties as pastor of Our Lady of Czestochowa effective immediately, according to diocesan spokesman Mark E. Dupont.
The investigation’s findings, which were approved by the Diocesan Review Board, found no evidence to support any serious impropriety, according to the diocese. The bishop and the board, however, did cite a lack of thorough compliance with diocesan policies designed to avoid just such a situation, and DiMascola has agreed to address these issues immediately upon his return, Dupont said.
None of the allegations involved inappropriate sexual conduct, Dupont stressed. “Clearly there was nothing even approaching that in Turners Falls,” he said.
Dupont declined to elaborate on the allegations which prompted the temporary suspension. “We are not going to go there,” he said. “That has all pretty much been dealt with and nothing of any serious impropriety has been discovered.”
DiMascola could not be reached for comment; his parishioners, however, are pleased with his return.
“I think the whole parish is overjoyed,” said Mary Anne Greene. “It never should have happened.”
“I think it’s fantastic, I really do,” said Joyce A. Phillips, a parish council member at Our Lady of Czestochowa. “This is great news for father and the parish and for the Catholic faith.”
Phillips said she does not know of any parishioner who believed DiMascola may have betrayed his flock. “Everyone was behind him 100 percent,” she said. “There was no grounds for this, and this was devastating and hurtful.”
Phillips said she ran into a fellow parishioner while shopping in a grocery store earlier this week. “The man literally came to tears,” she said. “He was heartbroken at what happened.”
In a letter to be read at all weekend Masses, McDonnell wrote, “There is no question that it is in the best interest of us all that any impression of impropriety on the part of anyone working for the church be brought forward, and there is no question that once brought forward the matter must be investigated.”
The case was investigated by Kevin Murphy, a former State Police detective who has conducted private inquiries for the diocese in the past.
The church was congratulated for its course of action in a release issued by Peter Pollard, the Springfield leader of SNAP. “We’re encouraged every time it appears that church officials take their own abuse policies seriously,” he said.
Phillips said in a release that the church has grown from about 300, mostly older members when she joined 23 years ago to about 1,200 people, including many young families. She credits the growth to DiMascola. “He is a good priest because he is a good person, she said.
Phillips said she learned DiMascola will celebrate the church’s 4 p.m. Mass on Saturday. Asked if she will be there, Phillips replied, “Absolutely.”
The diocese’s Code of Conduct is a three-page form that all clergy, staff and volunteers are required to sign. It outlines proper behavior when working with children and counseling adults.
Included in the code is a call for all employees to avoid being alone with children, smoking or drinking in front of youth and giving children gifts without parental approval. It also requires employees to report suspected abuse.
By signing the code, clergy and staff agree they will not touch any child inappropriately, provide drugs or alcohol to minors, possess a firearm while with children, strike or slap a child or verbally abuse a child and swear near a child.
DiMascola, who grew up in Springfield and taught art history and Polish studies at Palmer High School for 15 years, was ordained a priest in 1981, according to the diocese. He was first an associate pastor at Our Lady of the Rosary in Springfield and Christ the King in Ludlow before moving to Our Lady of Czestochowa as the parish administrator in 1986. He became its pastor in 1990.
The diocese's statement
Here is the text of the statement from the Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield.
Springfield Bishop Timothy A. McDonnell has informed Father Charles DiMascola that he may resume his duties as pastor of Our Lady of Czestochowa Parish in Turners Falls effective immediately. Bishop spoke by phone with Father DiMascola late on Thursday, July 1 and informed him of the decision.
Father DiMascola was placed on a temporary leave a month ago to allow for an investigation to take place in the parish. This review was deemed necessary because of an allegation which came forward to the diocese alleging certain violations of diocesan child protection policies and the Code of Conduct. At no time was there any allegation of sexual actions.
The investigation’s findings, which were reviewed and approved by the Diocesan Review Board, found no evidence to support any serious impropriety. However Bishop and the Review Board did cite a lack of thorough compliance with diocesan policies designed to avoid just such a situation and Father DiMascola has agreed to address these issues immediately upon his return.
In a letter to be read at all Masses this coming weekend Bishop McDonnell writes, “there is no question that it is in the best interest of us all that any impression of impropriety on the part of anyone working for the Church be brought forward, and there is no question that once brought forward the matter must be investigated.”
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