By Mike Newall
Philadelphia Inquirer
February 13, 2011
http://www.philly.com/philly/news/116099129.html?cmpid=15585797
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Lauretta Eden arrived for Saturday evening Mass confused and torn.
In recent years, the dedicated parishioner of St. Joseph Church in Downingtown had sought counsel from her pastor, Msgr. William Lynn, on personal issues dealing with her adult children.
She had respected her spiritual leader as a "wonderful man."
Now, she was appalled.
"How could you defend something like this?" she asked.
But Lynn did not attend Mass on Saturday - his first chance to address parishioners since his arrest Thursday on accusations of failing to protect children from abusive priests.
Instead, Cardinal Justin Rigali sent Msgr. Joseph Marino, the Chester County vicar, to address the congregation.
"This is a painful time," Marino told the large, crowded church at the beginning of his homily.
Lynn, who has pleaded not guilty to two felony counts of endangering the welfare of a child, will be spending some time away from the parish, Marino told parishioners. He did not say when or whether Lynn would return.
"I ask for your continued prayers for Msgr. Lynn and for all involved and for you to continue to pray, in a special way, for all the victims of abuse," Marino said.
At his arrest by Philadelphia police, Lynn became the first supervisor in the Roman Catholic Church nationwide to be charged with covering up the sexual abuse of minors, authorities said.
According to the grand jury report, Lynn, as secretary of clergy for the archdiocese, had consistently protected accused priests, concealed their crimes from the public and police, and placed pedophile priests in positions in which they could harm more children.
"I loved him as a monsignor," said Eden, 65, shivering in the cold before the Mass. "This is terrible, disturbing - an embarrassment."
Five years ago, Lynn addressed his congregation directly after a grand-jury report issued back then blasted him for shuffling predator priests during his time in the administrative offices, from 1992 to 2004, when he was transferred to St. Joseph Church.
He would "never put a child in harm's way," Lynn told parishioners then. And they stood and applauded him.
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