Four County Priests Among Those Put on Leave, by Eric S. Smith, Daily Times, March 10, 2011

Four County Priests Among Those Put on Leave

By Eric S. Smith
Daily Times
March 10, 2011

http://dailylocal.com/articles/2011/03/10/news/doc4d78009c3dc51155044280.txt

Four of the 21 Catholic priests who were placed on administrative leave earlier in the week are from parishes in Chester County, according to local parish officials and other reports.

Ss. Simon and Jude in Westtown announced on Wednesday that Father Joseph Glatts has been placed on leave by Cardinal Justin Rigali, archbishop for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. Monsignor Joseph Marino, pastor at Our Lady of Assumption in Tredyffrin, told the congregation during Mass on Wednesday that Father Daniel Hoy has been placed on leave. Officials at St. Isaac Jogues in Tredyffrin confirmed during Mass that Father Steven Harris is on leave. Officials at St. Patrick's in Malvern did not confirm if Father Peter Talocchi was placed on leave, but other reports indicate that he has been.

"It is an awkward day for all of us to be Catholic," Marino, who is also the regional vicar for Chester County, said during a 7 p.m. Mass. "At least we can get our ashes and quietly go home. Those who received their ashes in the morning had to go to work and be identified as Catholic all day."

Marino added that he feels a "sense of shame."

Rigali said individual parishes will address their congregations on Ash Wednesday and over the weekend.

"This news will elicit a variety of reactions among you, as parents of school children, parishioners, and the community-at-large," Monsignor Francis Beach, pastor at Ss. Simon and Jude, said in a written statement. "This period is a challenging one for everyone in the church. Please be understanding of the unique and individual responses that people may have as a result of this situation."

Rigali placed the priests on leave after the church examined 37 cases of alleged abuse that were brought to light in a grand jury report in February. Rigali said five other priests would have been placed on leave, but one is currently on leave, two are no longer involved in the church and two others currently serve in different archdioceses. Those names will be turned over to the archbishops of those archdioceses for a determination to be made.

Eight priests were mentioned in the grand jury report who were not placed on leave, because the church found that no further investigation was warranted in their cases, Rigali said.

"I want to be clear: These administrative leaves are interim measures," Rigali said in a written statement. "They are not in any way final determinations or judgments."

"I know that for many people their trust in the church has been shaken. I pray that the efforts of the archdiocese to address these cases of concern and to re-evaluate our way of handling allegations will help rebuild that trust in truth and justice."