Archdiocese Suspends Two More Priests, by James McGinnis, The Phillyburbs, March 31, 2011

Archdiocese Suspends Two More Priests

By James McGinnis
The Phillyburbs
March 31, 2011

http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/local/courier_times_news/archdiocese-suspends-two-more-priests/article_a5bba95b-3f8b-58ea-9819-10994a7fc25c.html

FILE PHOTO - Catherine Coleman Murphy, of Lansdale, Pa., center, and Jack Wintermyer, of Silver Spring, Md., protest along with others outside Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul before an Ash Wednesday Mass in Philadelphia, Wednesday, March 9, 2011. The Philadelphia archdiocese suspended 21 Roman Catholic priests Tuesday, who were named as child molestation suspects in a scathing grand jury report released in February. The priests have been removed from ministry while their cases are reviewed, Cardinal Justin Rigali said.

PHILADELPHIA ARCHDIOCESE - Two more priests were placed on administrative leave pending an investigation by experts in child abuse and forensic psychiatry, the Archdiocese of Philadelphia announced Wednesday.

Church officials declined to release the names of the priests or elaborate on the accusations against them. Both priests are retired and living in private residences.

Following the February release of a Philadelphia grand jury report, two priests, a former priest and a parochial school teacher were criminally charged with child abuse, and a high-ranking priest was charged with endangering children for allegedly moving problem priests to new parishes without disclosing past sex abuse complaints against them.

Twenty-one priests were also suspended earlier this month, also based on the findings of the grand jury, which looked into allegations of child abuse in the archdiocese.

Also Wednesday, lawyers for the family of a man who committed suicide in 2009 called off a press conference to discuss allegations of repeated sexual abuse in the 1970s by a priest formerly assigned to St. Mark Catholic Church in Bristol.

The grand jury report alleges that the man, identified as "Ben," had approached church investigators in 2007 with his claims of repeated fondling and abuse by the priest while he was an altar server at the church. "Ben" had provided the church with names of other former altar boys at St. Mark who could confirm his story, the report stated. Investigators said that a second person came forward with allegations of fondling by the same priest.

In 2008, church investigators notified "Ben" that his allegations could not be proven. Less than a year later, at age 36, "Ben" committed suicide, according to the grand jury report.

The priest, who was named in the report, has since retired and has never been charged with a crime.

One of the priests and the parochial school teacher charged last month with rape and related crimes had or have ties to Bucks County. The Rev. James Brennan was a former parochial vicar at St. Andrew Parish in Newtown Township and later taught at Assumption BVM's parish school in Lower Southampton. Layman Bernard Shero of Bristol taught at several area Catholic schools.

At least nine more suspended priests also have or had connections to Bucks and Montgomery counties.

The Rev. George Cadwallader served at Queen of the Universe parish in Middletown before his most recent assignment to St. Vincent De Paul in Northampton. The Rev. Mark Fernandes is a parochial vicar at St. Agnes in Sellersville, and the Rev. John Bowe holds a similar post at St. Joseph in Warrington.

The Rev. Zachary Navit is a part-time parochial vicar at Our Lady of Guadalupe in Buckingham. The Rev. John Reardon is assigned to St. Joseph the Worker in Falls and was a former pastor at St. John at the Cross in Abington. The Rev. Andrew McCormick was stationed at St. Bede the Venerable in Northampton between 2000 and 2004, and the Rev. Peter Talocci served as parochial vicar at St. Frances Cabrini in Falls from 1984 to 1990.

The Rev. Thomas Rooney graduated Bishop Egan High School (now Conwell-Egan) in 1968 and celebrated his first Mass at Our Lady of Grace in Penndel in 1991. The Rev. Michael Chapman was raised in Levittown.

James McGinnis can be reached at 215-949-3248 or jmcginnis@phillyBurbs.com For instant news updates, follow Jim at www.twitter.com/james_mcginnis