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	Vatican Defrocks 4 Priests; 3 Served at South Shore Churches By Lane Lambert Brockton Enterprise June 14, 2011 http://www.enterprisenews.com/lifestyle/faith/x1639216168/3-of-4-priests-defrocked-today-had-served-at-local-churches BRAINTREE — The Vatican has defrocked four long-inactive priests, including three with decades-old ties to South Shore parishes. Robert F. Daly, John Keane and Robert Knapp were assigned to churches in Quincy, Weymouth, Brockton, Braintree and Milton in the 1970s and '80s. The fourth priest, Benjamin McMahon, was at Immaculate Conception Church in Marlboro during that time. Cardinal Sean O'Malley of the Boston archdiocese announced the actions Monday. An archdiocesan spokeswoman said Daly, Knapp and McMahon had asked to be removed from the priesthood. She said none of the four has received any financial support from the Archdiocese in more than 20 years. The cardinal also noted his continued prayers for those hurt by clergy sex abuse. He encouraged anyone in need of support to contact the Archdiocese's Office of Pastoral Support and Outreach. Daly was ordained in 1967 but hadn't been allowed to serve as a priest since 1984. He was accused of abusing minors in the 1970s and early '80s. Official church records posted by the watchdog group Bishop Accountability.org show that during those years he was at St. Jerome's in North Weymouth (1967-68) and St. Patrick's in Brockton (1969-80), as well as parishes in Charlestown and Readville. Daly recently lived in Plymouth. Keane had been on leave without Archdiocese permission since 1989. According to Bishop Accountability.org he was at parishes in Braintree, Brockton, Milton, Weymouth and Middleboro among others. In 2008 he pleaded guilty to one count of indecent assault and battery on a child under 14 and three counts of assault and battery on a child. He served 30 days in the Norfolk County jail and at last report was living in Florida as a registered sex offender. He was charged with assaulting a girl sometime between 1981 and 1983. Keane was at St. Elizabeth Parish in Milton from 1973-83 and was transferred to Our Lady of the Rosary Parish in Stoughton in 1983. He was moved to St. Joseph's in Holbrook in 1987. He had earlier worked at St. Clare's in Braintree (1967-70) and St. Albert the Great in Weymouth (1970-71). Between 1984 and 1989 he also was at St. Edward's in Brockton and again at St. Clare's and St. Joseph's. Knapp's first assignment was at Quincy's now-closed Star Of The Sea parish from 1964-69. Contact: llambert@ledger.com
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