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	Priest Quits Amid Sex, Drug Charges By Robert Gavin Albany Times Union June 20, 2011 http://www.timesunion.com/local/article/Hudson-born-priest-Corapi-I-m-quitting-1432256.php A Hudson-born priest whose riches-to-rags-to-redemption story helped him gain a national following has announced his departure from the Catholic Church following allegations of affairs with women and drug use. The Rev. John Corapi, 64, who was placed on administrative leave in March after the allegations were made, announced his departure on his website, fathercorapi.com. He noted Sunday -- his 20th anniversary as a priest -- had been his final Mass. "I will not try to fight this irrational and unjust situation for the simple reason that I don't want to be placed in an adversarial posture against the Church," Corapi said on the site, on which he called himself the "Black Sheepdog." Corapi, of Montana, had been assigned to Texas-based order, the Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity, which announced his administrative leave March 18. He said the Bishop William Mulvey of Corpus Christi, whom he identified without mentioning by name, "ordered my superiors, against their will and better judgment, to do it. He in fact threatened to release a reprehensible and libelous letter to all of the bishops if they did not suspend me." Corapi acknowledged no wrongdoing in the speech and took lengths to explain that his lawyers, both canon and civil, did not believe he could receive a fair hearing under the church process. "The identity of the accuser is not revealed," he wrote. "You can guess, but you don't actually know. Nor are the exact allegations made known to you. Hence, you have an interesting situation of having to respond to an unknown accuser making unknown accusations (unknown to the accused and his counsel)." Corapi added,"For 20 years I did my best to guard and feed the sheep. Now, based on a totally unsubstantiated, undocumented allegation from a demonstrably troubled person I was thrown out like yesterday's garbage. I accept that. Perhaps I deserve that." David Clohessy, who directs the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, known as SNAP, issued a statement which read: "We have spoken with one of Corapi's victims and find her very credible, and our hearts ache for her and her family because of the pain Corapi and a few of his misguided loyalists have inflicted on her. We have mixed feelings. We are grateful Corapi has quit, because he'll have less protection and access to vulnerable Catholics outside of the priesthood. But we're sad because it now seems less likely that those he exploited will ever see justice." The public face of Corapi is that of a one-time Green Beret who became a millionaire in Las Vegas, and owned a mansion in Malibu, a Ferrari and a yacht, but lost it to drug abuse that left him homeless in Los Angeles. He was ordained in 1991 at 44 by Pope John Paul II. Corapi became known as a speaker on Catholic television before his suspension. In March, the Rev. Gerald Sheehan, the society's regional priest servant, issued a statement that the church had received an allegation Corapi "has behaved in a manner unbecoming of a priest and are duty-bound to conduct an investigation in this accusation." The statement, at the time, continued, "Based on the information we have received thus far, the claim of misconduct does not involve minors and does not arise to the (level) of criminal conduct. Consequently, this matter will be investigated internally, and unless and until information suggests otherwise it will not be referred to civil authorities." Ken Goldfarb, spokesman for the Albany diocese, explained in March that Corapi has never been assigned to the diocese. He understood Corapi once lived in the rectory of St. Mary's Catholic Church in Hudson while working on his doctorate and occasionally performed Mass there. Reach Robert Gavin at 434-2403 or rgavin@timesunion.com
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