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	Pastor on Mystery Leave Will Return to Work, Priest Says By Mike LaBella The Eagle-Tribune September 16, 2011 http://www.eagletribune.com/haverhill/x2063027898/Pastor-on-mystery-leave-will-return-to-work-priest-says The Rev. Robert Conole, who has been on a mystery leave from Sacred Hearts Church, will return to active priest duties eventually, according to this weekend's church bulletin — but it is unclear whether he will be at Sacred Hearts or elsewhere. Conole's absence and other issues, such as the removal of another priest from St. John the Baptist Church after legal problems there, have put pressure on Haverhill's remaining priests to run Catholic churches here shorthanded. In Sacred Hearts' Parish bulletin dated Sept. 18, the Rev. John Leonard asks parishioners to keep Conole in their prayers and said Conole sends his regards to each of them. "Our parishioners are filled with wonder and pain as we await the return of Fr. Conole to duty here or elsewhere," Leonard wrote in the weekly bulletin that is given out at Masses and is currently posted on the parish website. "He is a wonderful priest and leader who will render tremendous service to God and the Archdiocese in the future." Leonard added that no single incident can destroy a parish, but that "rumors or innuendo cause needless suspicion and harm." In the second weekend of May, the Rev. Wallace Blackwood, then of Sacred Hearts, told parishioners at Masses that Conole was taking a leave as pastor of their church. That left Blackwood in charge of Sacred Hearts and St. Patrick Church in Groveland. Blackwood has since been sent to a church in Swampscott. Masses at Sacred Hearts and St. Patrick are now being celebrated by two priests who are semi-retired — the Revs. John Leonard and Arnold Kelley. Terrence Donilon, spokesman for the Archdiocese of Boston, had said Conole left his parish to seek professional assistance, including counseling. The Archdiocese of Boston has since said very little about why the popular priest went on leave or whether he will return. "It is premature for us to be commenting on Father Conole's future ministry," Donilon told The Eagle-Tribune yesterday. "The cardinal is committed to the pastoral care of the parish. We continue to pray for the parish and Father Conole." Conole's absence left two pastors in charge of four Catholic churches in Haverhill and one in Groveland. Until two years ago, each of those churches had its own pastor. The Rev. Timothy Kearney, pastor of All Saints Church, has filled in as temporary administrator for Sacred Hearts. This was the reverse of a move that took place last October, after the Rev. Dennis Nason, long-time pastor of All Saints, died. Conole, while serving as pastor of Sacred Hearts, was appointed temporary administrator of All Saints at that time. Until Kearney was transferred from St. Mary of the Assumption Church in Hull to All Saints earlier this year, Conole was in charge of three parishes: Sacred Hearts, All Saints and St. Patrick. Another Haverhill church suffered a loss last year, when the Rev. Keith LeBlanc, the pastor of St. John the Baptist Church, was forced to resign his position after the Archdiocese investigated financial improprieties. LeBlanc has since pleaded guilty to stealing more than $80,000 from the parish. The Rev. Robert Murray, pastor of St. James Church in Haverhill, was assigned to also lead St. John the Baptist. The parishes have a historical connection. Many families worshipped at St. James Church on Winter Street, but as more people settled in Riverside they began to think it was time to start a parish of their own. • • • Join the discussion. To comment on stories and see what others are saying, log on to eagletribune.com. mlabella@eagletribune.com
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