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	Dual Funeral Set for Priest, Mother; Allegations Split Parish By Bronislaus B. Kush Telegram & Gazette October 14, 2011 http://www.telegram.com/article/20111014/NEWS/110149727/1101/raw_headlines Funeral services for the Rev. Joseph A. Coonan, the once popular Roman Catholic priest who was suspended after allegations of sexual misconduct involving teenagers surfaced in 2002, and his mother, who passed away days after her son, will be held Saturday at St. Roch Church in Oxford. Rev. Coonan, who drew hundreds to his Sunday services at St. John Church and who is credited with working to help the downtown’s poor, died Oct. 7 in St. Vincent Hospital. He was 63. His 82-year-old mother, Mabel G. (Pruneau) Coonan, died four days later. The services will be held at 10 a.m. The two will be buried at St. Roch Cemetery. Rev. Coonan was a graduate of Oxford High School and earned a degree from Assumption College. The allegations against Rev. Coonan stemmed from his work as a camp counselor and teacher in Oxford during the 1970s, before he was ordained. People accused him of touching them sexually. The allegations never resulted in criminal charges but church officials deemed them credible and suspended Rev. Coonan in August 2002. The suspension split the congregation at St. John’s, with supporters noting that the charges predated his ordination in 1989. Many had credited Rev. Coonan with bringing many back to the Catholic faith with his inspirational sermons, which he often mixed with poetry and rock music. Through a spokesman, District Attorney Joseph D. Early, who was once Rev. Coonan’s lawyer, declined to comment. The priest’s problems continued when he was arrested twice in 2006 on charges of assaulting his mother and sister, with whom he lived in Oxford after his suspension. The charges were dismissed in both cases. Rev. Coonan fought for years to be reinstated to his priestly duties but finally ended his campaign in 2008 by formally resigning as pastor at St. John’s. Calling hours for Rev. Coonan and his mother will be from 4 to 7 p.m. today at the Mercadante Funeral Home and Chapel, 370 Plantation St. Contact: bkush@telegram.com
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