Diocese Places St. Cyril Pastor on Leave

By Sugar Creek
The Examiner
January 26, 2012

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A Sugar Creek pastor has been placed on administrative leave.

The Rev. Matthew Bartulica had served as pastor for St. Cyril Parish in Sugar Creek for about six months before the Catholic Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph placed him on administrative leave earlier this week.

On Wednesday, the diocese said in a press release that information came to the Ombudsman that prompted Bishop Robert Finn and the Independent Review Board to “invoke a strict application of all diocesan policies and procedures.”

In the wake of the church’s recent sex scandal, Finn appointed the ombudsman as an independent public liaison to field and investigate any reports of suspicious or inappropriate behavior. The church said it would not comment about the nature of the information involving Bartulica until more facts were known.

Parishioners were told Sunday that the diocese had placed Bartulica on leave. A letter was read to the congregation after Mass, Stan Salva, a member at St. Cyril Parish, told The Examiner.

Bartulica was ordained in the summer of 2010 and studied in Rome for a year before his appointment.

Since 2002, the Catholic Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph said it has spent $14.7 million on cases dealing with sex abuse by clergy.