Two Priests Are Found Unsuitable for Ministry

By Timothy Logue
Daily Times
July 7, 2012

http://delcotimes.com/articles/2012/07/06/news/doc4ff7ab8701a1a074229567.txt

Philadelphia Archbishop Charles J. Chaput announced Friday that two additional priests, including one with extensive ties to Delaware County, have been found unsuitable for ministry.

Four others were found suitable for ministry.

The Rev. David Givey, 68, a retired priest who served on staff at Our Lady of Peace Parish in Ridley Township, St. Katharine of Siena parish and Archbishop Carroll High School in Radnor, and Archbishop Prendergast High School in Upper Darby, was found to have engaged in inappropriate behavior with minors.

Allegations against the Rev. John Bowe, 64, parochial vicar at St. Joseph Church in Warrington, Bucks County, were also substantiated.

“In the cases of those found unsuitable for ministry none were due to a substantiated allegation of sexual abuse of a minor and five were due to a substantiated violation of the Standards of Ministerial Behavior and Boundaries,” the archdiocese said in a prepared statement. “The priests found unsuitable for ministry will have no public ministry in the Archdiocese.”

Givey and Bowe may appeal their cases to the Vatican.

The four priests found suitable to return to ministry all have Delco ties. They are: The Rev. Paul Castellani, 53, of St. Philomena Church in Lansdowne; Msgr. John Close, 68, who once worked at Cardinal O’Hara High School and St. James High School for Boys; the Rev. Steven Harris, formerly of St. Louis Church in Yeadon and Cardinal O’Hara; and the Rev. Leonard Peterson, a former member of the staff at Cardinal O’Hara and St. Anastasia Church in Newtown.

All were placed on administrative leave in 2011.

“In making these decisions I relied on the counsel of numerous experts in two separate bodies — the Multi-Disciplinary Team and the Archdiocesan Review Board,” Chaput said in a press release. “They come from various professional disciplines and have dedicated their lives to child protection, to the investigation of sexual offenders and to support for victims of sexual violence.

“I’m grateful for their tireless efforts. The experience of these doctors, police officers, former prosecutors, victims’ advocates and others in dealing with the broad societal problem of sexual abuse was crucial to our work.”

Archdiocese officials did not discuss the allegations that led to the investigations. Violations of the Standards of Ministerial Behavior and Boundaries include the introduction of pornography, tobacco, alcohol or drugs to a minor, taking pictures of a child while unclothed, or exploiting a child for sexual purposes.

Archdiocese spokesman Kenneth Gavin said there is no timetable for the priests deemed suitable for ministry to return to work.

“It’s not something that there’s an answer to today,” he said. “Each case is so specific and individual with many different intricacies that it will take some time. The only thing that we are dealing with today is whether they are suitable or unsuitable.

“They are not going to be back saying Mass in a parish this weekend.”

The Rev. Jason V. Kulczynski, assigned to St. Philomena’s in March 2011 after Castellani was put on administrative leave, said the healing process continues.

“I have only spoken to a few people and, in the end, everyone wants what’s best for the parish,” he said. “This has been trying for everyone and trust has been broken in many places. We need to continue the work to win back the people who have distrusted us.”

Kulczynski said St. Philomena parishioners have a range of opinions about Castellani, who previously served at St. Pius X Church in Marple and St. John Fisher in Upper Chichester.

“There have been a variety of reactions and thoughts about the decision and how to move forward,” he said.

Of the six priests whose fates were announced Friday, only Msgr. Close was accused of sexually abusing a minor.

Givey retired in 2006 after spending five years on administrative leave.

Ordained in 1971, he worked at St. Katharine of Siena and Archbishop Carroll High School from 1971-73; Archbishop Prendergast High School from 1978-84; and Our Lady of Peace from 1996-2001. He also served as editor of Catholic Standard & Times, the former archdiocesan newspaper, from 1984-91.

On May 4, Chaput announced initial resolutions for eight other priests placed on administrative leave following the February 2011 Philadelphia Grand Jury Report. In that group, five of the eight were found unsuitable for ministry.

To date, the Archdiocese has substantiated claims against seven priests and cleared seven others. Cases against 11 priests are pending, including those involving the Rev. Mark Gaspar, parochial vicar at Our Lady of Charity Church in Brookhaven; the Rev. Zachary Navit, a former staff member at Our Lady of Perpetual Help and Our Lady of Fatima parishes in Ridley Township; and the Rev. Joseph Glatts, former pastor emeritus for St. Andrew Church in Upper Darby.

The investigation of the Rev. Daniel Hoy, a member of the staff at St. Joseph Church in Collingdale from 1964-69 and Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Morton from 1971-79, was inconclusive. Hoy died July 25, 2011 before his case was completed.

Archdiocese investigations are conducted by the Multi-Disciplinary Team (MDT) led by former Philadelphia Assistant District Attorney Gina Maisto Smith. The archdiocese has waited for clearances from local district attorneys offices before launching its investigations.

The Archdiocesan Review Board (ARB) studies the findings and makes a recommendation to Chaput, who makes the final decision.

Contact: tlogue@delcotimes.com