Newark Archbishop, Monmouth County Pastor Face New Calls for Resignation in Priest Scandal
By Mark Mueller
Greeting the deepest crisis of his 12-year tenure with silence, Newark Archbishop John J. Myers faced new calls for his resignation yesterday from two New Jersey lawmakers, who blasted him for allowing a priest to minister to children despite a lifetime ban on such interaction. Sen. Joseph Vitale (D-Middlesex) and Assemblywoman Valerie Vainieri Huttle (D-Bergen) said the archbishop has displayed "arrogance" and a lack of common sense over his handling of the Rev. Michael Fugee, 52, who admitted fondling a 14-year-boy in 2001. Under the terms of a binding agreement with authorities six years later, Fugee and the archdiocese vowed the priest would not work in any position involving children. Yet for the past several years, Fugee has attended youth retreats, heard confessions from minors in private rooms and traveled to Canada with children from a Monmouth County parish, The Star-Ledger reported earlier this week. "Enough is enough," said Vitale, who has pushed for laws that aid victims of sexual abuse. "Based on everything that’s happened, not just in New Jersey but around the country and the world, you have to follow the spirit of the law, and they have not done that in this case. Zero tolerance is zero tolerance." Myers, the state’s highest ranking Roman Catholic official, was not alone in facing scathing criticism. At St. Mary’s Parish in Colts Neck, longtime parishioners called for the removal of the pastor, the Rev. Thomas Triggs, and the removal of the two youth ministers who invited Fugee to take part in youth group activities. The lay minsters, Michael and Amy Lenehan, are longtime friends with Fugee. A spokesman for the Newark Archdiocese has said Triggs and the Lenehans knew of the priest’s past and of the agreement Fugee reached with the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office in 2007. The three were monitoring Fugee accordingly, the spokesman has said. But like the lawmakers, parishioners said it was clear Fugee should not have been in the presence of children at all, supervision or no supervision. "There aren’t enough words to describe how we feel," said Grace Collins, 68, a member of the parish for three decades. "It is a betrayal. It is their job to keep children safe, and they brought a known pedophile into their midst. The pastor should resign immediately. The Lenehans should be removed from ministry immediately." Triggs and the Lenehans have not responded to requests for comment. In an email to parishioners yesterday morning, the pastor said Fugee had only limited exposure to the youth ministry. "We are reviewing all diocesan policies and procedures concerning child safety to be certain they are fully implemented and will take any corrective measures deemed necessary," Triggs wrote. "As pastor I am held accountable. Please be assured this will not happen again." St. Mary’s is within the Diocese of Trenton. On Monday, Trenton Bishop David M. O’Connell ordered the parish to cut ties with Fugee and said the priest did not have permission to work in the diocese. Paterson Bishop Arthur Serratelli likewise said Fugee came into his diocese without his knowledge or permission in 2010 during a youth retreat along Lake Hopatcong. The archdiocese has declined to make Fugee available for comment or say where he is now living. More significantly, Myers has maintained silence on the matter. His spokesman, Jim Goodness, declined to comment yesterday. Goodness previously told The Star-Ledger Fugee and the archdiocese were not in violation of the agreement because the priest was constantly under supervision. Vitale was critical of that stance, stating Myers is parsing words and ignoring both the letter and spirit of the agreement. "In my view and the view of many others, the agreement has been violated," he said, calling Fugee’s presence among children and the archdiocese’s position "sickening." Huttle called Myers a "hypocrite" for justifying Fugee’s ministry to children. "Why wasn’t he just excommunicated when you have lay people excommunicated for far less, for their simple opinions," she said. "The Vatican should do an investigation and give a swift response. In my opinion and many others, Myers should resign." Myers, who was appointed to the Newark post in 2001, answers only to the Vatican in Rome. Were he to choose to resign, he would first have to ask the permission of Pope Francis. Myers backing of Fugee has been a mystery to some for years. Most recently, in February, he named Fugee co-director of the Office of Continuing Education and Formation of Priests, drawing anger from advocates for victims of sexual abuse. Fugee was the assistant pastor at the Church of St. Elizabeth in Wyckoff when he was arrested. He was convicted at trial in 2003, but an appellate panel ruled the judge gave improper instruction to jurors. Rather than retry him, the prosecutor’s office allowed him to enter a rehabilitation program on the condition he undergo counseling for sex offenders and sign the binding agreement. The agency opened a new investigation into Fugee’s activities after inquiries by The Star-Ledger late last week.
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