Retired Priest with Ties to Quincy Cleared of Abuse Allegation

The Patriot-Ledger
May 23, 2013

http://www.patriotledger.com/news/x83398222/Retired-Cape-Cod-priest-cleared-of-abuse-allegation#axzz2U7yzPK6b

BRAINTREE – A retired priest with ties to Quincy, removed from public ministry last May pending an investigation into a child abuse allegation against him has been cleared, the Boston Archdiocese announced Thursday.

The Rev. Joseph F. Byrne has been assigned the status of senior priest. The allegation against him dated to the early 1970s but was not reported until last year.

At the time he was suspended, he was retired but had what church officials called a “limited ministry” at St. Patrick’s Parish in Falmouth.

The Rev. Byrne was ordained in 1969. At the time, he was an assistant at St. John’s Parish, Quincy and had chaplain duties at what was then Quincy City Hospital. He later served as chaplain of the Quincy Police Department.

In 2005, Rev. Byrne was sentenced to five years probation after pleading no contest to embezzling $135,000 from Our Lady Comforter of the Afflicted parish in Waltham.