Newark Archbishop's Spokesman Gets Promotion

By Jeff Green
The Record
September 12, 2013

http://www.northjersey.com/news/Newark_archbishops_spokesman_gets_promotion_.html

Archbishop John J. Myers promoted his spokesman and a deacon on Wednesday to high-ranking administrative positions in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Newark.

Jim Goodness, director of communications for the archdiocese since 1999, confirmed Thursday that he and deacon John J. McKenna were made vice chancellors.

“This is a rare privilege,” Goodness said. “I will continue to serve the archdiocese and archbishop in increasingly responsible capacities.” The archdiocese serves more than 1 million Catholics in Bergen, Essex, Hudson and Union counties.

Goodness has been Myers’ main defender in a recent string of scandals involving priests accused of sexually abusing children.

The archbishop solely relied on Goodness for several weeks this spring to respond to charges that the Rev. Michael Fugee had attended youth-group retreats and heard childrens’ confessions, an apparent violation of a legal agreement banning his ministry to minors. A former Wyckoff cleric whose conviction for groping a teenage boy was overturned in 2006, Fugee was arrested in May for allegedly breaking the pact.

Goodness at first said Fugee’s activities were acceptable under the agreement because he was “supervised.” A week later, he reversed course, saying that the youth-group excursions were not allowed but the archdiocese never knew about them.

Robert Hoatson, a former Newark priest and president of the victims’ advocacy group Road to Recovery, said on Thursday that Goodness “masterminds and participates in the communication of false information from the Archdiocese of Newark,” and he slammed the promotion.

Goodness will continue serving in his roles as spokesman and the coordinator of the archdiocese’s review board – which investigates accusations of clergy sexual abuse. He also remains as the liaison to law enforcement, forwarding abuse complaints to the appropriate county prosecutor.

Goodness did not elaborate on his new responsibilities as vice chancellor, but it is generally seen as an administrative role. Rev. Kenneth Lasch, a former vice chancellor in the Paterson diocese, said the position includes managing chancery files and carrying out the bishop’s orders. It does not require ordination because a vice chancellor does not share the bishop’s power, he said.

McKenna will retain his current posts as executive director of human resources and director of permanent diaconate personnel.

In November, Myers announced the promotion of the Rev. Charles M. Kelly to vice chancellor. At the same time, he gave Fugee a second chancery job and elevated his personal secretary, Michael A. Andreano, to chancellor. Fugee resigned from his archdiocese jobs before his arrest in May.

Email: greenj@northjersey.com