Father Gallatin resigns as pastor of St. Peter in Mendota

The Catholic Spirit
July 02, 2014

http://thecatholicspirit.com/news/local-news/father-gallatin-resigns-pastor-st-peter-mendota/

Father Joseph Gallatin has resigned as pastor of St. Peter in Mendota after a file review led Archbishop John Nienstedt to restrict his ministry.

Father Gallatin had been on a leave of absence since last December after his file was referred again to the Clergy Review Board because of a boundary violation involving a teenage male in 1998. At that time, the board reviewed the incident and concluded Father Gallatin required evaluation, therapy and monitoring. According to the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, he has actively participated in all requirements since that incident, and there have been no other allegations of inappropriate behavior with a minor against him.

Since late 2013, the archdiocese has been reviewing the files of all clergy who have served or are serving in its 12-county area. The Clergy Review Board was asked to revisit the 1998 allegation against Father Gallatin as part of the ongoing review.

In a June 22 statement posted at archspm.org, the archdiocese said that while the board examined the incident over the course of several months and determined that the act did not violate the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People, it still recommended he remain in the monitoring program and work in ministry that doesn’t involve minors.

Father Gallatin has been assigned to Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., to pursue academic studies.

“The Clergy Review Board took many factors into account, including Rev. Gallatin’s 16 years of good conduct and his current psychological assessments, as well as promoting a culture of abundant caution needed to restore trust,” the statement said.

Episcopal Vicar for Ministerial Standards Father Reginald Whitt, O.P., oversees the Clergy Review Board, made up of clergy and lay people with expertise in sexual abuse, health care, mental health, law and education, and includes parents and victims of abuse. The board assesses allegations of sexual abuse of minors by priests and deacons.