PENNSYLVANIA
Patch
By Larissa Dudkiewicz
Hundreds from the local community attended a farewell mass Wednesday night to say good-bye to a Sewickley priest they say reached across the aisle and made a lasting impression on many, both Catholics and non-Catholics.
A standing-room-only crowd, estimated at 1,000 people, filled St. James Catholic Church to capacity as a show of support for the Rev. Dan Valentine, who resigned last month in the midst of an investigation that began over Facebook messages he posted to a minor.
Valentine delivered his final mass after six years as pastor of St. James. Those who attended described the atmosphere as electrifying. They said Valentine received two prolonged applauses during the service, each lasting at least five minutes. One came when Pittsburgh Catholic Bishop David Zubik introduced Valentine.
“The applause was astonishing,” said Bill Boswell of Glen Osborne, a parishioner since 1978. “We’re sorry to lose him.”
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