PENNSYLVANIA
WPXI
WILKINSBURG, Pa. —
The Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh sent out a letter Friday warning parishioners of a Wilkinsburg church of abuse accusations against a former parish priest.
The late Rev. John Wellinger served at St. James Church, and several other Pittsburgh churches, during his time as a priest in the diocese.
Friday’s letter came as Pope Francis I called for the Catholic Church to act quickly in sex-abuse cases and punish priests who harm children.
In Friday’s letter, Bishop David Zubik addressed the accusations against Wellinger by saying:
“My dear parishioners of Saint James in Wilkinsburg:
The Diocese of Pittsburgh has recently received a troubling allegation that Father John W. Wellinger, who was stationed as Parochial Vicar at Saint James Parish from June 1981 to July 1985, abused a member of the parish during that time. Father Wellinger, who died in 2011, had not served publicly as a priest since June 1995.
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