CALIFORNIA
Merced Sun-Star
BY ROB PARSONSRPARSONS@MERCEDSUNSTAR.COM
11/18/2014
LOS BANOS
Parishioners of St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Los Banos expect a new pastor to take the reins of the parish next month, replacing the Rev. Robert Gamel, who remains under investigation by the Los Banos Police Department for possible possession of child pornography.
The Rev. Efrain Martinez will transition into the Los Banos church formally by Dec. 15, according to Teresa Dominguez, chancellor for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Fresno. Dominguez confirmed the appointment Tuesday in an interview with the Merced Sun-Star.
Dominguez stopped short of calling the appointment “permanent,” saying a shortage of priests in California makes it difficult for church officials to keep all positions filled.
“But it’s for the stability of the parish and the appointment is definitely expected to last for an extended amount of time,” Dominguez said.
Few details were available Tuesday regarding the new pastor, but Dominguez said he has been ordained for several years and is moving to the area from Selma.
News of the appointment came about three months after the Los Banos Police Department confirmed an investigation into Gamel, the parish’s former leader. Gamel, 64, has been under investigation for allegedly possessing nude photographs of a teenage parishioner on at least two occasions.
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