OREGON
The Oregonian
By Emily E. Smith | The Oregonian/OregonLive
on August 19, 2015
The Archdiocese of Portland learned that one of its priests had left the country this summer during an investigation into a hidden camera found at his church. The archbishop says he tried to convince the priest to return, but he refused.
Church leaders discovered on July 29 that the Rev. Ysrael Bien was in The Philippines, an archdiocese spokesman said. But they don’t know whether the priest, who is now wanted on misdemeanor charges, plans to return.
Acting on new information that linked Bien, 34, to the spy camera, Sherwood police were ready to arrest him on Tuesday.
“Unfortunately, we had no idea that he had left,” said Capt. Ty Hanlon. “Not until yesterday did we learn that he was out of the country.”
When detectives went to Bien’s last known residence in Portland, another priest there told them Bien was gone.
Investigators now believe he left on June 30, six days after he was suspended from leading the congregation at St. Francis Catholic Church.
At that time, Bien was a person of interest but not a suspect in the case, Hanlon said. The department was still pursuing other leads and didn’t have the resources to follow the priest, he said.
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