MICHIGAN
Michigan Radio
Father Robert DeLand was the priest entrusted with recruiting and guiding young men thinking of becoming Catholic priests. He was also the pastor of a parish in the Catholic Diocese of Saginaw. Now, he stands accused of sexual assault and gross indecency based on the accusations of a 17-year-old high school student and a 21-year-old man.
Local law enforcement says his bishop, Joseph Cistone, and the diocese are not cooperating with the investigation. That led to police raiding the bishop’s home last month, as well as the offices and the cathedral rectory of the Diocese of Saginaw.
This is not the first time a priest sex abuse scandal has been connected with Bishop Joseph Cistone.
He was an auxiliary bishop in Philadelphia when that archdiocese, and its late Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua, came under immense scrutiny for an apparent effort to cover up sexual abuse committed by its priests. A grand jury report strongly condemned the archdiocese for its handling of sexual predator priests.
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