PITTSBURGH (PA)
KDKA-TV, Ch. 2 [Pittsburgh PA]
August 25, 2021
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) – After disclosing a report of sexual abuse by a late priest, the Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh says “a number” of other victims came forward alleging inappropriate or abusive misconduct.
The late Charles Appel was a priest in Pittsburgh until the church disciplined him in 2001. Bishop McConnell said the first reported case of abuse occurred against a child while Appel was at Sheldon Calvary Camp in Conneaut, Ohio in the late 70s and early 80s.
Now McConnell says others have come forward and the diocese has learned the abuse happened at multiple locations, not just at Calvary Camp, and the victims weren’t just boys. But McConnell says because the abuse happened decades ago and Appel died in 2019, “there is much we will probably never know.”
“As inadequate as it may seem today, on behalf of the church, I offer my deepest apologies to those who were harmed by Mr. Appel. We want you to know that your continued healing is important to us, and we hope we can walk with you as you continue to heal. It is my prayer that God will make reconciliation possible with all those who have been harmed in any way,” McConnell said in a letter.