Former Lawrence Pastor Accused of Abuse Ion Maryland

By Yadira Betances
The Eagle-Tribune
November 12, 2013

http://www.eagletribune.com/local/x934975775/Former-Lawrence-pastor-accused-of-abuse-ion-Maryland

LAWRENCE — The Rev. Michael Kolodziej, former pastor of Holy Trinity Parish has been suspended from public ministry and cannot serve as a priest after being accused of sexually abusing a minor at Archbishop Curley High School in Baltimore.

A former student alleges he was abused on several occasions while wrestling between 1975 to 1979 when Kolodziej taught at the school, according to a statement released by the Archdiocese of Baltimore.

Upon learning of the allegations, the police were informed and the school, the Franciscan Order, and the archdiocese are fully cooperating with the authorities, the release said. The three religious organizations do not know of any other misconduct against the priest while he was at Archbishop Curley, according to the release.

In his years as a priest, Kolodziej was a hospital chaplain in Buffalo, N.Y. and taught in Athol Springs and Tonawanda, N.Y.

He came to Lawrence in 1988, and in addition to being the spiritual leader of Holy Trinity, he was president of the former Merrimack Valley Catholic Schools United; worked with the Merrimack Valley Project and served on the steering committee for Collaborative Ministry for Lawrence.

He left Lawrence to lead a church in Chicopee, and following that assignment was minister provincial of the Franciscan order in Ellicott City, MD and assistant priest in Jonesboro, GA.

Contact: ybetances@eagletribune.com