Archdiocese of Indianapolis Suspends Priest after Sexual Misconduct Allegation

By Crystal Hill
Indianapolis Star
September 5, 2018

https://www.indystar.com/story/news/2018/09/05/catholic-church-scandal-indianapolis-archdiocese-priest-suspended-after-sexual-misconduct-report/1207508002/

A second Indianapolis area priest in as many weeks has been suspended after a report of sexual misconduct, the Archdiocese of Indianapolis says.

An allegation against Father Patrick Doyle was made Tuesday to a victim assistance coordinator, a Wednesday news release from the archdiocese says. The archdiocese immediately alerted "civil authorities" and told the archdiocesan review board about the allegation, the release says.

Greg Otolski, a spokesman for the archdiocese, on Thursday said the allegations against Doyle had been reported to Indiana Child Protective Services.

Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department Sgt. Jim Gillespie would not confirm nor deny whether detectives are investigating Doyle.

Details about the alleged misconductwere not immediately available. The abuse was alleged to have occurred decades ago, the news release says.

Doyle is prohibited from all public ministry while an investigation into the allegation is pending.

IndyStar reached out to Doyle through the archdiocese for comment.

Doyle has held various roles in ministry, including as a full-time instructor at Bishop Chatard High School, a priest moderator at St. Maurice parish in Napoleon, and a pastor at Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ parish in Indianapolis.

The archdiocese also recently suspended Father John Maung, a retired priest who was still in ministry, after an individual alleged that he was abused as a child several decades ago. The archdiocese took the same steps in Maung's case as it did in Doyle's case, according to a statement on its website.

Maung has denied the allegation.

In an open letter issued last week, Archbishop Charles C. Thompson announced plans to publicly release the names of all of the priests in his diocese who have faced substantiated allegations of child sexual abuse.

Otolski, the archdiocese spokesman, said an archdiocesan review board is combing the records and has not said how long it will take to complete the list of credibly accused clergy.

Thompson was addressing the sex abuse scandal stemming from the release last month of a Pennsylvania grand jury report, which linked thousands of victims to more than 300 priests over 70 years.

"To each and every victim of abuse — child, minor and adult — especially those at the hands of Catholic clergy, I offer my deepest apology and heartfelt pledge to do all that is humanly possible to be a part of the solution," Thompson wrote.

Call IndyStar reporter Crystal Hill at 317-444-6094. Follow her on Twitter: @crysnhill.

IndyStar reporters Vic Ryckaert and Mark Alesia contributed to this report.