Many suspended priests live - and work - quietly near their former South Shore parishes

[Ian David]

Many suspended priests live - and work - quietly near their former South Shore parishes

By Elizabeth Crowley And Lane Lambert
The Patriot Ledger
Posted Oct 18, 2008 @ 06:13 AM

The Rev. Daniel Graham is long gone from the pulpit, but he hasn’t left home.

Six years after the Boston Archdiocese removed him from public ministry as part of its new zero tolerance policy toward child molesters, the former pastor of St. Joseph’s Catholic Church is living quietly in Quincy, still praying with people in their homes but no longer administering the sacraments.

Within a matter of months, as the clergy sex abuse scandal reached its height in 2002, hundreds of priests in the archdiocese were pulled from their parishes and dropped out of sight – among them were dozens who had been assigned to South Shore churches.

Most, like the Rev. Graham, never faced criminal charges, often because the statute of limitations ran out long before the allegations became public. But they did face a wrenching end to their way of life. As priests they were respected, even revered. As alleged or admitted pedophiles, they now live under a cloud of shame and suspicion.

Boston College psychology professor Joseph Tecce says some of these priests are probably still in denial about what they did. Their feeling remains, “I’m still a priest, I don’t care what anyone says.”

More:
http://www.patriotledger.com/lifestyle/faith/x692464260/A-life-out-of-sight


To see church documents related to the priest sex abuse crisis, go to www.bishop-accountability.org/.

PROBLEM PRIESTS: WHERE ARE THEY NOW?
http://www.patriotledger.com/lifestyle/faith/x692464260/A-life-out-of-sight