BishopAccountability.org
	Group Wants Movement from Diocese on Former Providence Priest By Tom Mooney Providence Journal March 6, 2008 http://www.projo.com/news/content/church_abuse_magaldi_03-06-08_KD992SH_v16.357bbfa.html PROVIDENCE — A national group yesterday called on the Most Rev. Thomas J. Tobin, bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Providence, to take a more active role in helping get a criminal prosecution moving against a former Providence priest accused of abusing children and who is now reportedly HIV positive. The Rev. Phillip A. Magaldi served in at least three Rhode Island parishes from 1961 through the 1980s before being transferred to parishes in Texas in 1990. Father Magaldi was removed from active priesthood in 1999 after a sexual-misconduct allegation emerged here. Two more local allegations arose in 2002 and 2007. Three other allegations have arisen in Texas. Magaldi, 71, lives in a private retirement center in Texas where he receives health coverage and a pension from the Diocese of Fort Worth. Church officials are in the process of having him laicized, or defrocked. He has not been criminally charged in any of the sexual allegations made against him and has previously said he is innocent. In 1992, Father Magaldi was out of the ministry while serving an eight-month prison sentence for stealing more than $123,400 from St. Anthony Church in North Providence. Yesterday, the group Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests called on Bishop Tobin to visit the Rhode Island parishes where Father Magaldi worked and to urge anyone who might have been abused by him to contact law enforcement officials in the hopes of advancing a criminal case against him. Father Magaldi worked at St. Matthew in Cranston, Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Providence and Our Lady of Grace in Johnston. SNAP national director David Clohessy described as "pitifully vague" and weak Bishop Tobin's actions so far concerning Father Magaldi. He said the diocese had a short statement read in the parishes last month but that it told people to report any incidence of misconduct to the diocese rather than law enforcement officials — an example, Clohessy charged, of the bishop practicing secrecy while he preaches transparency in such cases. In a statement released yesterday, the diocese said it "invites anyone who wishes to report sexual misconduct by Father Magaldi or by anyone who serves the church" to contact the diocese's Office of Education and Compliance. "Individuals are always free and encouraged to report allegations to appropriate law enforcement officials as well," the statement said. The church said it will "continue to regularly urge those victims of abuse to report such allegations so that an immediate investigation may commence and the appropriate law authorities can be notified." The church said it would continue to urge people to step forward "through paid advertisements, suggested parish bulletin inserts, the diocesan newspaper and other electronic means." The statement did not say whether Bishop Tobin would make a personal appeal to parishioners. The diocese's statement said even though Father Magaldi no longer works in the Diocese of Providence, "Bishop Tobin has written to Bishop Vann of the Diocese of [Fort] Worth to support his efforts to have Fr. Magaldi removed from the priesthood." Contact: tmooney@projo.com
Any original material on these pages is copyright © BishopAccountability.org 2004. Reproduce freely with attribution.