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	Parishioners at a Catholic Church in Saginaw Were Surprised This Fall When Its Priest Suddenly Resigned By Terry Camp WJRT February 23, 2010 http://abclocal.go.com/wjrt/story?section=news/local&id=7293431 [with video] SAGINAW (MI) -- The parishioners at a Catholic Church in Saginaw were surprised this fall when its priest suddenly resigned. But an incident that took place in the church's rectory may have had something to do with that resignation, along with a Deacon leaving the diocese. Another church employee tied to the incident no longer works for the diocese as well. He believes the diocese retaliated against him for claiming he was sexually assaulted. Troy Yaklin, 34, has been a lifelong Catholic, but that changed this past summer. He claims he was sexually assaulted by a Deacon at St. Mary's Cathedral. "This is the mother church," he said. Cathedral Mary of the Assumption in downtown Saginaw is considered the mother church of the Catholic Diocese of Saginaw. It was in November when parishioners were notified in the diocese newsletter that St. Mary's priest, Father James Bessert, resigned. There is video of Bessert with Bishop Joseph Cistone and outgoing Bishop Robert Carlson at Bishop Cistone's Installation on July 28. In the newsletter, Cistone writes "Father Bessert asked to meet with me and requested that he be relieved of his position as Rector of the Cathedral. Also, at his request, I have granted Father Bessert a period of time for personal health leave." Why Father Bessert resigned has remained a mystery. But one thing is known: There was an incident at the church's rectory in July -- an incident that one employee says triggered a private investigation firm to be called in. "Nothing ever came of it, other than me being unemployed," Yaklin said. Yaklin was employed by the church for the maintenance of the properties known as the Cathedral cluster, including St. Mary's. He says on July 3, he was sat on, groped and kissed by a Deacon in the rectory. "My first initial thought was to punch him," he said. "I was going to get physical, but I thought I would get in a lot more trouble for hurting a Deacon, especially inside the rectory." Two weeks later, Yaklin says he got a call from Bessert. "About 11:30 p.m. at night, Father Jim Bessert called me and asked me what is going on, and I laid it out for him," Yaklin said. Yaklin says he told Father Jim Bessert about his claims of the sexual assault, and the very next day, Yaklin says he was suspended indefinitely without pay. This document Yaklin received from the church shows that the Deacon, who we have not named, claimed it was Yaklin who was sexually harassing him. On the complaint, Father Jim Bessert is listed as the Deacon's supervisor. Yaklin says he complained to his supervisor. "I told him it was untrue," he said. "I told him what was going on. He is lying." Yaklin says the day after he was suspended, he got a visit from Phil Kerby of Kerby and Associates, a private investigation firm. Yaklin says he was told by his supervisor that the diocese hired the firm to investigate the allegations. After the investigation, Yaklin attempted to go back to work but says the situation was too uncomfortable, and said he was pressured to quit and took a short term medical leave. In November, Yaklin's attorney wrote this letter to the diocese, saying Yaklin was having a difficult time coping with the events dealing with the Deacon and Father Bessert. In December, Yaklin says his attorney informed him he could not return to work. Yaklin believed he was fired. "I took it for what it meant," he said. "I didn't know that it meant that they said I quit my job." When he filed for unemployment, the state informed Yaklin the diocese claimed Yaklin quit, and was ineligible for unemployment benefits. What does the Catholic Diocese of Saginaw have to say about this? They declined an on-camera interview, but in a written response to questions about the incident, the diocese can't comment because of employment laws, other than to say Troy Yaklin did work for the diocese, but no longer does. It was also said that the Deacon Yaklin accused of sexual assault is no longer with the diocese, and is not a priest, and that Father Bessert remains on a personal health leave. As for the hiring of the private investigation firm, the diocese says it cannot comment. Meanwhile, Yaklin is contemplating a lawsuit against the diocese. "I know I was raised Catholic but I don't want anything to do with the Catholic faith anymore," he said. "They have ruined my faith in the Catholic Church. They literally took that away from me, I didn't think that was anything anyone could take away from me." We tried to get in touch with Father Bessert several times for comment on this story, but could not reach him.
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