BishopAccountability.org

Allentown Catholic Diocese Priest Removed

By Matt Assad
Morning Call
March 4, 2012

http://www.mcall.com/news/breaking/mc-catholic-priest-allentown-dismissed-20120304,0,1344105.story

The Rev. Cletus Onyegbule, who also served in South Whitehall and Bethlehem townships, had inappropriate relationship with 18-year-old woman, officials say.

A popular Allentown Diocese priest who fled oppression in west Africa to "follow Jesus" to the United States was removed as assistant pastor at a Berks County parish for having an inappropriate relationship with an 18-year-old woman.

The Rev. Cletus Onyegbule, 44, was removed from his post at St. Ignatius Loyola Church in Sinking Spring, where he'd been since 2009, Bishop John O. Barres announced over the weekend.

Onyegbule was ordained in 2002 and served at St. Ambrose Church in Schuylkill Haven and Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church in Bethlehem Township before his assignment in Sinking Spring.

During his seven years at Our Lady of Perpetual Help, he had become a prominent priest because of his unusual route to the priesthood and because he was popular with the elementary schoolchildren who learned soccer and religion from him.

Now, under diocesan policy, he is in "treatment," and it remains unclear if he'll be able to return to active priesthood — a calling he endured torture, imprisonment and prejudice to follow.

"I'm not aware of any priest who has come back, but it's not precluded either," said Matt Kerr, diocesan spokesman. "It all depends on how things shake out. It will ultimately be up to the bishop."

Barres announced Onyegbule's removal to the parish during the Saturday evening Mass.

Onyegbule's path to the priesthood was unique. He publicly told the story that he was born in Nigeria and despite being a gifted soccer player, he turned down a professional sports career to become a priest. But in 1995, while he was a seminary student, he was arrested during a government crackdown on young people protesting corruption.

After 11 days of being tortured in a Nigerian prison, friends and family bribed prison guards, enabling Onyegbule to flee to Germany. But he said he was unable continue his seminary studies because he was black, so he fled to the United States, where he was held in immigration camps for months before he found himself at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary in Lower Merion Township, Montgomery County.

He served as a deacon at St. Joseph the Worker in South Whitehall Township in 2001 and was ordained in 2002. At St. Joseph the Worker, parishioners donated $10,000 to bring his family to the Lehigh Valley in time for the ceremony.

He became a U.S. citizen in 2008.

Kerr said Onyegbule's relationship with the woman was not believed to have started until she was 18 years old, but the matter was reported to police in Berks County. Kerr would not say how long the relationship lasted, if it was still going on, or which police department took the report.

He also would not discuss where Onyegbule was being treated or how long it would take.

Contact: matthew.assad@mcall.com




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