Archbishop Addresses Priest's Scandal, but Skepticism Lingers

By Jeff Green
The Record
May 26, 2013

http://www.northjersey.com/community/religion/houses_of_worship/Archbishop_addresses_priests_scandal_but_skepticism_lingers.html

The Rev. Michael Fugee in court last week.

Churchgoers in the Archdiocese of Newark on Sunday were read a letter written by Archbishop John J. Myers, who for the first time addressed a scandal in which a former Wyckoff assistant pastor has been charged with violating a ban on ministering to children.

And at three Bergen County churches — each where the Rev. Michael Fugee left footprints — parishioners gave the letter mixed reviews — some saying it was reassuring with others saying Myers should resign. Myers said in the letter — which had been made public late last week — and in a video on the archdiocese website that his top aide had resigned and the church would bolster its sex-abuse prevention policies.

Meanwhile, pastors of two Bergen County parishes where prosecutors say Fugee had heard confessions of children refused to discuss the allegations on Sunday — as they have since Fugee was arrested last Monday and charged with seven counts of violating a judicial order.

Prosecutors said then that Fugee heard children’s confessions twice last year at Sacred Heart Church in Rochelle Park, where archdiocese officials allowed him to live for two years, and once in December at Our Lady of Visitation in Paramus.

On Sunday, the Rev. Robert Wolfee of Sacred Heart read Myers’ letter during the 10 a.m. Mass, but made no other comments. Wolfee declined to speak to a reporter.

At Our Lady of Visitation, the Rev. Gene Field also declined comment. Myers’ letter was not read during the 10:30 Mass, but inserted into the church newsletter.

“It’s in our bulletin, where we give all our public information,” Field said.

Prosecutors and church officials have not explained why Fugee was in Paramus.

Fugee was found guilty of groping a 13-year-old boy while he was at the Church of St. Elizabeth of Hungary in Wyckoff in 2003, but the conviction was overturned in 2006 by an appellate panel because of a judicial error. To avoid a retrial, he entered a special probation program for first-time offenders and signed an agreement with prosecutors in 2007 barring future work with children for as long as he remained a priest.

Fugee, who was cleared by an archdiocesan review panel and returned to the ministry by Myers in 2009, recently was revealed to have participated in youth group retreats throughout New Jersey, an apparent violation of the agreement.

In his letter, Myers announced the resignation of the vicar general, Monsignor John Doran, who signed Fugee’s agreement. Myers transferred the archdiocese’s “monitoring function” to the Rev. Robert McBride, the judicial vicar. Myers pledged more resources for sexual abuse awareness training and the archdiocese review board.

Ralph Concepcion, 40, who has attended Sacred Heart for about five years, said the archbishop’s letter was the first he heard about the recent controversy. He said he thought Myers should step down and that Wolfee should explain what he knew.

“I’m concerned,” Concepcion said. “I’ve got children of my own.”

Felipe Fondevilla, 65, of Saddle Brook, said he too was first hearing of the issue, but he felt more assured by the archdiocese’s initiatives to address the problem.

“I think it’s a good thing we have strict rules about it and they’re going to strictly interpret them,” he said.

Fondevilla said he figures Wolfee will make his own statement “when everything clears up.”

Several parishioners at Our Lady of Visitation in Paramus said they were unaware of the archbishop’s announcement because the letter was not read aloud. Not everyone took the church bulletin home with them.

One parishioner who had read Myers’ statement and learned about Fugee’s alleged involvement in Paramus from the media, said the archbishop “wasn’t doing his job.”

“He’s more protective of the priests rather than the children,” she said. “It’s him who should go.”

Jim Goodness, Myers' spokesman, said each parish could either read the letter in Mass or put it in a bulletin, and added that parishioners were wrong in condemning the archbishop. He said Myers has removed 19 priests because of “substantiated allegations” of sexual misconduct.

At St. Elizabeth in Wyckoff, Joanne Ciaravino, a parishioner for about 16 years, said the issue was “heartbreaking.” But she and another parishioner said they found comfort in Myers’ response.

“I’m glad to hear the archbishop sounds like he’s on top of it,” Ciaravino said.

A parishioner of 25 years who said her name was Annette scolded the pastors of the parishes where Fugee had allegedly worked with youth. She speculated that since priests had knowledge of Fugee’s activity, their superiors should have been informed..

“If they knew, the archbishop had to know,” she said. “It’s not right.”

Goodness has maintained that the archbishop was unaware of Fugee’s work with youth until a Star-Ledger reporter contacted the archdiocese late last month.

Annette said she does not believe the archbishop should resign, but she will be closely watching for new developments. “It affects me, my parish and my Catholicism,” she said.

Contact: greenj@northjersey.com