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Jackson Bishop to Release Names of Clergy, Ministers Accused of Abuse

By Ryan Phillips
Starkville
March 19, 2019

https://www.starkvilledailynews.com/jackson-bishop-to-release-names-of-clergy-ministers-accused-of/article_8fcc22a6-4a4b-11e9-885f-7f221d4a53e3.html

Bishop Joseph Kopacz of the Catholic Diocese of Jackson will hold a press conference Tuesday to formally release the names of clergy and lay ministers connected to the Diocese who are “credibly accused of abuse.”

The move comes amid both a nationwide push for transparency from the church as it relates to priests accused of abuse and local incidents in the Starkville parish and Jackson diocese that have drawn backlash from parishioners and prompted a federal investigation.

Bishop Joseph Kopacz of the Catholic Diocese of Jackson will hold a press conference today to release the names of priests in the diocese accused of abuse. (courtesy photo)

Parishioners under the Jackson diocese were notified over the weekend through a letter from Bishop Kopacz, announcing the list of accused clergy would be made public during a press conference Tuesday at 10 a.m. at the Cathedral of St. Peter the Apostle on North West Street in Jackson.

“We know that this list will cause pain to many individuals and communities and I am truly, deeply sorry for that pain,” Bishop Kopacz said. “The crime of abuse of any kind is a sin, but the abuse of children and vulnerable adults is especially egregious. First and foremost, it is a sin against the innocent victims, but also a sin against the Church and our communities. It is a sin that cries out for justice.”

The bishop will be joined by members of his chancery team during the press conference, including Chancellor and Archivist Mary Woodward and Coordinator for the Office of Child Protection Vickie Carollo.

Kopacz then said the time for trying to keep these cases quiet in the church has come to an end.

In addition to the list of names, the church is also expected to provide additional information about its Office of Child Protection and Safe Environments and how it is working to screen and educate employees, children, families and volunteers in methods of self-protection to prevent future abuse, the letter states.

“The majority of the cases on our list are from the past,” Kopacz said. “This does not make them any less hurtful or significant, but it does indicate that the measures the Church and the Diocese of Jackson have put into place to prevent abuse are having an impact.”

Kopacz was mentioned in an affidavit attached to a federal search warrant last November involving certain alleged frauds and lies perpetuated by Father Lenin Vargas, the pastor of St. Joseph Catholic Church in Starkville.

Vargas, who the affidavit says is HIV positive, is accused of lying to parishioners about a fake cancer diagnosis, before defrauding church members out of tens of thousands of dollars for his alleged treatment. He also reportedly solicited money from parishioners for pet projects in Mexico such as a non-existence church and school.

Some in the church, including confidential informants within the Diocese who provided information to investigators, believe church leadership — including Bishop Kopacz — worked to cover up the accusations against Father Vargas by misleading clergy concerning his whereabouts after he was supposed to be receiving cancer treatment.

No charges have been filed yet in the case connected to St. Joseph, but Vargas is no longer active in the ministries at St. Joseph or Corpus Christi Mission in Macon.

Bishop Kopacz was also mentioned in a Pennsylvania grand jury report last August after a two-year investigation into more than 300 priests linked to sexual abuse claims from more than 1,000 victims in the church.

While Kopacz was not directly implicated in the widespread abuse, he was accused in several instances of not reporting abuse accusations from victims to his superiors — an allegation the bishop has denied, including one case where Kopacz said he withheld information at the victim’s request for confidentiality.

In the wake of news, many in the church have called for Kopacz to step down, while others have pushed back against administrative moves by the diocese with respect to leadership in the Starkville parish.

Early last December, it was announced that Father Rusty Vincent would be reassigned from the Starkville parish by the Catholic Diocese of Jackson — a move St. Joseph parishioners viewed as punishment for his role as a confidential information in the investigation of Vargas and church leadership.

Parishioners began a petition to block Vincent’s reassignment to Vicksburg, which had 329 signatures as of press time Monday.

The diocese insists the reassignment was set in motion before the news of the investigation broke and before church leadership knew of Vincent’s role as an informant.

The Starkville Daily News will provide updates immediately following Tuesday’s press conference.

Victims of abuse or those with any information regarding abuse within the church are encouraged to call Victim’s Assistance Coordinator Valerie McClellan at (601)-326-3728 to seek help.

 

 

 

 

 




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