Priest steps down at Laflin parish amid abuse allegations

By Kevin Carroll
Wilkes Barre Times Leader
March 29, 2020

https://www.timesleader.com/news/778191/priest-steps-down-at-laflin-parish-amid-abuse-allegationspage/8/

St. Maria Goretti pastor, Rev. James Walsh, adminsters communion during Mass in this 2017 photo. Walsh has has resigned as pastor amid multiple accusations of sexual abuse, diocesan officials have announced. Walsh denies the allegations.

The pastor of a Catholic church in Luzerne County has stepped down from his post amid sexual abuse allegations.

A statement released by the Diocese of Scranton outlined multiple accusations against the Rev. James J. Walsh, pastor at St. Maria Goretti Parish in Laflin.

Walsh, while denying the accusations leveled at him, resigned as pastor in lieu of being removed by Bishop Joseph Bambera.

“On Wednesday, March 6, 2019, the Diocese of Scranton received an allegation of sexual assault involving Father James J. Walsh, pastor of Saint Maria Goretti Parish, Laflin. Upon receipt of this allegation, the Diocese immediately notified the Lackawanna County District Attorney’s Office,” reads the statement.

The initial accusation against Walsh was made regarding an alleged incident that took place in 1979, while Walsh was serving as an assistant pastor at the Church of Saint Gregory in Clarks Green, Lackawanna County.

The accuser was an adult at the time of the alleged assault.

“The Diocese followed its established procedure relative to allegations of sexual misconduct not involving minors. In addition to notifying the civilian authorities, Diocesan outside counsel retained a professional investigator to conduct a thorough investigation,” said the diocesan statement.

During the diocese’s investigation, another accusation of sexual abuse against an adult also came up against Walsh. In addition, the investigator retained by the diocese also looked in to two other prior reports of misconduct levied against Walsh. He denied these accusations as well, the diocesan statement indicates.

“Based upon the investigation, the Diocese determined the allegations to be credible,” the statement went on to say. Walsh was informed of Bambera’s intention to remove him as pastor, and submitted his own resignation.

No formal charges appear to have been filed against Walsh at this time, based on a review of online court records.