Diocese of Scranton: Eight More Accused of Sexual Abuse

By Elizabeth Worthington
WNEP 16 ABC
October 29, 2020

https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/lackawanna-county/eight-more-priests-accused-of-sexual-abuse/523-e344301a-652c-4b6e-901e-49a6f177ac5c

Only one of the accused clergy members is living: Monsignor Joseph Kelly.

More than two years later, the fallout from Pennsylvania's scathing Grand Jury report on clergy sex abuse continues in Scranton.

Another well-known priest joins the dozens of members of the Diocese of Scranton who have been accused of sexually abusing a minor.

80-year-old Monsignor Joseph Kelly served as the head of Catholic Social Services for a decade and was heavily involved with St. Francis of Assisi Kitchen in the city. He is now retired.

Monsignor Kelly is one of the eight people the diocese added to its list of those "credibly accused" of sexual abuse on Thursday.

Six of those people were clergy members and Monsignor Kelly is the only clergy member still living of the group.

One layperson and one member of a religious order were also included in the list.

The other clergy members are Edmund Byrne, Joseph Conboy, Francis Corcoran, Walter Ferrett, and Hugh McGroarty.

In a statement provided to the media, Monsignor Kelly adamantly denied the accusations:

"I say to my family, my friends, my former parishioners, that these claims are absolutely not true. I have spent the last 54 years as a priest who believes in and practiced respect for the dignity and safety of all I came in contact with, especially those under my supervision."