MASSACHUSETTS
Wicked Local West Roxbury
Monsignor at Roslindale’s Sacred Heart apologizes after soliciting donations for accused priest
By Todd Feathers/Wicked Local correspondent
GateHouse News Service
Posted Mar 30, 2012
Roslindale —
The Archdiocese of Boston and the Rev. Msgr. Francis H. Kelley, pastor of Roslindale’s Parish of the Sacred Heart, issued quick apologies Thursday, March 29, after victims advocacy groups protested the use of parish resources to solicit donations for the legal defense of a priest accused of sexually abusing children.
Representatives from the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) and BishopAccountability.org held a press conference outside Sacred Heart at 169 Cummins Highway on Thursday, and passed out copies of the parish’s March 17 news bulletin, containing directions for how to donate to the defense fund for the Rev. John Mendicoa. Last August, Mendicoa was accused of sexually abusing children in the 1980s and was suspended by the Archdiocese which notified local authorities. His case is still in process, according to the Archdiocese website.
“I wish to express my apology to all impacted by this action,” wrote Kelley in a statement. “I now recognize that this announcement was not an appropriate use of the parish bulletin. I offer my personal assurance that such announcements will not be permitted going forward.”
Anne Barrett-Doyle, of BishopAccountability.org, said a concerned parishioner notified her organization of the bulletin. She worried that a statement of support in a parish publication would make it harder for potential victims to come forward.
Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.