DORCHESTER (MA)
Boston Globe
By Lisa Wangsness
| Globe Staff
April 20, 2012
In an extraordinary outpouring of support for a priest accused of sexual abuse, hundreds gathered at St. Brendan’s Parish in Dorchester Thursday evening to attend a Mass for the Rev. James H. Lane, the parish’s beloved longtime pastor.
It was a quiet, intensely felt service until the end, when one of Lane’s oldest and closest friends, Harry Uhlman, rose to speak.
“I don’t care what anybody says,’’ he said. “Father Lane never abused a child.’’
People in the packed church shot to their feet, and crashing applause filled the sanctuary for more than a minute. …
At Thursday’s service, Connolly cautioned parishioners to express their feelings about Lane’s case in a way that would not alienate victims of sexual abuse. Three Boston priests who served at St. Brendan’s appear on the archdiocese’s list of priests accused of abuse.
In a poignant letter to the congregation distributed over the weekend and posted on the parish website, Connolly spoke of his astonishment and sadness about the accusation.
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