DENVER (CO)
Westword
By Michael Roberts
Wed., Sep. 12 2012
Former Catholic priest Daniel Drinan made headlines after being charged by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Denver for masturbating in view of other passengers on a plane — and they weren’t his first.
Even before this latest incident, Drinan, 63, had an entry on BishopAccountability.org, which describes itself as a “database of publicly accused priests in the United States.” Why?
Here’s the site’s Drinan narrative, sans additional information about the aircraft arrest:
Removed 5/02 after complaint of inappropriate behavior with a minor. Charged with misdemeanor assault not involving sexual contact or injuries to a child. Paid a fine but no jail time. Bishop refused to return him to ministry because of incident & because of other issues from the past discovered during investigation. Working in Reno NV in 2005 at treatment facility for paroled prisoners with addiction problems.
Accompanying this passage are links to articles from the Austin American-Statesman. An April 2002 report notes that Drinan, described as a “member of the Eastern Province of the Claretians” affiliated with Immaculate Heart of Mary Church in Austin, had been accused of inappropriate conduct with a minor — news that left many members of his parish in tears. A July 2002 followup notes that the charges against Drinan had been changed to misdemeanor assault — an accusation that, as pointed out above, didn’t include a sexual component or claims of injury to the child in question. Nonetheless, he left the parish.
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