Norwell pastor on leave after accusations

NORWELL (MA)
Boston Globe

By Matt Rocheleau
Globe Correspondent
October 29, 2012

The Roman Catholic pastor of a Norwell church accused of recently engaging in “inappropriate behavior in the presence of minors” has taken a voluntary, paid administrative leave of absence, the Archdiocese of Boston announced on Sunday.

The Rev. Thomas H. Maguire, the pastor at Saint Helen Mother of the Emperor Constantine Parish in Norwell since 2001, will remain on leave, barring him from partaking in any public ministry, pending the results of a preliminary investigation by the Archdiocese.

Archdiocese officials said in a press release that they immediately notified law enforcement of the allegation, but Archdiocese spokesman Terrence C. Donilon declined to comment further about the allegation and investigation.

Maguire, 63, has been a priest for 36 years, working at 10 parishes in Massachusetts, according to Donilon. Before joining the parish in Norwell, he was pastor of Saint Jeremiah Parish in Framingham for about three years, Donilon said.

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