KENTUCKY
Kentucky Standard
By Forrest Berkshire, Editor
Friday, May 9, 2014
The pastor of St. Francis and Holy Cross is on administrative leave following an accusation that he molested a young boy in the 1970s.
Parishioners of the churches received a letter Friday from the Archdiocese of Louisville stating an individual had accused Father Joseph Hemmerle of sexual abuse.
Brian Reynolds, chancellor of the Archdiocese of Louisville, confirmed Friday that Hemmerle was on leave and that the church was in the process of turning the matter over to law enforcement.
Reynolds said the church had heard “secondhand” that an accusation was coming, but was not notified until Thursday. Reynolds said Archbishop of Louisville Joseph Kurtz met with Hemmerle the day the accusation was received, informed him of the accusation and placed him on leave.
The letter to parishioners stated the actions by the archdiocese conformed with its policies, which includes placing the accused on a leave of absence, outreach to the person making the accusation, reporting the accusation to civil authorities and conducting its own internal investigation.
This is the second time Hemmerle has been accused of sexually abusing young boys in the 1970s, when he served as a camp director for Camp Tall Trees in Otter Creek Park in Meade County.
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