WHEELING (WV)
The Intelligencer
June 11, 2019
By Alex Meyer
Three high-ranking priests tied to former bishop Michael Bransfield have resigned from their managerial roles in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston, Archbishop William Lori announced Monday.
The Revs. Frederick Annie, Kevin Quirk and Anthony Cincinnati resigned from their administrative posts in the diocese and were assigned new duties elsewhere in West Virginia. All three were mentioned in the diocese’s preliminary investigative report of Bransfield’s conduct, the details of which were made public last week by The Washington Post. That report recommended that the three, Bransfield’s closest aides, be removed from the diocese.
“By failing to take any action, the chancery monsignors enabled the predatory and harassing conduct of Bishop Bransfield, and allowed him to recklessly spend Diocesan funds for his own personal use,” the report states.
Bransfield, who served as bishop of the diocese for 13 years before retiring, has been accused of excessive spending of church funds, sexual harassment of adults within the church and using millions of dollars of church funds for personal gifts to other church officials, for personal travel and to renovate his church-owned residence.
Lori said that Annie resigned as vicar general of the diocese in September and has been assigned as assistant priest in residence at St. Mary Parish in Star City, just outside Morgantown.
Quirk resigned Monday as judicial vicar and rector of the Cathedral of St. Joseph in Wheeling. He also resigned from his position on the boards of directors at Wheeling Jesuit University and Wheeling Hospital.
Now, Quirk will serve as a priest in residence at the Mater Dolorosa (Paden City) and St. Vincent De Paul (New Martinsville) parishes and Holy Rosary (Sistersville) and St. Joseph (Proctor) missions, where he will assist Administrator Rev. Brian J. Crenwelge in his pastoral duties.
Per the report, both Quirk and Annie discussed concerns about Bransfield’s conduct with young men but did nothing to stop it.
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