LAFAYETTE (LA)
Acadiana Advocate [Lafayette LA]
March 22, 2024
By Stephen Marcantel
The Diocese of Lafayette excommunicated former deacon Scott Peyton after he resigned and told the diocese that sexual abuse in the Catholic Church and the molestation of his son by a priest had “shaken my faith and trust in the institution.”
Priest Michael Guidry pleaded guilty in 2019 to molesting Peyton’s child, who was 16 at the time, four years earlier. Guidry, 78, provided alcohol to Peyton’s son and molested him in his intoxicated state, according to a related lawsuit and a confession by the priest.
Peyton and Guidry served together at St. Peter’s Church in Morrow, a tiny rural town in the northern reaches of St. Landry Parish.
On Dec. 4, Peyton wrote to Lafayette Diocese Bishop Douglas Deshotel that after “deep reflection” he had chosen to “leave the Catholic Church and the diaconate” and step away from his position at the Cursillo Training Center in St. Landry Parish.
Peyton stated that years of allegations of sexual abuse committed by church clergy had “shaken my faith.”
“The pain and suffering endured by the victims, our family, and most importantly our son, coupled with what appears to be a systemic failure in addressing and preventing such heinous acts, have left me disillusioned and unable to reconcile my commitment to the Church with my conscience,” Peyton wrote.
Peyton said the decision was not a rejection of his faith in God or his Christian principles, but rather a reflection that his principles appeared to fall out of step with the Church.
“It is not easy for me to sever these ties,” Peyton wrote, “but I believe it is a necessary step to maintain the integrity of my and my family’s faith and principles.”
Peyton concluded the letter with: “As for me and household, we will serve the Lord — Joshua 25:15.”
Deshotel responded a day later in a brief letter, photographs of which were provided to The Acadiana Advocate by Peyton. Deshotel said he was “sad to receive your email deciding to leave the Church” and that he would “remember you in my prayers and masses that you be open to the gift of faith in the Catholic Church founded by Jesus Christ.”
Months later the Diocese of Lafayette in a letter to Peyton said it had chosen to excommunicate him from the Catholic Church.
“As a cleric you will likely understand that your decision has theological and canonical effects beyond your own private intentions.” Deshotel wrote. “Whether these matters are of any more concern to you, I hope you understand that I have duties which cannot be omitted.”
Deshotel said “a bishop never wishes to communicate a censure to anyone.”
“I am aware that your family has suffered a trauma,” he wrote, “but the answer does not lie in leaving the Most Holy Eucharist.”
The Diocese of Lafayette has not responded to questions regarding the excommunication and whether it might be viewed at as threat to victims and their families.
Peyton’s son sued the diocese and Guidry, and the case was settled for an undisclosed amount in 2021.
As part of the settlement, the church issued a three-sentence apology acknowledging the victim’s credibility and denouncing Guidry’s actions.
Unsealed depositions obtained by the Acadiana Advocate in 2021 show Guidry argued that Peyton’s son brought the sexual abuse upon himself, saying the teen drank from his own bottle and guided the priest’s hands during a nude massage.
Guidry, in later sworn testimony, changed course and said that he allowed Peyton’s son “moving in” on him to continue because he felt that something troubled the teenager which required a nude massage.
The diocese in 2021 accused Peyton, a deacon at the time, of manipulating the public with “calculated and activist” Facebook posts.
Staff writer Ben Myers’ contributed to this article.