CHICAGO (IL)
Chicago Tribune
A priest has been reinstated to a parish in the Lakeview neighborhood after an investigation concluded that an allegation of sexual misconduct against him “was unfounded,” according to the Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago.
The Rev. Michael W. O’Connell stepped down as pastor of St. Alphonsus Parish, 1429 W. Wellington Ave., in December after it was alleged that he had engaged in sexual misconduct with a minor in the late 1990s while a pastor of an Orland Park church.
The archdiocese released a statement today saying the allegation was investigated by the Cook County sheriff’s office, which “conducted an independent investigation and concluded that the allegation was unfounded.”
In addition, the “Archdiocesan Independent Review Board. . .did not find reason to suspect that sexual abuse of a minor had occurred and recommended that Father O’Connell be returned to active ministry,” the archdiocese said.
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