BishopAccountability.org
 
  Father Fay, Former Pastor, Breaks His Silence

By Susan Shultz
The Darien Times
August 31, 2006

http://www.acorn-online.com/news/publish/article_8902.shtml

The Rev. Michael Jude Fay, former pastor of St. John Parish, has broken his silence.

Father Fay has not commented publicly or disclosed his whereabouts since he resigned as pastor in May.

In a Wednesday phone interview, the former pastor told The Darien Times that despite the advice of his lawyers, he wanted to publicly comment in anticipation of The Darien Times story about the Rev. Michael Madden's decision to leave St. John Parish and the priesthood.

"There was never any homosexual activity or salacious parties in the rectory — the slander of that kind has been very hurtful, and I don't know why he (Father Madden) would say that," he said.

"I had many friends stay over throughout the years, and many family, and they stayed on couches and in the tiny guest room — no one ever slept with me," he said.

Regarding the friend with whom the former pastor had been allegedly having a homosexual affair, Father Fay said they are "just friends."

"We are friends, that's it — it has all been blown way out of proportion and the judgments that have been made about that are disgraceful. I have many good friends, and he (the friend) has been the one who has helped me with my disease and its horrible physical problems. (Father Fay told The Darien Times he is suffering from advanced prostate cancer, which has spread to his bones.)

Father Fay, who is under criminal investigation by the FBI, would not comment on the financial misconduct reported in the audit conducted by Deloitte Financial Services that was released by the diocese. He said he could not comment, following his attorney's advice.

He did add a message for his former parish.

"I love them all very much, and I loved being their pastor very much," he said.

In response to Father Fay's comments, Father Madden said most of what the media has reported about what he has said has come from other sources. Father Madden did not detail any activity that occurred in the rectory to The Darien Times, other than to say it was his own problem to deal with.

"The things that were attributed to me in other media outlets as to what went on in there, the people did not hear it from me," he said.

However, he did say that some things "went on" while he was at St. John Parish with Father Fay.

"As far as what went on there (at St. John), it was not a product of my imagination."

 
 

Any original material on these pages is copyright © BishopAccountability.org 2004. Reproduce freely with attribution.