3 Accused in This Religious Order
Fr. Juan Carlos Castano-Mejia
Priest of The Congregation of the Oratory of St. Philip Neri in Ipiales, Colombia. Arrived in the U.S. in 1999; investigated before being granted visiting priest status. Arrested and indicted in 4/02 on charges that he abused a 4-year-old girl in 2000. She told her brother who told another relative. Incident was not reported to the diocese until 2002. In 4/03, he admitted fondling the child and was sentenced to 2 years in jail, 2 years probation, and required to pay restitution. There may have been similar allegations in South America. On Charleston diocese's list 3/29/19. Deported after release from prison. On the Charlotte diocese's list 12/29/19.
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Fr. Peter R. Cebulka
Named publicly in 11/21 by Attorney Jeff Anderson as accused in a lawsuit filed under the NJ Victims' Rights Bill. In 11/21 the website of St. Ann's Parish in Raritan, NJ (Diocese of Metuchen) shows Cebulka as Head of School and teacher. His name is no longer on the school's site in 12/22.
Fr. John Gallagher
Named publicly as accused by the Charlotte diocese on its list 12/29/19. Accused in 9/1971 of recently inappropriately touching a teenage girl at Our Lady of Lourdes in Monroe, where he was filling in one weekend. Parish was in the Diocese of Raleigh at the time, prior to the creation of the Charlotte diocese. Family did not press charges. The Oratorians restricted Gallagher's ministry. He died 11/14/76. Added to the Diocese of Charleston's list 12/31/19.