Diocese names priests accused of abuse

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Erie, Pa., on Friday made public the names of 34 priests or other members of the clergy who faced credible allegations of sexual abuse or misconduct, including their bishop in the 1970s, who they say failed to stop abuse that was reported to him.

In an unusual step, the diocese also identified 17 lay men and women facing similar claims, including a Catholic high school teacher who became a college president.

It’s the first time the 13-county, 202,000-member diocese in the state’s northwest corner has put out a comprehensive list of those accused of abuse, ranging from providing children with pornography to sexual assault. At least 21 of the clergy and two of the laypeople on the list are deceased. None are now serving in any capacity with the church.

“As Catholics, we believe the Lord has infinite mercy and absolution for those who are contrite and sincerely seek forgiveness,” Bishop Lawrence Persico said. “But that does not mean they are free from the ramifications of their behaviour.”

The allegations reach back seven decades.

The document put out by the diocese lists where most of those named are believed to be living, and any punishment they have received, from being removed from the priesthood to being sent to prison, which was the case for a handful of the laypeople.

Bishop Alfred Watson, who led the diocese until the early 1980s, is cited for allegedly failing to act to stop abuse that was deemed to have been credibly reported to him. He died in 1990.

William Garvey, who died last year, faced accusations he abused minors while he was a lay high school teacher and basketball coach. He would go on to become president of Mercyhurst College in Erie.

The diocese’s decision to put out the list came as the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s office wraps up a grand jury investigation into how the Erie diocese and five others in Pennsylvania have handled abuse and other allegations over the years. The church said it is tightening its policies to protect children from future abuse, including increasing the clearances needed to work with youth. Law enforcement is currently investigating three people not on the list of 51, including two priests who were identified by the diocese back in February and have either resigned or been removed from the church, the diocese said.

Diocesan spokeswoman Anne-Marie Welsh said staff had begun looking into allegations dating back to 1944 even before the grand jury investigation began in 2016.