Diocese IDs priests, bishop, laypeople in abuse

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Erie, Pennsylvania, on Friday made public the names of 34 priests or other members of the clergy who faced credible allegations of sexual abuse or misconduct over the years, 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 went on to become a college president.

It’s the first time the sprawling 13-county, 202,000-member diocese in the state’s northwest corner has put out a comprehensive list of those accused of abuse, which ranged from providing children with pornography to sexual assault. At least 21 of the clergy and two of the laypeople on the list are deceased.

“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 behavior.”

The allegations reach back seven decades. Twenty-one of the priests and two of the laypeople on the list are deceased. None are now serving in any capacity with the church.

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, had faced accusations he abused minors while he was a lay