Priest who backed gay rights removed from sex abuse list

Norwich Diocese: Richard J. Cardarelli’s name appeared ‘in error’

A priest who championed equal rights and sometimes secretly celebrated Mass with gays was mistakenly placed on a list of priests “credibly accused” of sexually abusing minors, the Norwich Diocese said Thursday.

In a one-sentence news release, diocese spokesman Wayne Gignac said that Richard J. Cardarelli “appeared on the original list in error. There are NO allegations of sexual abuse of a minor on file.” The church also acknowledged that three other priests should have been placed on the list. Gignac said the diocese wouldn’t comment further.

For Steven Cardarelli, putting his brother’s name on that list was the church’s final tormenting of his brother, who died in 2012. Richard Cardarelli was hailed by many as a hero for his support of gay rights, advocacy that resulted in his excommunication from the Catholic Church.

“No apologies to the family just, ‘Oh we made a mistake, what can you do?’” Steven Cardarelli said through tears during a telephone interview Thursday night.

“This caused tremendous heartache knowing what he was and what he fought for his whole life and how the church constantly tormented him in life and now also in death,” Steven Cardarelli said.

Richard Cardarelli was a Capuchin Franciscan monk, recognizable by their brown robes, sandals and rope belt with three knots signifying chastity, poverty and obedience. He eventually was ordained a priest. At one point, he was assigned to St. Pius X Church in Middletown, where he started ministering to gays and lesbians who were not welcomed in Roman Catholic churches. Cardarelli also was the Chaplain of Mercy High School in Middletown, a job he later would refer to as “the best job I ever had.”

In 1975, he founded the Hartford Chapter of Dignity and became its chaplain, and celebrated Mass in church basements on Sunday nights in the Middletown area. He then went on to work for Genesis in Manchester, a group that assists mentally challenged adults to live independently.

He also taught at Central Connecticut State University and, when he died, Steven Cardarelli said they took many of his brother’s letters, writings and papers to add to an exhibit titled the GLBTQ archives in the Elihu Burritt Library. The library’s website says there are several significant collections, including the following: John Loughery, Richard Cardarelli, George W. Henry, Christine Pattee, The Connecticut Coalition for Gay and Lesbian Civil Rights, and the Connecticut Gay and Lesbian Film Festival.

Gignac didn’t respond to requests for more information on how long Cardarelli served in the Norwich Diocese or how his name came to be placed on the list of credibly accused priests that it released this month.

The list includes 22 priests who were ordained in the Norwich Diocese and later accused of abuse while working in the diocese. Among them are priests, such as Richard T. Buongirno and Thomas W. Shea, who were sued by multiple victims. There are also seven priests who belonged to religious orders and served in the diocese and 12 priests who served or resided in the diocese but were accused of sexual abuse in another diocese.