Monday, June 9

There's an abuse case involving a Holy Cross priest who served up here in South Bend and eventually ended up in Arizona.

The article I've linked above attempts to dissect who knew what and when did they know it, including this concerning our own bishop:

"In 1998, there was an allegation that made its way to Father Epping. It didn't come directly to him," Nussbaum said. "It came through other sources."According to Phoenix officials last week, that complaint came from a man in Arizona who said he was molested by LeBrun on a camping trip as a child.Nussbaum said Epping conducted an investigation into all the complaints. [Bishop] D'Arcy said he believes it was Epping who came to him in 1999 with the allegations against LeBrun."I asked for and received (LeBrun's) resignation as pastor," D'Arcy said.

.....After LeBrun left Little Flower, he apparently went into therapy."They (Holy Cross) gave me information of allegations that they were taking seriously and that they were sending him to therapy," D'Arcy said.The bishop said Holy Cross told him they were sending LeBrun to the Southdown Institute, which is in Canada.Epping has described Southdown as "a therapeutic facility for priests and religious men and women who deal with all sorts of issues."D'Arcy said he met with LeBrun after his time at Southdown and that LeBrun requested to return to ministry in the diocese.The bishop said he not only refused the request, he also removed LeBrun's faculties. LeBrun would not be permitted to distribute Communion, anoint the sick or administer any other sacrament.

There. Was that so hard?