Suspended Priest was Pastor in Wayne

The Web site for St. Katharine of Siena Roman Catholic Church in Wayne names Monsignor John A. Close as its pastor, although Close is not there right now and it is not known whether he will return.

 According to a source who insisted on anonymity, Close was one of 21 priests in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia who was placed on administrative leave, Cardinal Justin Rigali announced Tuesday.

Daniel Hoy, a retired priest at Our Lady of the Assumption Rectory in Strafford was also on the list, confirmed the source.

The Archdiocese of Philadelphia has not released the names of the suspended priests.

On February 10, 2011, a Philadelphia Grand Jury released a report that among other things recommended charging Monsignor William J. Lynn, the Secretary for Clergy for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia under Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua, with two counts of endangering the welfare of a child.

At one time in the 1980s Lynn was a parish priest at St. Katharine’s.

According to the Philadelphia District Attorney’s office, from 1992 until 2004, Lynn was responsible for investigating reports that priests had sexually abused children and for recommending appropriate action to ensure that priests could not reoffend.

The Grand Jury found that Lynn endangered children by knowingly allowing dangerous priests to continue in ministry, according to the report.

The archdiocese retained Gina Maisto Smith, a former Philadelphia Assistant District Attorney and a partner at the law firm of Ballard Spahr to conduct an initial review of 37 priests named in the Grand Jury report.

The Cardinal's actions Tuesday were based on Smith's recommendations, and she will now “lead a team of experts to investigate more fully each case,” according to the archdiocese.

“I want to be clear: These administrative leaves are interim measures. They are not in any way final determinations or judgments,” Rigali is quoted as saying on Tuesday.

“I know that for many people their trust in the Church has been shaken,” said the Cardinal. “I pray that the efforts of the Archdiocese to address these cases of concern and to re-evaluate our way of handling allegations will help rebuild that trust in truth and justice.”

Radnor Patch will be following up on this story.