Ex-pastor of Roanoke’s St. Andrew’s Catholic Church cleared of wrongdoing

  A former Roanoke pastor has been cleared of wrongdoing by the Catholic Diocese of Richmond following an April complaint.

The Rev. Steven “Randy” Rule, the former pastor of St. Andrew’s Catholic Church in Roanoke, voluntarily resigned from Church of the Epiphany in Richmond after he was accused by an adult of “improper behavior” earlier in the year, the diocese said in a statement. The statement didn’t make clear the nature of the allegation.

After an “independent professional review,” the statement said, diocesan officials determined that “no infraction under civil or canon law” occurred.

Diocese spokesman Steve Neill said there were no criminal charges.

“I don’t know what the accusation was, but it did not involve sex,” Neill said.

Rule was placed on administrative leave in August 2002 from his post at St. Andrew’s following a claim of sexual misconduct by a former student at St. John Vianney Seminary in Goochland County, where Rule was dean of students. The diocese investigated an allegation that Rule had inappropriate contact with the person in 1976.

In November 2002, a diocese review board said Rule engaged in conduct that was “inappropriate and exceeded boundaries under the circumstances,” but determined that the behavior did not merit removal. The board reinstated Rule and transferred him to Richmond.

Rule “will be taking a sabbatical prior to his next assignment,” the diocese said.