Boston Pilot
14 October 2011
By Pilot Staff
Posted: 10/14/2011
BILLERICA — The Archdiocese of Boston announced Oct. 8 that Father Eugene Tully resigned as Pastor of St. Theresa of Lisieux Parish in Billerica after it became known that he allowed a parish volunteer who had recently been accused of sexually abusing a minor in the 1970s to lead a youth group on an overnight trip.
Father Arthur M. Coyle, Episcopal Vicar for the Merrimack Region, released a statement announcing Father Tully’s resignation and calling his actions “a serious error in judgment.”
“The matter of concern for the Church is that the volunteer was allowed to participate in the April 2010 parish teen outreach trip, even though Father Tully had been made aware of the circumstances of the civil suit prior to this trip,” Father Coyle said. “I want to make clear that there have been no allegations of misconduct received at St. Theresa involving this volunteer.”
Father Tully, according to the statement, “now recognizes the seriousness and the implications of his earlier decision” and the archdiocese anticipates he will be able to continue to “serve the people of God in his priesthood.”
According to the policies and protocols established in the archdiocese for the protection of children and young adults, if an allegation of sexual abuse of a minor is brought forward, that volunteer must step down from any parish ministry while the allegation is being investigated.
The archdiocese expects to name a new pastor shortly. In the interim, Father Agustin Anda, parochial vicar, and Father John J. McCormick, senior priest in residence at St. Theresa, will continue to provide pastoral care to parishioners.
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Archdiocese statement on Billerica priest’s resignation
The Lowell Sun
Updated: 10/09/2011 06:41:30 AM EDT
Good morning/afternoon,
I want to inform you of a change involving the leadership here at St. Theresa Parish. As you know, Fr. Eugene Tully has been pastor since 1992 and has enjoyed a more than 40-year ministry of exceptional service as a priest. We are very grateful for his outstanding work with St. Theresa serving the many needs of the parish community.
That said, I must regretfully report that Fr. Tully has tendered his resignation as pastor effective immediately. Unfortunately Fr. Tully exercised a serious error in judgment regarding his handling of a matter involving a parish volunteer who has served at St. Theresa’s for many years. The volunteer has been named in a civil lawsuit involving an allegation of sexual abuse of a minor many years ago in another state. The matter of concern for the Church is that the volunteer was allowed to participate in the April 2010 parish teen outreach trip, even though Fr. Tully had been made aware of the circumstances of the civil suit prior to this trip. I want to make clear that there have been no allegations of misconduct received at St. Theresa involving this volunteer. In fact, the policy of the Archdiocese is that any Church official or volunteer who works with young adults or children must be subjected to a Criminal Offender Record Information (or CORI) review. A CORI check was processed for the volunteer and it was returned as “no record found,” which cleared him for ministry as late as Fiscal Year 2011.
The Archdiocese of Boston has established clear policies and protocols for matters involving ministry that includes young adults and children. The primary purpose of these policies is the protection of children. All pastors are expected to be vigilant in the implementation of these policies and protocols. Further, if an allegation of sexual abuse of a minor is brought forward, that volunteer must step down from any parish ministry while the allegation is being investigated.
Fr. Tully now recognizes the seriousness and the implications of his earlier decision regarding the April 2010 trip. While he has resigned his role as pastor, after a period of prayer and reflection, the Archdiocese will review future assignments with Fr. Tully where we anticipate he will be able to continue to serve the people of God in his priesthood. In the coming week he will be moving from the rectory and we wish to make this transition as smooth as possible for Fr. Tully. We also want to respect his privacy during this time of transition.
I know this news comes as a shock to many of you. Please pray for Fr. Tully and your fellow parishioners. Please also know of the Cardinal’s solicitude, prayers and concern for you and Fr. Tully. A new pastor is expected to be named very shortly. In the interim, Fr. Anda, and Fr. McCormick, senior priest will continue to provide pastoral care to the people of St Theresa.
Thank you and God bless,
Very Reverend Arthur M. Coyle
Episcopal Vicar for the Merrimack Region
Archdiocese of Boston
How can this be? Father Tully knew there were allegations against this, and still let him lead a youth group on an overnight trip?!!!
Tully now “recognizes the seriousness and the implications” of that decision?! Why does he recognize now what he didn’t recognize then? Aside publicity, what has changed?
This is disgusting.
Ah yes. It gets worse.
Check this article. Turns out the volunteer to whom Tully turned over those children for an over-nighter is in fact Renald “Ron” Hallee, an ex priest.
Note that this trip transpired last year. Why is it only now that this little “error in judgment” on Tully’s part is coming to light?
It is with sadness that I write this. Renald Hallee is my brother in law, married to my sister, Doris Plourde Hallee. Father Hallee, as he was known to me as a teenager, was the priest in the Fort Kent Maine Parish. He openly courted and chased my teenage sister and was eventually chased out of the parish when he was driven out of town sometimes in 1976 or 1977. Renald Hallee, as I feared, not only chased my sister, writing her pornographic letters, kissing her openly on the mouth in front of my parents, and visiting her when she was babysitting at the homes of other parents, but is now accused of having abused a nine year old girl.
The fact is that many in the Billerica and Lexington Ma area did not know about Father Hallee’s past as a priest, the fact that he was chased out of town and forced to leave the priesthood. Of course, I dont know what the priesthood did in Maine when he was forced to leave our parish. DId they prevent him from returning to ministry? Or was that his decision? I doubt many of the friends and family of the Hallees knew of his past.
Strangely, I learned of the recent accusations in Maine just last week, when I was preparing to call the Billerica Police Dept to tell them about my brother in law. I had seen that he was teaching Ethics in some church in Billerica a couple years ago and that weighed heavily on my mind. It just so happened that as I typed his name to get his street address, I came upon an article in the Bangor Daily News or Portland paper.
Though I did call the police, it seems that the church of St. Theresa and the police department already knew. I hope that my brother in law did not do this thing he is accused of, however, he was a 30 year old priest chasing a 15 year old girl, breaking his vows, etc. Even though she was willing, she is a victim, and I still see her as such.
The victim of child sexual abuse by members of a boys home run by Catholic Charities in Bangor Maine, I cannot help but believe the woman who brought forth these accusations. Again, it is apparent that the Catholic Church and its priests and leaders are willing to go to any lengths to cover for their perverted friends.
CJ Plourde,
Your sadness was felt a thousand miles away… I hope you will be able to replace that sadness with Peace in your heart. You are doing a lot of good by expressing your thoughts and feelings to a lot of people who continue to need support …In return, you will not be alone….
This abuse of children is the tragedy of our human condition. It tears at the abused individuals but at their family as well… It is a cancer!… It is our death!..I hope you and your sister do not become estranged because of your honesty and caring…I wish she understands your words are from a very Loving place . The abuse hurts the children, then the families, then the communities and then all of us. By speaking about it , the cycle is broken….once the children are safe, so will our families, our small villages, our communities and then the human heart. Giving up is not an option! WE have to think and act for the long term…not just today, tomorrow or next year…but for the shelter of our children’s children’s children’s in a more gentle world…That is just the way it was meant to be…
Every time I told myself I should go away from this site( almost a year ago) where I came because of a simple conversation between two strangers, inevitably something else happens to draw me back…
In the last paragraph of your post, I understand that your are a survivor also, from a catholic boys home…?!..not everyone responds as you will notice, if you return here, but many will feel your pain and sadness. All are here to support you even if the silence seems too long at times. Be patient..without anger or remorse, or guilt …The generosity in your heart will be refunded a thousand fold…
The abusers, users, cheaters of children’s will pay with a thousand times more sleepless nights and lifeless days. Their choice and their reward.
We all know that but we don’t believe it…because we fail to pay attention to the details, the coincidences, the gut feelings…the inexplicable! Being attentive is all we require.
CJ Plourde, you may not understand it now, but you have placed “your brick” on the wall…
Release yourself from any more sadness. You have just become a leader!…
Thank You and Bless You for helping save another child…
As for the church and the priests…Indifference will be their payment!
jg