The Star-Ledge (Newark, NJ)
on May 01, 2013 at 6:30 AM, updated May 01, 2013 at 6:31 AM
By
Greeting the deepest crisis of his 12-year tenure with silence, Newark Archbishop John J. Myers faced new calls for his resignation yesterday from two New Jersey lawmakers, who blasted him for allowing a priest to minister to children despite a lifetime ban on such interaction.
Sen. Joseph Vitale (D-Middlesex) and Assemblywoman Valerie Vainieri Huttle (D-Bergen) said the archbishop has displayed “arrogance” and a lack of common sense over his handling of the Rev. Michael Fugee, 52, who admitted fondling a 14-year-boy in 2001.
Under the terms of a binding agreement with authorities six years later, Fugee and the archdiocese vowed the priest would not work in any position involving children.
Yet for the past several years, Fugee has attended youth retreats, heard confessions from minors in private rooms and traveled to Canada with children from a Monmouth County parish, The Star-Ledger reported earlier this week.
“Enough is enough,” said Vitale, who has pushed for laws that aid victims of sexual abuse. “Based on everything that’s happened, not just in New Jersey but around the country and the world, you have to follow the spirit of the law, and they have not done that in this case. Zero tolerance is zero tolerance.”
Myers, the state’s highest ranking Roman Catholic official, was not alone in facing scathing criticism. At St. Mary’s Parish in Colts Neck, longtime parishioners called for the removal of the pastor, the Rev. Thomas Triggs, and the removal of the two youth ministers who invited Fugee to take part in youth group activities.
The lay minsters, Michael and Amy Lenehan, are longtime friends with Fugee. A spokesman for the Newark Archdiocese has said Triggs and the Lenehans knew of the priest’s past and of the agreement Fugee reached with the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office in 2007. The three were monitoring Fugee accordingly, the spokesman has said.
The Rev. Michael Fugee participates in a prayer circle with teens and adults during a pilgrimage to Canada in 2010. But like the lawmakers, parishioners said it was clear Fugee should not have been in the presence of children at all, supervision or no supervision.
“There aren’t enough words to describe how we feel,” said Grace Collins, 68, a member of the parish for three decades. “It is a betrayal. It is their job to keep children safe, and they brought a known pedophile into their midst. The pastor should resign immediately. The Lenehans should be removed from ministry immediately.”
Triggs and the Lenehans have not responded to requests for comment.
In an email to parishioners yesterday morning, the pastor said Fugee had only limited exposure to the youth ministry.
“We are reviewing all diocesan policies and procedures concerning child safety to be certain they are fully implemented and will take any corrective measures deemed necessary,” Triggs wrote. “As pastor I am held accountable. Please be assured this will not happen again.”
St. Mary’s is within the Diocese of Trenton. On Monday, Trenton Bishop David M. O’Connell ordered the parish to cut ties with Fugee and said the priest did not have permission to work in the diocese.
The Rev. Michael Fugee poses with Michael and Amy Lenehan, longtime friends and the youth ministers at St. Mary parish in Colts Neck. This photo was taken during an annual pilgrimage to Canada. Paterson Bishop Arthur Serratelli likewise said Fugee came into his diocese without his knowledge or permission in 2010 during a youth retreat along Lake Hopatcong.
The archdiocese has declined to make Fugee available for comment or say where he is now living. More significantly, Myers has maintained silence on the matter.
His spokesman, Jim Goodness, declined to comment yesterday.
Goodness previously told The Star-Ledger Fugee and the archdiocese were not in violation of the agreement because the priest was constantly under supervision.
Vitale was critical of that stance, stating Myers is parsing words and ignoring both the letter and spirit of the agreement.
“In my view and the view of many others, the agreement has been violated,” he said, calling Fugee’s presence among children and the archdiocese’s position “sickening.”
Huttle called Myers a “hypocrite” for justifying Fugee’s ministry to children.
“Why wasn’t he just excommunicated when you have lay people excommunicated for far less, for their simple opinions,” she said. “The Vatican should do an investigation and give a swift response. In my opinion and many others, Myers should resign.”
The Rev. Michael Fugee poses with a teenage girl on a youth retreat at the Kateri Environmental Center in Marlboro. The Star-Ledger has obscured the girl’s face to protect her identity.Myers, who was appointed to the Newark post in 2001, answers only to the Vatican in Rome. Were he to choose to resign, he would first have to ask the permission of Pope Francis.
Myers backing of Fugee has been a mystery to some for years. Most recently, in February, he named Fugee co-director of the Office of Continuing Education and Formation of Priests, drawing anger from advocates for victims of sexual abuse.
Fugee was the assistant pastor at the Church of St. Elizabeth in Wyckoff when he was arrested. He was convicted at trial in 2003, but an appellate panel ruled the judge gave improper instruction to jurors. Rather than retry him, the prosecutor’s office allowed him to enter a rehabilitation program on the condition he undergo counseling for sex offenders and sign the binding agreement.
The agency opened a new investigation into Fugee’s activities after inquiries by The Star-Ledger late last week.
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State senator calls for Newark Archbishop to step aside, calls handling of priest ‘sickening’
The Star-Ledger
on April 30, 2013 at 5:02 PM, updated April 30, 2013 at 11:26 PM
By
Newark Archbishop John J. Myers, seen here in a file photo, has faced increasing scrutiny over his handling of the Rev. Michael Fugee.
Declaring “enough is enough,” a state senator this afternoon called on Newark Archbishop John J. Myers to step down, at least temporarily, while authorities investigate his supervision of a priest who has worked with children despite a binding agreement barring such interaction.
Sen. Joseph Vitale (D-Middlesex) said Myers’ handling of the Rev. Michael Fugee displays “arrogance” and defies common sense as the Roman Catholic church tries to regain the trust of parishioners in the wake of the clergy sex abuse crisis.
“Based on everything that’s happened, not just in New Jersey but around the country and the world, you have to follow the spirit of the law, and they have not done that in this case,” said Vitale, who has pushed for laws that aid victims of sexual abuse.
“Zero tolerance is zero tolerance,” Vitale added. “It’s not subject to someone’s interpretation or whim. There’s a potential for this person to reoffend, and if there’s any potential for that to happen, they just can’t be there. Being around children at all is just patently unacceptable.”
Fugee, the former assistant pastor of the Church of St. Elizabeth in Wyckoff, was charged in 2001 with criminal sexual contact after confessing to police that he fondled the genitals of a teenage boy on two occasions. A jury convicted him in 2003.
The Rev. Michael Fugee participates in a prayer circle with teens and adults during a pilgrimage to Canada in 2010.
An appellate panel ordered a new trial in 2006, ruling the judge gave improper instruction to jurors. Rather than retry the priest, the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office allowed him to enter a rehabilitation program for first-time offenders on the condition he undergo counseling for sex offenders and agree to the terms of a memorandum of understanding.
The binding agreement explicitly states Fugee may have no unsupervised contact with children, minister to children or work in any position in which children are involved.
But the Sunday Star-Ledger found that Fugee has attended youth retreats in Marlboro and at Lake Hopatcong through St. Mary Parish in Colts Neck, where is longtime friends with the church’s youth ministers, Michael and Amy Lenehan.
Fugee also has traveled with members of the youth group to Canada. The trips took place in 2010 and 2012.
Witnesses said he frequently heard confessions from minors behind closed doors on the trips, and Facebook photos show him smiling with teenage boys and girls.
A spokesman for Myers has said the archdiocese interpreted the agreement with the prosecutor’s office to mean Fugee could have contact with children as long as he is under supervision.
Vitale was critical of that stance, stating Myers is parsing words and ignoring both the letter and spirit of the agreement.
The Rev. Michael Fugee poses with Michael and Amy Lenehan, longtime friends and the youth ministers at St. Mary parish in Colts Neck. This photo was taken during an annual pilgrimage to Canada.
“In my view and the view of many others, the agreement has been violated,” he said, calling Fugee’s presence among children and the archdiocese’s stance “sickening.”
Myers’ spokesman, Jim Goodness, declined comment this afternoon.
The prosecutor’s office, meanwhile, continues to investigate the apparent violation. The agency immediately launched a probe when The Star-Ledger made inquiries late last week.
Vitale joins a growing number of people critical of the archbishop, who answers only to the Vatican in Rome.
On Monday, the New Jersey director of the Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests, a national advocacy group, called for Myers’ resignation. Rank-and-file Catholics from across the archdiocese have requested the same in interviews and letters.
This is encouraging news.
(1) A Senator and Assemblywoman have called for the resignation of Newark Archbishop John J Myers for his mishandling of Father Fugee;
(2) Two bishops have spoken up saying Fugee did not have permission to serve in their dioceses; and
(3) Last by no means least, parishioners are calling for the removal of their parish priest (Father Thomas Triggs) and two youth ministers (Michael and Amy Lenehan). All three reportedly knew of Fugee’s past and of the 2007 agreement with the Prosecutor’s office – despite this they invited Fugee to participate in youth group activities.
All three were presumably monitoring Fugee. This is beyond incredulous given that when Fugee grabbed a young lad in the crotch the child’s mother was right there in the room!
So, good news that parishioners are justifiably angry with the trio and want to see them gone..