Matt C. Abbott
Arrested priest 'wreckovated' church
By Matt C. Abbott
According to an Aug. 14, 2007 story in The Tribune-Democrat, by reporter Sandra K. Reabuck:
From the Web site of Una Voce:
© Matt C. Abbott
According to an Aug. 14, 2007 story in The Tribune-Democrat, by reporter Sandra K. Reabuck:
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'A priest allegedly had sexual relations with an inmate in a prison chapel, then handed over thousands of dollars in 'hush money' when the inmate threatened to expose the illicit encounters.
'The Rev. Gerard Majella Connolly, who formerly served at a Windber church and now is an Altoona pastor, also is accused of furnishing alcohol to the prisoner at State Correctional Institution-Cresson while he was a chaplain there.
'Connolly, 66, has been arraigned before Cresson District Judge Charity Nileski on 12 felony counts of institutional sexual assault and five counts of taking contraband into the prison. The inmate — 36-year-old William Victor — has been charged with extorting $7,607 from Connolly. Victor has been moved to SCI-Huntingdon.
'State police Cpl. Jeffrey Dombrosky alleged that the sexual contact took place five times between Sept. 15, 2006 and Jan. 16.
'The inmate told police the incidents occurred during counseling sessions with the priest in the prison chapel....'
From the Web site of Una Voce:
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'After five years of deception and lies by leaders of the Altoona-Johnstown Roman Catholic Diocese, our worst fears became reality. On May 27 around 4 p.m., destruction of our sanctuary began at St. John the Baptist Roman Catholic Church, Northern Cambria.
'Two contractors from C.E. Wood of Altoona appeared out of nowhere.
'We — Joseph Minarish, Helen Biros, Edward Kerchesky and Carol Benamati — parishioners stood there in disbelief at the sight of two workmen in steel-toed boots standing on our beautiful sacred altar. They were ripping, tearing and smashing at our nearly 100-year-old main altar with crowbars, sledge hammers and electric saws.
'Alongside stood our parish priest, Rev. Gerard Comielly, TOR, looking on in approval. Gerard asked us to leave. We returned later with other parishioners equally upset at the destruction. Once again, Gerard demanded that we leave or he would call the police. We left.
'Gerard went against his word. After leaving the premises of the church, we were standing on Elizabeth Street and the police arrived. The officer informed us that, upon orders from Gerard, we are not permitted to enter the body of the church.
'Is Gerard so ashamed of what he is letting the contractors do to the sanctuary of our church that he did not want anyone else to see? The contractors appeared over and over again, in the early morning hours, late evening and after dark, when they were least expected.
'The saddest of all is the way our altar was disposed. For over a week, the remains of our consecrated altar lay in a dumpster along with a bag of garbage and two old tires.
'Where is the respect for God? Where is the respect for the people who worked so hard and sacrificed so much so that their future generations may know and understand the history of the church? Is this how we are to dispose of sacred objects?
'Our sanctuary has now been destroyed and can never be replaced. Like thieves in the night, they came, they destroyed and they left.'
© Matt C. Abbott
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