The Albany Roman Catholic Diocese announced yesterday that they have removed former Margaretville priest Robert Purcell from ministry, and placed three Capital-region retired priests on administrative leave, in the wake of recent sexual abuse accusations. From the Albany Times-Union:
The Rev. Robert Purcell, 76, retired pastor of Sacred Heart Parish in Margaretville, Delaware County, was removed from the ministry as the result of a recent abuse claim dating to 1957, 17 years before his ordination.
The allegation was forwarded to the Albany County district attorney's office, which declined to pursue criminal charges, and an investigation was initiated by the diocese's Sexual Misconduct Review Board. Purcell has denied the allegation.
The Sacred Heart Parish in Margaretville is still reeling from the recent scandal surrounding former priest James McDevitt, who just last fall was sentenced to probation and ordered to register as a sex offender, in a case involving six boys in the parish. From the Catskill Mountain News:
In an agreement with the Delaware County District Attorney’s office last May, Father McDevitt pled guilty to two counts of forcible touching that took place during his tenure as a priest at Sacred Heart Parish where he served as pastor for about five years...
...He was accused of “disciplining” the boys by having them take down their pants and underwear and spanking their bare bottoms. Sheriff’s Department officials indicated that most of the alleged incidents took place between October 2008 and mid-April 2009.
