Archbishop John J. Myers of Newark has reaffirmed the archdiocese’s
commitment to protecting children following the resignation of a priest
who violated a legal agreement to avoid minors.
“We are not perfect. But people who suggest we have not taken seriously
the oversight of our clergy and do not put the security and safety of
our families and parishioners, especially our children, at the forefront
of our ministry are just plain wrong,” Archbishop Myers said.
“This is among the most sacred responsibilities that I share with the
other honorable, dedicated clergy within our archdiocese,” he wrote in a
May 24 column for the New Jersey Star-Ledger.
The archbishop said the archdiocese must identify any flaws in its abuse
protocols “and fix them.” He pledged a “thoughtful and effective
response,” including the appointment of a new vicar general and a review
and strengthening of the archdiocese's internal protocols to safeguard
children.
His comments come in response to the case of Father Michael Fugee, who
in 2001 admitted to police that he groped a teenage boy’s crotch while
wrestling in the presence of the boy’s family members. He was convicted
of aggravated sexual contact in 2003 but the conviction was reversed on
appeal in 2006 on the grounds the jury was not instructed properly.
A 2007 agreement between the priest, prosecutors and the Archdiocese of
Newark’s vicar general allowed the priest to remain in ministry provided
he was not around children unsupervised and did not engage in youth
ministry or hear their confessions.
However, in April 2013 evidence became public showing that the priest
has since attended youth retreats and pilgrimages and heard confessions
from minors, though without the knowledge of the Archdiocese of Newark’s
chancery.
On May 2, Fr. Fugee submitted his resignation to Newark Archbishop John
J. Myers, who accepted it the same day. The priest was arrested May 20
for violating his agreement. He could face up to 18 months in prison.
Fr. Fugee was serving as director of the archdiocese’s Office of the
Propagation of the Faith. In November 2012 he was appointed co-director
of the archdiocese’s Office of Continuing Education and Ongoing
Formation of Priests.
The archdiocese had defended his appointment in February 2013, saying it
had not received any complaints from the prosecutor’s office since the
priest’s return from active ministry.
Archbishop Myers said May 24 that when he first learned of Fr. Fugee’s
alleged violations of the legal agreement, he ordered an outside law
firm to conduct a “full and thorough” investigation.
“I said I not only wanted to know if there was any wrongdoing, but that
if there was wrongdoing and it rose to the point that authorities should
be notified, I wanted them notified as well,” the archbishop said.
He said the investigation found “certain operational vulnerabilities” in
the archdiocese and that the “strong protocols” in place “were not
always observed.”
Archbishop Myers said that the resignation of archdiocese’s vicar
general, Monsignor John E. Doran, will allow for more effective changes.
He announced that monitoring functions will be transferred to the
archdiocese’s judicial vicar.
The archbishop said the archdiocese has “an exemplary record” in addressing abuse allegation against its clergy.
“During my tenure I have personally removed 19 priests for substantiated allegations,” he said.
He pointed to abuse prevention programs in the diocese and safety
training for Catholic school students. He said priests and deacons have
been reminded that they need written permission to minister in other
dioceses.
“All of these measures are geared toward safeguarding the members of our
parishes and community. You can be sure we will continue to expand our
efforts,” he said.