Rev. Gerald P. Walsh

Richard Nangle, TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF

OXFORD- The Rev. Gerald P. Walsh, on leave for more than a year following a sexual-abuse complaint, has resigned as pastor of St. Roch Church in Oxford.

An announcement of Rev. Walsh's resignation was read at a St. Roch Mass yesterday afternoon.

Rev. Walsh becomes the second of seven priests to resign after being placed on leave by Bishop Daniel P. Reilly.

Two weeks ago, Worcester District Attorney John J. Conte announced the closing of criminal investigations into alleged sexual misconduct by six of the suspended Worcester Diocese priests, over statute of limitations issues.

Mr. Conte had asked Canadian authorities to take over his investigation of a seventh priest, the Rev. John J. Bagley, who allegedly took a Worcester youth to Canada during the 1970s and sexually abused him.

Rev. Bagley's resignation was announced in a May 25 parish bulletin, published by St. Mary Church in North Grafton.

Diocesan spokesman Raymond L. Delisle did not return a call to his home yesterday.

The remaining priests on leave include: the Rev. Raymond P. Messier of St. Francis Parish, Athol, and St. Peter Parish, Petersham; the Rev. Chester Devlin of St. Bernadette Parish, Northboro; the Rev. Joseph A. Coonan of St. John Parish, Worcester; the Rev. Peter J. Inzerillo of St. Leo Parish, Leominster; and the Rev. Lee F. Bartlett of Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish, Worcester.

The Rev. Jean-Paul Gagnon of St. Augustine Parish in Millville is on personal leave after a civil suit was filed alleging sexual abuse. He has not been removed from the parish.

Rev. Walsh, a Catholic chaplain of the Massachusetts State Police, was removed from his position in March 2002 after state police were notified that he allegedly molested a boy when he was assigned to Our Lady of the Lake Parish in the Whalom district of Leominster.

The allegation against Rev. Walsh dates back more than 20 years. The statute of limitations is 15 years for rape and six years for indecent assault and battery.

Rev. Walsh's alleged victim, Thomas E. Bedard of Leominster, said Rev. Walsh admitted to sexually abusing him in a letter, which he turned over to state police. Mr. Bedard said Rev. Walsh showed him a sexually explicit picture, gave him alcoholic beverages to drink and touched his genitals on more than one occasion while the two were involved in "friendly wrestling."

Mr. Delisle said at the time that Mr. Bedard made an allegation in 1998 that was investigated by the diocese. Rev. Walsh had "vehemently denied" the allegation, he said.

Rev. Walsh was ordained in 1974 and served in Clinton, Whalom, Uxbridge and Grafton before serving in Oxford.

Monsignor Louis Piermarini made the announcement yesterday at Mass.

Bishop Daniel P. Reilly last month asked the seven to resign their positions so that permanent replacements can be appointed.

Mr. Delisle has said the bishop has other administrative procedures at his disposal for priests who refuse to comply.

The accused priests are being asked to resign so that the parishes can "move forward," Mr. Delisle said at the time.

Rev. Bartlett and Rev. Messier have pending civil suits against them alleging sexual misconduct, but no suits have been filed against the other accused pastors. None has been charged with criminal offenses. Rev. Inzerillo was named in a civil suit that was settled.

Six of the priests had been offered trials before a church tribunal as a way to defend themselves against allegations. Mr. Delisle said the process for setting up the church courts has been slow.

Rev. Coonan is exempt from the tribunals because allegations against him date back to before he was ordained.

March 22, 2002

Rev. Walsh removed from parish

By Kathleen A. Shaw,Telegram & Gazette Staff

The Rev. Gerard P. Walsh, a Catholic chaplain of the Massachusetts State Police, was removed from his position after state police were notified that he allegedly molested a boy when he was assigned to Our Lady of the Lake parish in the Whalom district of Leominster.

He was also removed Tuesday from his parish assignment at St. Roch's Church in Oxford by the Worcester diocese, pending investigation into the charges by District Attorney John J. Conte. Mr. Conte said yesterday he was notified of the allegation by state police, and followed his policy in immediately turning the information over to Bishop Daniel P. Reilly.
In cases of a ``sitting priest,'' meaning one still working in a parish, -- the district attorney said, he will notify the bishop immediately of allegations of child abuse made against priests or other church workers.

He said the allegation against Rev. Walsh goes back more than 20 years and is clearly beyond the statute of limitations, which is 15 years for rape and six years for indecent assault and battery.

``The bishop has acted. He has recently removed three sitting priests,'' the district attorney said. Bishop Reilly recently removed the Rev. John J. Bagley from St. Mary's parish, North Grafton, and the Rev. Lee F. Bartlett from Sacred Heart parish, Worcester, after allegations of sexual misconduct with minors were brought to his attention.

Capt. Robert J. Bird, spokesman for the state police, said Rev. Walsh was one of three Catholic priests serving as chaplains. The chaplains, who also include three Protestant clergy and one rabbi, are called where they are needed throughout Massachusetts, Capt. Bird said. They assist state police officers who may seek their help with personal problems and are available to do weddings, baptisms and funerals.

Capt. Bird said Rev. Walsh had served as a chaplain for 19 years and, to his knowledge, there were no previous complaints about him or other chaplains.

Thomas E. Bedard of Leominster said he called the Boston Herald on Tuesday to make his allegations known because he was looking for the widest publicity for his allegations.

He told the Herald that Rev. Walsh admitted to the abuse in a letter he signed last Friday. Mr. Bedard said Rev. Walsh showed him a sexually explicit picture, gave him alcoholic beverages to drink and touched his genitals on more than one occasion while they were involved in what he called ``friendly wrestling.''

Raymond L. Delisle, spokesman for the diocese, said Mr. Bedard made an allegation in 1998 that was investigated by the diocese. Rev. Walsh ``vehemently denied'' the allegation at that time, he said. ``It became a he said versus he said situation,'' Mr. Delisle said. The diocese did not have enough information to warrant removing Rev. Walsh at that time, he said.
The diocese removed him Tuesday after it received information that Rev. Walsh may have admitted to the allegations. Mr. Bedard told the Herald that he gave a copy of Rev. Walsh's statement to state police on Monday.

Mr. Bedard told the Herald that he got a telephone call from Monsignor Thomas J. Sullivan, diocesan chancellor, saying he received a copy of the Walsh statement from Mr. Conte's office. Mr. Delisle said Monsignor Sullivan called Mr. Bedard Tuesday to offer support and to explain that his allegation was being worked on. Mr. Delisle said the issue of monetary compensation came up and Monsignor Sullivan told Mr. Bedard that no such discussions could be held unless he retained legal counsel.

Rev. Walsh was ordained in 1974 and served in Clinton, Whalom and Grafton before Oxford.

Bishop Reilly said in a statement that he placed Rev. Walsh on administrative leave effective Wednesday. The priest will not engage in ``any public ministry in this diocese or elsewhere. In keeping with our policy, we will cooperate fully with the district attorney's office in their investigation of this allegation,'' the bishop said.
Monsignor Louis Piermarini, who lives at St. Roch's rectory, will oversee the parish and will preside at all Masses this weekend. As he has done with other priest removals, the bishop said Monsignor Piermarini will be available to express his concern to parishioners and offer the support of the diocese in what is a difficult time for them.

``I will also be conferring with parish leaders to determine what additional assistance is needed by the parish,'' Bishop Reilly said.

``I ask for your prayers and support for the person making the allegation and the person's family, as well as the entire St. Roch parish family, which Father Walsh has served as pastor since 1993,'' he said.

``My prayers and encouragement are with all members of our diocesan family during these trying times which are so difficult for everyone. We pledge, once again, our continued commitment to work toward the protection and well-being of children in our care,'' he said.

On Wednesday, the Rev. Gerard F. Walsh was removed from his Worcester Diocese parish and his duties as state police chaplain after admitting he molested an altar boy more than two decades ago. He acknowledged in a letter that he sexually abused a youth when he was assigned to a Leominster church.

Walsh has been state police chaplain, a voluntary position, since the mid-1980s. He officiated at the second inauguration of William Weld as governor in 1995.

Walsh's accuser, Thomas E. Bedard, of Leominster, told the Boston Herald the abuse began in the late 1970s while Bedard was an altar boy at Our Lady of the Lake Parish in Leominster.

Bedard said he decided to confront Walsh last month after hearing accounts of problem priests in the Boston and Worcester dioceses

Last week, during a 45-minute conversation, Walsh first denied, then admitted to the abuse, Bedard said. he demanded and received a letter of apology from Walsh. Walsh gave a copy of the letter to state police investigators in Worcester on Monday. The same day, Walsh was dismissed from his police chaplaincy.

The Worcester Diocese Bishop Daniel P. Reilly issued a statement late Wednesday saying Walsh had been placed on leave from his post at St. Roch's Parish in Oxford.

"Due to an allegation of sexual misconduct with a minor in the late 1970s, I have placed Father Gerard P. Walsh on administrative leave from his duties as pastor," the statement said.

Bedard, now a 37-year-old engineer and father of four, told the Herald Walsh showed him sexually graphic material, asked him to open his shirt and pants, and grabbed his genitals on several occasions.

"I want this to be a wakeup call to the Diocese of Worcester," Bedard told the Herald. "In my view, they have not been taking this scandal seriously enough."