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Priest barred from ministry The Rev. Gary Mercure has been permanently removed from ministry after diocesan officials determined there were reasonable grounds to believe he sexually abused a minor more than 20 years ago, Bishop Howard J. Hubbard has announced. Mercure’s removal was declared
in a letter from Bishop Hubbard that was read at weekend Masses in the
parishes where he served: Sacred Heart and St. William parishes in The removal was based on alleged misconduct with a minor which
occurred at St. Teresa of Since 1950, the Albany Diocese has removed 22 priests from ministry after finding reasonable grounds that they sexually abused minors. Upsetting news Read at the end of the Masses, the bishop’s letter was
preceded with a warning for those who wished to avoid hearing potentially
disturbing material. The letter was received by some listeners with a mix of
weary welcome, exasperation and sorrow. At St. Teresa of As a result of the removal, Mercure cannot function publicly as a priest. He can neither celebrate Mass nor perform any other sacraments in public, and cannot wear clerical garb. Bishop Hubbard acted on the recommendation of the Diocese’s Sexual Misconduct Review Board, which was created in 1993 and consists of six lay people and two clergy members. Mercure has been on administrative leave since January when the Diocese received a complaint alleging that he had engaged in sexual misconduct with a minor in the mid-1980s. Subsequently, other people made similar allegations. All were turned over to law enforcement; some are still being investigated. No tolerance The Albany Diocese has a zero-tolerance policy for sexual abuse of minors by clergy, in keeping with the national policy of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. The (08/21/08) |