Joy and uncertainty over Philadelphia Archdiocese rulings on priests

"As an archdiocese we have been painfully aware of the destruction of trust that may have occurred," said Mary Achilles, who designed a crisis-response program. (APRIL SAUL / Staff Photographer)

By David O'Reilly, Dan Hardy, Alfred Lubrano, and Bonnie L. Cook, Inquirer Staff Writers

Posted: May 06, 2012

In parishes around the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, joy and uncertainty greeted the news Friday that three priests among the more than two dozen accused of wrongful behavior with children would soon be returning to ministry, while five would not.

"Yay!" 17-year-old Emily Ferry shouted when she learned that Archbishop Charles J. Chaput had reinstated the Rev. Michael Chapman, former pastor of Ascension of Our Lord parish in Kensington.

"I'm excited," she said. "He was a fine, nice guy."

"I'm happy he's back," said her brother, Hugh, 21. Both had been altar servers at Ascension.

The accusations against Chapman and others have not been made public, and Chaput did not indicate Friday whether he would reassign the returning priests to the parishes where they most recently served. Priests also have the option of going to new parishes, he said.

Chaput announced he would return to ministry three priests who had been on administrative leave for the last 14 months while charges against them were investigated. Five will not be restored to ministry, and charges against 17 others are not yet resolved.

But even priests who have been cleared will likely face uncertainty, said Ariz Mendy, 18, a former member of Ascension. Chapman "is a good guy," Mendy said, yet "a lot of people may look at him in a prejudiced way."

News that the Rev. John D. Reardon would not be returning to St. John of the Cross parish in Abington did not shock Chris Marsh, the parish's youth minister.

The congregation was divided in its feelings about whether Reardon did what he was accused of, Marsh said, with many people who did not like the priest's "harsh" demeanor who believed him guilty.

"I liked him myself," Marsh said. "So did some others who got to know him and were able to get past his shortcomings. Those who were in his camp, myself included, find it hard to believe" that he had been accused of wrongdoing with a minor.

"But even for me, it puts a shadow of doubt out there," Marsh said. "He's tarnished."

The Rev. David Fernandes, interim parish administrator at St. John's, said the congregation was divided about the former pastor, and that there would have been "alienation if he did return."

But teachers leaving the school in St. Luke the Evangelist parish in Glenside were ecstatic to learn that Msgr. J. Michael Flood had been judged suitable for ministry.

"We're just so thrilled," said Maryann Dean Buonomo, a parishioner who lives next to St. Luke and was giving a piano lesson Friday afternoon. "He's a man of great honor."

The Rev. Joseph D. Brandt, parish administrator since Flood's suspension last year, said parishioners would be "excited and happy" to learn Flood could return. "But we also can't forget the victims, in every community as well as ours."

Outside St. Edmund's Church in South Philadelphia, Pat Orlando interrupted her geranium planting to say she was not surprised that the Rev. Phillip R. Barr had been cleared of wrongdoing.

"We were expecting this," she said. "There never really was any questionable activities with him."

Contact David O'Reilly at 610-313-8111 or doreilly@phillynews.com.

Inquirer staff writers Michael Matza and Bill Reed contributed to this article.