The Archdiocese of Baltimore will close one in every of the town’s Catholic churches after its longtime pastor was recently suspended from ministry because he admitted to creating a payment several years ago to settle sexual harassment allegations.
Last month, Father Paschal Morlino was dismissed from his position at St. Benedict Church in southwest Baltimore, where he served for nearly 40 years and have become known for his efforts to assist residents of poor neighborhoods surrounding the church.
Few details in regards to the 2018 criticism against Morlino have been released. Church officials have said they regarded “alleged sexual harassment of an adult man.” The complainant died in 2020 and a lawyer representing him within the case has declined to comment citing a non-disclosure agreement.
St. Benedict is owned and operated by Saint Vincent Archabbey in Pennsylvania, the oldest Benedictine monastery within the country. In a joint statement with the archdiocese on Saturday, monastery leaders said they wouldn’t name a recent pastor to interchange Morlino. They said the “difficult decision was made based on the limited variety of clergy available.”
Morlino, 85, returned to the monastery in Pennsylvania after being suspended from his job as pastor.
The church in Baltimore will proceed to host community events and outreach programs, officials said.
The archdiocese said it learned in regards to the settlement last month when reporters for The Baltimore Banner inquired about it. Officials said they immediately opened an internal investigation and decided to dismiss Morlino.
“We understand that this news comes at a difficult time for the parishioners,” officials said within the Saturday statement. “An outreach team shall be available to help parishioners and in the event that they wish, help them receive Catholic pastoral services at nearby parishes.”
