Former Maronite Priest in Danbury, Connecticut, Defrocked After Sex Abuse Allegations

Parishioners of St. Anthony Maronite Catholic Church in Danbury said on Tuesday that they were committed to supporting a victim in a case involving a former pastor. The Rev. Larry Jensen served as pastor of the church from 1998 to 2006 and has been accused of sexually abusing a minor during that period. A caption accompanying the report describes the allegation as “substantiated.”

Thomas Saadi, a parishioner, said that faith communities had faced such situations before and that the way forward was “with as much transparency as possible,” along with support services for any victims who come forward. Saadi, who is Democratic minority leader on the Danbury City Council, added that his knowledge came only from what he had read online, but that “any allegation like this must be taken seriously.”

Jensen later served as pastor of St. Joseph Maronite Catholic Church in Waterville, Maine. Michael Thomas, vicar general of the Eparchy of Saint Maron of Brooklyn, told the Associated Press that Jensen has been “permanently relieved of priestly ministry.” Details of the abuse accusation were not available, and Thomas could not be reached for further comment on Tuesday.

The parish’s current pastor, the Rev. Kiwan Naji Jalil, said a letter from the Brooklyn chancery had been read during weekend Masses. He said he was not authorized to comment further. According to the Associated Press, the letter was read at the three parishes where Jensen has served, in Danbury, Maine and North Carolina, and assured parishioners that all abuse complaints would be taken seriously.

Saadi said he expected the eparchy to investigate “both internally” and to cooperate with all civil authorities, including law enforcement. He said protecting those who may be harmed is a matter of concern for the whole community (Proverbs 31:8-9). St. Anthony’s is in full communion with Rome but has independent traditions reflecting its Lebanese heritage, so it is not under the authority of the Diocese of Bridgeport. Brian Wallace, a diocesan spokesman, said the parish “is sponsored and supervised by the Maronite chancery in Brooklyn.” He added that, like all Catholic churches, St. Anthony’s has a protocol for reporting allegations of sexual abuse of minors by clergy.

Dolores Haddad, a longtime parishioner and former religious education teacher at the parish, said it was important to support victims but also to support good priests. “It’s a blemish on the reputation of the priests that are trying to repair the reputation of priests,” she said. “There are a lot of great priests out there who are doing a great job.”

Jensen, a Michigan native, worked as an accountant before entering the priesthood. He came to St. Anthony from Fayetteville, N.C., in 1998 and left in July 2006 to serve at St. Joseph in Waterville. In a 2006 interview with the News-Times, he said: “I will miss the people very, very much. They have been very loving, very supportive and very affirming. It is like a family feeling, like I belong with them.”

Source: Read the original report