Priest reassigned, but tensions remain as Greensburg Diocese closes investigation into employee records

By Jacob Geanous / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Amid mounting pressure from its congregants, the Diocese of Greensburg has concluded its months-long investigation of the mishandling of background records of an employee later arrested on child sex abuse charges.

In a statement last week, the diocese detailed the findings of its investigation that followed the May 8 arrest of former Immaculate Conception Parish employee Shon Harrity, who worked at the parish cemetery.

Mr. Harrity had initially been hired at Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish in North Huntingdon in 2012, and was later transferred to Immaculate Conception in Irwin. He was hired despite past convictions dating to the early 2000s— including indecent exposure and lewdness — that should have barred him from employment. 

The revelation that Mr. Harrity had been employed for years despite his record — and how many people were responsible for failing to alert the diocese of his red-flagged FBI clearances — has led to continued criticism of the diocese, internal audits, firings, and the reassignment of a popular priest who has been publicly battling cancer for years.

“The church had a history of failing to protect children,” Greensburg Bishop Larry Kulick wrote in a statement. “The protection of children and vulnerable adults is a top priority for me. I am committed to higher standards, a promise I made on the day I was appointed bishop.”

Mr. Harrity’s current charges include multiple counts of sexually assaulting a child under the age of 16. The case has yet to go to trial and Mr. Harrity has not yet entered a plea. The diocese — which fired Mr. Harrity after learning of his arrest — said the charges were unrelated to his former employment at the parish.

Mr. Harrity’s past convictions were all misdemeanors, according to court records.

An attorney representing him did not respond to requests for comment.

Bishop Kulick, in an interview last week with the Post-Gazette, said employees must undergo a new FBI background check every five years and Mr. Harrity’s criminal history had been flagged multiple times in the years before his May arrest. But the Immaculate Conception Parish administration never alerted the diocese, and no action was taken, the bishop said.  

The Rev. John Moineau, pastor at both the Irwin and Norwin parishes, signed off on clearance file reviews stating that all employees passed background checks. Those checks are required by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, the bishop said.

“Harrity worked for two parishes over the course of a decade, and three times failed criminal background checks, the latest in 2020 while working for Father Moineau,” Bishop Kulick said. 

County detectives — called on by the bishop in late May to investigate possible criminal conspiracy — determined that neither Father Moineau nor the three since fired employees committed a crime. However, a canonical investigation found each of those parish administrative employees did violate church policy by knowing that Mr. Harrity had failed the background check and not alerting diocese officials.

Father Moineau was asked to resign following Mr. Harrity’s arrest but has since been allowed to return to the diocese under a new role. He will resume public ministry beginning Oct. 23 as a priest at four parishes, but will not be reappointed as a pastor, parochial vicar, or administrator, according to the bishop.

Father Moineau could not be reached for comment. 

The announcement that he would be returning came weeks after the launch of an online petition calling for his reinstatement and a public apology from Bishop Kulick over his handling of the case. The petition garnered nearly 2,000 signatures in about two weeks.

A contentious and complicated case

Before Mr. Harrity was hired, some parishioners at Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish learned he had past convictions, which they looked up online. They discussed his background on at least one occasion with the Rev. Len Stoviak, who was pastor at the time and has since retired.

The conversations took place during a meeting of the parish finance council, which is made up of parishioners who meet quarterly to advise the parish.

Bishop Kulick told the Post-Gazette that when interviewed by investigators, Father Stoviak said he did not remember those discussions. He ultimately signed the letter approving Mr. Harrity’s employment.

“In his interview, he basically kept saying, ‘I don’t recall this,’” Bishop Kulick said.

Father Stoviak could not be reached for comment.

Bishop Kulick said he was surprised and dismayed to discover Mr. Harrity’s background, which he said he asked the parish about following the May arrest.

“I asked some staff, ‘I want you to go down to the parishes. I want you to put in your hands those clearances and bring them back,’” he said. “And when they did that, they came back and said we have a problem.”

Criticism continues

For months, parishioners have been criticizing the bishop’s handling of the matter. Some have accused him of making Father Moineau a scapegoat.

Some have even stopped contributing financially to the diocese, including Mike Butler, a lifelong Immaculate Conception parishioner.

“There hasn’t been any transparency,” said Mr. Butler, 71, of North Huntingdon. “They jumped to conclusions.” 

He said he felt diocesan leadership should have more closely monitored parish clearance records, especially in light of child abuse scandals that have plagued the Catholic Church over the decades.

The issue of widespread abuse in the church was thrust into the national spotlight by a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigation by The Boston Globe in 2003. A subsequent two-year grand-jury investigation in Pennsylvania identified more than 1,000 children who had been abused by priests over the years.

Gail Henderson, an Immaculate Conception parishioner, said she is glad Father Moineau is returning, although she’s angry over how he was treated.

“This is very disappointing on my behalf and I think a lot of others feel the same way,” said Ms. Henderson, 81, of North Huntingdon. “Truly, so many people that I know have left [Immaculate Conception Parish] ... so there's a very big disappointment in what has transpired and I still feel the (Bishop Kulick) made a grave mistake in what he did.”

Chris Peta, who attends Immaculate Conception and created the petition, said he and other parishioners have lost trust in the bishop and diocese.

Late last month, Mr. Peta wrote a letter to Cardinal Christophe Pierre, the apostolic nuncio in the United States who serves as the diplomatic representative of the Vatican, to make church officials aware of the situation and ask for Father Moineau’s reinstatement.

“They’ve sought to destroy the reputation of a beloved priest who has witnessed to us through his faith and courage on a daily basis — through his ongoing battle against pancreatic cancer,” Mr. Peta wrote. “The bishop’s actions only served to drive an increasing number of souls away from our parishes, the diocese, and even our Catholic faith.”

Bishop Kulick, however, said he stands by his decisions, especially because the new charges Mr. Harrity faces involve alleged sexual abuse of a child.

“Many people were saying, ‘Father, you need to apologize,’” he told the Post-Gazette. “Well, I will never apologize … that’s inexcusable and I will not apologize and will not be sorrowful for being stringent with that.”

He also said he was disappointed with some of the opposition he has received.

“They have allowed themselves to get into an emotional whirlwind, rather than the objectivity of having a priority for the protection of children,” he said.

Moving forward

Bishop Kulick said the diocese will now audit employee background files on a three-year rotational cycle in addition to the required five-year renewal on FBI clearances.

He also said he is committed to changing the culture of the diocese as the Catholic Church continues to move away from the global sex abuse scandals.

“As the church moves further away from an immediate crisis, there tends to be a spirit of complacency, and I have no room for that,” he said.

Bishop Kulick said though administrators with the two parishes where Mr. Harrity worked were responsible for flagging his background, he holds himself personally accountable for the response and fallout.

He also addressed those upset by his decisions.

“I have received dozens of letters stating that what occurred was simply a clerical error,” he said. “This was much more than a clerical error. This was negligent supervision, which was an egregious failure to uphold our higher standards related to the safety of children.”