The church at the San Juan Bautista Mission held its first
Sunday mass since a civil lawsuit was filed Tuesday in Monterey
against the church’s former pastor Rev. Edward Fitz-Henry, alleging
he sexually abused a member of Salinas’ Madonna Del Sasso Parish
choir in 2005.
The church at the San Juan Bautista Mission held its first Sunday mass since a civil lawsuit was filed Tuesday in Monterey against the church’s former pastor Rev. Edward Fitz-Henry, alleging he sexually abused a member of Salinas’ Madonna Del Sasso Parish choir in 2005.
Fitz-Henry was temporarily suspended from the church on Jan. 7 after the Diocese of Monterey first heard of the allegations, diocese spokesman Tom Riordan said earlier in the week. The pastor was later suspended indefinitely, and removed of all his pastor duties, after the diocese received new information about an incident that took place 19 years earlier.
San Juan Bautista Mission parishioners first heard of the allegations last Sunday, when diocese representatives asked for more information or other allegations.
During the Sunday’s mass, the church asked parishioners to send a letter of their thoughts – both good and bad – about the former pastor, said a parishioner asked to remain anonymous. Parishioners that spoke with the Free Lance supported Fitz-Henry and believed he was innocent.
“I’m still surprised,” Dina Salak said. “I don’t believe the accusation – I just don’t believe it.”
Elenita Antonio, who drives in from Salinas every Sunday, doesn’t believe the allegations because Fitz-Henry is “too good of a man.”
“I come here because of him,” she said. “He lifted my spirits every Sunday. I always couldn’t wait for Sunday because of him. I don’t think he did it.”
Most of the people who walked out of mass held a white envelope with the Monterey Bishop’s address on it.
