Category: Top News

Notre Dame Rector Sexually Abused Students Over 17 Years, Report Finds

The Basilica of the Sacred Heart and the Main Building are seen on the campus of the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana. (photo: University of College / Shutterstock)

SOUTH BEND, IN — The report says students repeatedly raised concerns with university officials over Father Thomas King’s actions, but follow-up was slow and inconsistent.

A former rector at a residence hall at the University of Notre Dame frequently weighed male students naked and alone in a deserted locker room and engaged in unwanted sexual contact with some of them during a 17-year span in the 1980s and 1990s, an investigative report commissioned by the university found.

Victims told the investigator that they reported the behavior of Holy Cross Father Thomas King to various Notre Dame officials over the course of several years, but that inquiries and follow-up were slow and lackluster, the report found.

“While Notre Dame’s commitment to addressing clergy abuse has been clear, the University’s execution has been inconsistent,” states the 25-page report by Helen Cantwell, a lawyer with the New York law firm Debevoise & Plimpton, which Notre Dame hired to investigate the allegations in September 2025.

The report, released Thursday by the university and based on over 100 interviews over a nine-month period, says investigators have confirmed that 15 male students at Notre Dame and nearby Holy Cross College were weighed naked or nearly so by Father King, who served as rector of Zahm Hall, a men’s residence, from 1980 to 1997.

“Beyond the weighing scheme, Debevoise also found that multiple individuals, some of whom were weighed, were sexually touched or assaulted by Father King, both at Notre Dame and after he left,” the report states.

Father King, who lives at a retirement facility run by the Congregation of the Holy Cross, did not immediately respond to a message left at the facility Thursday afternoon.

A professor of history, the priest worked at Notre Dame until 1997, but continued as a faculty member at Holy Cross College until 2007.

During his 17 years overseeing Zahm Hall at Notre Dame, the dormitory had “a well-known reputation for being especially rowdy and raucous,” the report states, including a toga parade by freshmen who jumped into mud pits. Afterward, Father King directed the students to remove all their clothes while he hosed them down before they entered the residential building, the report states.

The priest also encouraged an annual naked run of Zahm residents through the campus, the report states.

“Witnesses described an environment in Zahm that was permeated by a persistent sexual undercurrent, where sexualized behavior was normalized and appropriate boundaries were routinely disregarded,” the report says.

First opened in 1937, Zahm Hall was permanently closed as a male dormitory in March 2021 due to a “troubling culture in the dorm” that included vandalism and “demonstrated disrespect for university officials,” Notre Dame officials said at the time.

While at Holy Cross College, Father King oversaw the so-called “Rudy Program,” which helped select students transfer to Notre Dame. The report states that Father King wrote glowing recommendations for student applicants who submitted to his advances but threatened students with negative recommendations if they reported his actions to anyone else.

The report suggests that Holy Cross College may have fired him in 2007 because of his actions concerning recommendations. But the priest went on to lead parishes in Indiana and in Michigan, where diocesan officials were unaware of allegations against him, before being removed from ministry in January 2020.

The law firm’s report found that allegations against Father King brought to officals attention in 2018 did not prompt immediate action because the “weighing scheme was not properly understood as sexual and did not include touching or specific sexual assault.”

“This limited opportunities for Notre Dame to learn the full extent of Father King’s past sexual abuse earlier,” the report stated.

The report also describes sexual abuse by three other Holy Cross priests who worked at Notre Dame, all of whom are deceased, including new details about Holy Cross Father James Burtchaell, the university’s provost from 1970 to 1977.

The university released a written statement Thursday from Holy Cross Father Robert Dowd, Notre Dame’s president, and John Veihmeyer, chairman of the board.

“We are deeply disturbed by these findings and wish to extend our deepest apologies to the victims for what they endured,” they said in their statement. “The conduct described in this report is antithetical to everything Notre Dame stands for and to the dignity and respect owed to every member of this community.”

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Child Abuse Claims Made Against Nearly 300 Sri Lankan Buddhist Monks in Last Three Years

Photo credit: Michael Portillo/Only World/Only France via AFP

BATTARAMULLA, SRI LANKA — The revelation that a large number of Buddhist monks in Sri Lanka are accused of abusing children was made in response to a freedom of information request by OCCRP. It comes as the country grapples with child sex allegations against one of its most senior Buddhist clergymen.

Nearly 300 Sri Lankan monks have been accused of abusing children in the last three years, leading to charges against nearly 30 of them, the country’s child protection agency has disclosed.

The revelation by Sri Lanka’s National Child Protection Authority (NCPA), which was made in response to a freedom of information request by OCCRP, comes as the Buddhist-majority country grapples with the recent arrest of one of its most senior clergymen for alleged child sex offences.

Venerable Pallegama Hemarathana Thero, 71, who oversees eight of the country’s most sacred Buddhist sites, was arrested on May 9 for the alleged sexual abuse of a 15-year-old girl over a number of years.

The cleric has not been charged and was released on bail last week. One of his defense lawyers, Mahesh Kotuwella, said that Hemarathana is currently under investigation for statutory rape.

“My client firmly denies all allegations made against him,” Hemarathana’s lawyer told OCCRP.

Hemarathana’s arrest has led to controversy in Sri Lanka, where monks are deeply admired and respected, and criticism of clergy is often viewed as an attack on the identity of the country’s dominant Sinhalese Buddhist majority.

Sensitivities are so strong that many Sri Lankan media outlets have not reported on Hemarathana’s arrest, despite his case attracting international coverage.

The NCPA told OCCRP that members of the public and clergy had made complaints against 285 different Buddhist monks between May 1, 2023 and May 1, 2026. NCPA referrals led to charges against 27 of the accused monks, the agency said, but added it did not have data on how many were convicted.

The NCPA’s chairperson, retired justice Preethi Inoka Ranasinghe, told OCCRP that over 70 percent of the complaints were for sexual offences. She added that cases are rising in the country, and that much abuse, including by religious figures, continues to go unreported.

The NCPA has also criticized the response of authorities to allegations of sexual abuse by the senior monk, Hemarathana. The agency’s legal officer, Sajeewani Abeykoon, recently told a court that the authority “had to take a stick and chase the police” to get him arrested.

Professor Harendra de Silva, the founding chairperson of the NCPA, told OCCRP that the elevated status of Buddhist monks in Sri Lanka’s conservative society makes it difficult to arrest those accused of offences against children.

“You need to remember that a clergy, especially a leading figure, means a powerful person with a lot of money,” he said.

As the investigation in Hemarathana’s case proceeds, his lawyer Kotuwella told OCCRP that the Attorney General of Sri Lanka will determine “whether indictments will be filed before the High Court in relation to the allegation of statutory rape.”

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Priest had child with Louisiana congregant, Texas prosecutors allege

Fr. Anthony Odiong after his arrest in July of 2024. Image courtesy of McLennan County Jail

WACO, TX — Prosecutors say DNA testing proves Anthony Odiong fathered child while he was pastor at St. Anthony of Padua church, in 2023.

Texas prosecutors on Thursday showed a photo of a Catholic priest with a woman and a child and alleged the priest had fathered the little girl in 2023 when he was the pastor at a church in Luling.

Meanwhile, the charges against the priest, Anthony Odiong, were reduced from seven to three, as one of three women who had accused him of illegally exploiting his status as their spiritual adviser to pursue sex with them failed to show up for testimony.

Secret Gag Deals Haunt Knoxville Diocese After Bishop Stika’s Fall

Bishop Richard F. Stika of Knoxville, Tenn., is seen at the Vatican Dec. 3, 2019. (CNS photo/Vatican Media)

KNOXVILLE, TN — Court records and local reporting have pulled back the curtain on how the Diocese of Knoxville handled some clergy sex abuse claims while Richard Stika was in charge. Confidential settlement agreements barred survivors from talking about what happened to them, a setup that one local outlet bluntly labeled “inhumane.” Stika, who led the diocese during the negotiations, resigned in 2023 and died earlier this year, but the fallout from those deals is very much alive, with survivors, lawyers, and advocates demanding answers and transparency.

Documents Show Settlements Silenced Survivors

According to the Knoxville News Sentinel, the diocese used settlement language at least twice that blocked victims from publicly sharing their experiences. The clauses kept both the allegations and the settlement terms under wraps, and that secrecy was built directly into the civil resolutions. Survivors and attorneys told reporters those provisions effectively muzzled people who later wanted to warn others or speak openly about abuse.

Judge Refused Broad Protective Order

Court history has already complicated the church’s attempts to keep files tightly controlled. In 2023, a Knox County judge rejected a diocesan bid for a sweeping protective order, according to BishopAccountability.org. The group reported that the judge faulted the diocese for failing to show why a broad seal on documents was justified. That ruling left discovery materials accessible to reporters and helped bring the now-controversial settlement language into public view.

State Law and Church Pledges Complicate Matters

Tennessee law already puts tight limits on gag clauses in abuse settlements. A 2018 statute declares that settlement provisions concealing details of child sexual abuse, aside from information that identifies a victim, are void and against public policy, according to the Tennessee General Assembly. At the same time, the U.S. bishops’ 2002 Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People promises procedures intended to protect victims and cooperate with civil authorities, as outlined by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. Advocates say that mix of state law and church policy is exactly why secrecy in these settlements looks not only legally shaky but morally indefensible.

Survivors, Lawyers and the Diocese

Survivors and advocates have branded the secretive clauses “inhumane” in local coverage and are pushing diocesan leaders to open the files and let survivors speak freely, according to the Knoxville News Sentinel. The diocese has previously defended how it handled specific cases while also seeking to manage what ends up sealed in court. Lawyers for survivors say the latest disclosures could give them new ways to attack confidentiality clauses in front of a judge. Advocates argue that the combination of public reporting and Tennessee’s statute gives survivors fresh leverage to unseal records and challenge past agreements.

What’s Next

Legal and institutional fallout could be coming. Attorneys are still sorting out whether earlier settlements can be voided or reinterpreted under state law. Transparency advocates are calling for diocesan records to be opened so investigators, researchers and the public can understand what took place and who knew what. The controversy also loops back to the leadership issues that preceded Stika’s 2023 resignation and the ongoing scrutiny of how the diocese makes decisions, as described in prior local reporting and church-watchdog coverage. For now, survivors and their lawyers say they plan to press both in civil court and within church channels for fuller disclosure and real accountability.

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Rector Placed on Administrative Leave

ARLINGTON, VA — The Very Reverend Patrick L. Posey, a priest of the Catholic Diocese of Arlington, has been placed on administrative leave pending investigation of an allegation of sexual misconduct with minors. The alleged incidents occurred between 1992 and 1993 outside the Diocese of Arlington. Fr. Posey denies the accusation. No determination has yet been made regarding the allegation. In accord with diocesan policy, upon receiving the allegation the diocese reported it promptly to law enforcement. The diocese is fully cooperating with law enforcement and will continue to do so.

Like all priests, diocesan employees, and volunteers who work with children in the Diocese of Arlington, Fr. Posey has undergone regular criminal background checks during his service. His current assignment, from which he is on administrative leave, is as rector at the Cathedral of Saint Thomas More in Arlington, Virginia. The Reverend Nicholas Barnes has been appointed as Parochial Administrator at the Cathedral of Saint Thomas More.

If you have information specifically related to this allegation, please contact law enforcement. The diocese encourages anyone who knows of any misconduct or abuse on the part of any cleric or employee of the diocese, to notify civil authorities as well as to reach out to the diocesan Victim Assistance Coordinator at (703) 841-2530.

The Diocese of Arlington asks for prayers for all affected by this allegation.

The diocesan child protection policy is available here.

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SNAP Stands with Male Survivors Abused by Mormon Bishop

OAKLAND, CA, May 26, 2026 – SNAP decries the abuse of four male survivors by a former Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints bishop charged with multiple counts of child sexual assault.

Michael Morris, 76, is charged with 18 felony counts of non-forcible sexual assault involving multiple children between 1991 and 2001 when he served as a bishop in Livermore and supervised a church-affiliated boys’ youth group.

“This story sounds too familiar.  An untrained man is given a position of authority over a congregation and has the opportunity to groom and abuse minors.” said Judy Larson, SNAP’s Board Secretary, who is herself a former member of the Mormon Church. “The cognitive dissonance of finding out their Bishop is a predator is more than many Mormons can believe.”

Larson explained that Mormon Bishops routinely interview young people alone and behind closed doors, which can allow a predator to groom or abuse children. They may ask them sexually explicit questions in order to determine their “worthiness,” she said.

This case involves deeply troubling allegations of abuse of trust and authority involving children, said Alameda County District Attorney, Ursula Jones Dickson, in a statement last week.

“Our office remains committed to pursuing justice for survivors of sexual abuse, regardless of how much time has passed, whenever the law permits prosecution,” she said.

To report clergy abuse in California, email ClergyAbuse@doj.ca.gov

The Delbarton case isn’t over. What’s surfaced is troubling | Opinion

BERGEN, NJ — We were wrong to think the Delbarton story was over. What has emerged since the jurors left the courtroom is more disturbing than what they were ever permitted to hear. And what is now in the public record raises profound questions not only about one case, but about whether survivors in New Jersey can trust the system designed to protect them.

What the court record now shows

On April 22, 2026, the plaintiff in T.M. v. Order of St. Benedict of New Jersey, Inc., filed a motion for sanctions alleging that the order — which operates St. Mary’s Abbey and Delbarton School — withheld critical investigative reports throughout nine years of litigation. These allegations are not rumor or speculation; they are drawn from sworn testimony, discovery correspondence and documents that surfaced only because other survivors in related litigation received productions that T.M. never saw.

According to the motion, the order hired a private investigator, Nicholas Susalis, to examine allegations of sexual abuse against its clergy. Susalis produced numerous reports, including at least four that referred to prior allegations against the Rev. Richard Lott — the priest accused of abusing T.M. These reports were never produced to the plaintiff. Not in response to discovery requests served in 2017. Not after a court order in 2021 specifically requiring materials related to allegations against Lott. Not even when a special discovery adjudicator, the Hon. Freda L. Wolfson, now retired, asked for them directly.

The motion alleges that when Wolfson asked the order’s counsel whether additional investigative reports existed beyond the six they had provided, counsel said no. Yet the newly surfaced documents suggest that counsel possessed multiple additional reports referring to Lott at the very moment that denial was made.

The motion also points to sworn testimony from the order’s corporate representative — the individual designated to speak for the institution — who stated that Lott had five allegations against him from five separate victims. The newly surfaced reports, according to the motion, contradict that testimony and indicate that the true number was higher.

None of this material, the new motion alleges, was available to the jury. None of it was available to the plaintiff. It emerged only because other survivors, in consolidated litigation against the same institution, received productions that revealed the existence of the Susalis reports for the first time.

Why this matters beyond one verdict

At SNAP New Jersey, we are not lawyers, and it is not our role to determine whether the order violated discovery rules. That responsibility now rests with the Hon. Louis S. Sceusi, who will hear the motion on May 22, 2026. The order will have the opportunity to respond, and the court will weigh the evidence.

But we are the people who sit with survivors. We are the ones who answer the phone when someone, often for the first time in decades, decides to speak. We are the ones who explain what litigation entails — the depositions, the document requests, the years of waiting, the exposure of the most painful experiences of their lives to institutional scrutiny. And we tell them, because we believe it, that the legal system demands honesty from both sides.

What is alleged in this motion strikes at the foundation of that promise.

The punitive damages phase of T.M.’s trial required the jury to determine whether the order acted with malicious or wanton disregard for T.M.’s rights. The jury did not make that finding. But the motion now alleges that the jury never had access to evidence directly bearing on that question: what the institution knew about Lott’s prior conduct, when it knew it and how it responded. If the allegations are accurate, the jury was denied some of the most relevant evidence that existed.

We recognize that these are allegations, not findings. But we have watched this institution — and others like it — for decades. We have seen the pattern: selective disclosure, aggressive privilege claims and document productions that are completed only when further concealment becomes impossible. We have seen survivors learn, years after their cases ended, that the record on which they were judged was incomplete.

The stakes for abuse survivors across New Jersey

New Jersey’s Child Victims Act opened a long‑overdue window for survivors who had been barred by outdated statutes of limitations. That window was built on a simple promise: If you come forward, the system will treat you fairly. Both sides will play by the rules. The evidence will be shared. The truth will be tested.

That promise collapses if institutions can withhold responsive materials for nearly a decade, make representations to courts that later prove inaccurate, and then avoid meaningful accountability because a jury has already rendered its verdict.

The sanctions requested in the motion are serious: striking the order’s answer and defenses, deeming certain facts established as a matter of law — including that the institution knowingly permitted and acquiesced in T.M.’s abuse — reopening the punitive damages phase, awarding attorney’s fees, and entering a contempt finding. These are extraordinary remedies, reserved for extraordinary circumstances. The court will determine whether the facts justify them.

What SNAP New Jersey asks is simple: that the court treat the integrity of the discovery process as the non‑negotiable foundation it is meant to be. Survivors deserve adversaries who comply with court orders. They deserve a system that compels full disclosure. They deserve to know that the record on which their claims are judged is the full record — not the one their opponents chose to provide.

Earlier: Delbarton School seeks new trial after ‘tainted’ jury awarded $5M in sexual abuse case

A message to other survivors

If you are watching this case — whether as a Delbarton survivor or as someone abused in another Catholic institution — please do not be discouraged. The fact that this motion exists is itself evidence that the system has mechanisms for addressing misconduct. Courts have broad authority to sanction discovery violations, and New Jersey courts have used that authority when warranted.

But we also want to be honest: Litigation is hard. It is long. It is imperfect. Institutions with substantial resources fight aggressively, and not always by the rules. SNAP New Jersey exists to ensure that survivors understand what they may face and to support them when they face it.

If you experienced abuse at Delbarton or by any member of the Benedictine community and have not yet spoken with an attorney, please reach out. The window created by the Child Victims Act may still be available to you, and you deserve to make that decision with complete information.

The final word

The Order of St. Benedict presents itself as an institution committed to faith and to the welfare of those in its care. If that commitment is genuine, its leadership should welcome full transparency, complete compliance with court orders and an honest accounting of what it knew about Lott and when it knew it. That accounting has not yet been provided.

On May 22, the court will have the opportunity to reinforce a principle that should never be in doubt: Survivors deserve the truth, and the legal system must demand it.

Mark Crawford is state director of SNAP New Jersey.

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MP Metropolitan Hilarion Alfeyev detained in Czechia. Police found ‘four small containers of a white substance’ in his car.

CZECH REPUBLIC — As if getting caught in a gay sex scandal last year with his cell-attendant wasn’t enough, Russian Orthodox Church bishop Hilarion Alfeyev has now been caught up in a drug sting.

The former head of the Department of External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate, has been detained in the Czech city of Karlovy Vary, according to his Telegram channel.

A post on the channel said that on May 24, after Hilarion left a church in Karlovy Vary, police stopped the car carrying the Metropolitan and a camera operator who was accompanying him. During a search of the vehicle, officers found “four small containers of a white substance” in the trunk.

“The composition, origin, and nature of the substance must be determined only by a qualified expert examination,” the post said.

Metropolitan Hilarion denied any involvement in the possession of prohibited substances.

“I have no connection, and have never had any connection, to the illegal trafficking of narcotics. For me, as a clergyman, the very suggestion of such a thing is categorically false. I insist on a full, independent, and procedurally irreproachable investigation of what occurred,” he said.

According to the Metropolitan’s lawyer, Michal Pakovsky, two police cars had effectively been lying in wait on the highway and moved in on the vehicle when they spotted it — one pulling ahead, one falling in behind. Officers asked not only the driver but also the Metropolitan for his documents, though no traffic violations had been alleged, the lawyer said. Pakovsky added that Hilarion was taken to a store at a gas station and was not given the opportunity to observe the search of the vehicle.

Hilarion also said that in recent months he had repeatedly received anonymous threats, including threats of physical violence, demanding that he leave his place of ministry.

Metropolitan Hilarion served as chairman of the Department of External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate from 2009. He was considered a possible successor to Patriarch Kirill. In June 2022, the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church removed Hilarion from his position as chairman of the Department of External Church Relations and appointed him administrator of the Budapest-Hungarian Diocese.

In December 2024, the ROC Synod removed Hilarion from administration of the Budapest-Hungarian Diocese and sent him into “retirement” — several months after the Metropolitan was accused of sexual harassment.

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See additional detail on the Prosopon database.

Ex-Latter Day Saints Bishop Charged with Multiple Counts of Child Sexual Assault in California

Temple Square; photo by Robert Polidori for The New Yorker

OAKLAND, CA –A former Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints bishop has been charged and arraigned in Alameda County with multiple counts of child sexual assault, District Attorney Ursula Jones Dickson announced on Thursday.

The D.A.’s office said the charges stem from allegations of sexual abuse involving multiple juveniles in Livermore during the 1990s and early 2000s. Michael Morris is charged with 18 felony counts of non-forcible sexual assault involving four separate victims.

The alleged offenses occurred between approximately 1991 and 2001, while he served as a bishop in Livermore and supervised a church-affiliated boys’ youth group.

MORE: Jury awards $16M to survivor in 1970s Oakland Diocese priest abuse case

“This case involves deeply troubling allegations of abuse of trust and authority involving children,” Jones Dickson said in a statement. “Our office remains committed to pursuing justice for survivors of sexual abuse, regardless of how much time has passed, whenever the law permits prosecution.”

The D.A.’s office said Morris remains in custody, with bail set at $920,000. His next court date is May 22.

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Greensburg state police seek more victims of charged retired priest

Trooper Steve Limani, public information officer for the Pennsylvania State Police, speaks during a press conference at the Pennsylvania State Police station in Greensburg on Monday, May 18, 2026. (Massoud Hossaini | TribLive)

GREENSBURG, PA — Investigators in Greensburg are seeking additional alleged victims of a retired Catholic priest charged late last week with sexual crimes.

During a Monday news conference at the barracks in Greensburg, state police spokesman Trooper Steve Limani said authorities found an unspecified number of photographs of a sexual nature related to the case. The images appear to depict potential male victims of the man authorities contend leveraged his position as a former law enforcement chaplain to lure his victims and prevent them from disclosing his behavior.

Robert Byrnes, 84, was charged with aggravated indecent assault without consent, two counts of official oppression and two counts of obstructing administration of law or other governmental function. The charges are in connection with allegations he had inappropriate sexual contact with at least two people while living in a Unity home for retired clergy.

“We would encourage anybody that feels that they were a victim to come forward and contact the state police barracks. The direct dial is 724-832-3288, and you’ll be sent to the investigator, the team handling this investigation,” Limani said.

Limani said investigators have yet to determine the ages of the potential victims, but they appeared to be male.

Byrnes was charged following a two-month investigation that was launched when a potential victim came forward with allegations against the retired priest, according to arrest documents. A second accuser came forward and told investigators Byrnes used casino trips and alcohol to entice his alleged victim into sexual activity, police contend.

Byrnes was released late last week on a $250,000 unsecured bond and is scheduled to appear in court on June 1 for a preliminary hearing. He is currently living in a Greensburg-area nursing home, Limani said.

Diocese spokesman Cliff Gorski confirmed Byrnes does not currently live in any church-owned facility.

Authorities contend Byrnes used his relationship with the church and law enforcement to shield his conduct that investigators said took place while he lived at Christ Our Shepherd Center in Unity.

“Unfortunately it feels like a letdown as a police officer that we have to endorse somebody that’s accused of disgraceful acts. It’s disgusting to read them. It’s upsetting,” Limani said.

Byrnes served as a volunteer chaplain for the state police, where he gave invocations at official functions and ceremonies and participated in other police-related activities, including camps that children attended.

“He was around all the time,” Limani said.

The Catholic Diocese of Greensburg over the weekend confirmed Byrnes worked as a priest until 2018, when he was removed from all ministry and placed on inactive status following a review and recommendation by the Diocesan Clergy Review Board.

The Greensburg diocese, as have other dioceses throughout the country and in Pennsylvania, has been rocked by repeated allegations of sexual misconduct by clergy. A state grand jury investigation in 2018 revealed sexual assault allegations against more than 300 priests in Pennsylvania dating back decades and included claims involving nearly two dozen clergy members who served in the Greensburg diocese.

The diocese currently lists on its website 22 inactive priests linked to credible accusations of sexual misconduct. That list appears to not have been updated since 2018 and does not include Byrnes.

Meanwhile, the Greensburg diocese was among five dioceses in Pennsylvania that established compensation funds for sex abuse survivors following the 2018 release of a statewide grand jury report that revealed abuse allegations against 301 priests.

According to the diocese’s most recent financial disclosures as of June 2025, it has paid more than $8.2 million to settle sex abuse claims with 84 people.

Byrnes’ chaplain duties for the state police were discontinued in 2018 when he failed to submit required paperwork to retain his voluntary position, Limani said.

While not a member of law enforcement, for years Byrnes was a consistent presence at official police functions. Personnel at the Greensburg state police barracks knew and worked with Byrnes.

“So, it wouldn’t be uncommon for him to show up or give an opening prayer for a ceremony that was going to take place or for him to give a closing departure when it came to some kind of religious aspect of the ceremony,” Limani said.

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