Lawyer who helped expose Boston clergy sex scandal questions decision to reassign Irwin priest

NEW KENSINGTON, Pa. — An attorney known for representing sexual abuse victims in the Boston area during the Archdiocese of Boston sex abuse scandal is questioning the decision to reassign a Westmoreland County priest to a new set of parishes despite the Diocese of Greensburg saying that the priest broke church law.

“Actions speak louder than words, but the catholic church is just using the words,” Mitchell Garabedian told Channel 11′s Andrew Havranek.

Bishop Larry Kulick announced the decision to reassign and move Father John Moineau on Monday.

>> Irwin priest who resigned over hiring employee with criminal record being reassigned

“He didn’t do his job, he should face the consequences of that,” Garabedian said.

Bishop Kulick said Moineau broke church law when he said he personally reviewed the clearances for a man who worked at a church cemetery when they were renewed in 2020 — but didn’t.

That man, Shon Harrity, was accused of sexual assault of a minor earlier this year. After those accusations, a past criminal history of lewdness and indecent exposure came to light.

Moineau then resigned.

“He didn’t resign before he got caught with his negligent supervision, and now the Catholic Church is shuffling him from one spot to another and it’s part of ‘well, we’ll make this go away, we’ll make this a non-story,’ when it’s just the opposite,” Garabedian said.

The Greensburg Diocese stripped Moineau of any administrative duties when he reports to his new group of churches in the Lower Burrell and New Kensington areas.

He will not return to the churches he once served in Irwin and North Huntingdon, despite parishioners there supporting him.

“We can never forget the victim in this situation or in any situation,” said Bishop Larry Kulick.

“It’s just another case of the Catholic Church saying the right thing but doing the wrong things,” Garabedian said.

Moineau will start his new assignment on Oct. 23.

Harrity has a pre-trial conference hearing scheduled for Oct. 17.

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