Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. He had been appointed to replace Father Pat Wattigny, removed from that position on October 1 after he admitted to Archbishop Aymond that in 2013, he molested a minor. Wattigny becomes the 65th name on Aymond's roster of local clergymen who the church says have had credible accusations of child sexual abuse levied against them. In high school, he was replaced by Wattigny, who resigned from this position due to inappropriate text messages sent to a student this summer. The archbishop said that the lecherous priest preying on your sons via text message, trying to figure out when it would be legal to get into their pants, had been made to undergo professional assessments. What more do you want? Travis Clark in Saints Peter and Paul Roman Catholic Church in Pearl River, Louisana . 10 Facts on Travis Clark. Here is a strong, brave, and daring man of God a man with chest: UPDATE: A reader sends in the letter that Archbishop Aymond (and another official) sent to the parents of students at JP2 High School (I had to break up the screenshots, which is why theyre uneven): I still find that appallingly legalistic. When the details became clear, we had the altar removed and burned. He was not disobedient to the bishops, but he also knew that the bishops were largely useless in preparing the church for what was coming. You also At least seven diocesan priests on Aymonds list of 72 credibly accused clergy were still alive as of Wednesday. Condoning "mediocrity" in the evaluation of seminarians, the theologian said, lowers the Church's standards in the calibre of men who become priests. One of the women with whom Fr. Wattigny then became the pastor at St. Luke the Evangelist and remained in that post until Thursday, when he was removed from his position. Hard-hitting news and analysis through an authentic Catholic lens. | Alan Holdren/CNA. The archbishop's pursuit of removing Fr. Staff writer Sara Pagones and WWL-TV's David Hammer contributed to this report. Peter and Paul in 2019. Travis Clark, pastor of Saints Peter andPaul since 2019, on obscenity charges. In high school, he was replaced by Wattigny, who resigned from this position due to inappropriate text messages sent to a student this summer. The theologian told CNA that in his view "the system isn't broken, it's just missing a part." The eyewitness took a video and called the Pearl River police, who arrived at the church and viewed that recording. Many of the bishops become bishops by scrupulously avoiding making waveswhich may serve institutional security, but is always intended to maximize the chance of their own advancement. Rev Travis Clark was born at 37 years old and hes a priest at Saints Peter and Paul Roman Catholic Church in Pearl River, Louisiana. Even IF there was some reason the investigation was legitimately impeded, the archbishop should have removed the priest from the assignment once inappropriate interaction with a student came to his attention. Travis Clarks age unknown will be updated soon. Fr. Nor would the police. But Baglow said his concern about Fr. From WWLs report: Pope John Paul IIs principal on Tuesday sent a letter to school parents rebuking Aymond for waiting until last week to tell him that Wattigny had been under investigation for those texts since February. Fr. Subscribe for as little as $5/mo to start commenting on Rods blog. By clicking the "Continue" button, you agree to the ChurchMilitant.com Terms of Use and ChurchMilitant.com Privacy Policy. Fr. Check out this Jesuit/Dominican rap battle. I hope he'll take the next logical step and work closely with the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff's Office and the District Attorney's Office to more aggressively pursue this admitted child sexual predator.. In a letter to parishioners in August 2018, shortly after a Pennsylvania grand jury report on widespread clerical molestation there reopened the scandal, Aymond noted that the church had "made great strides" in preventing abuse, adding "most of the cases we have heard about recently are 35-40 years ago.". Peter and Paul church, said the parishioners, especially those who have been more deeply involved in the life of the Church, are deeply hurt by what has transpired. He will not be able to serve in priestly ministry, and he will not be able to serve as a priest anytime in the future, Archbishop Aymond emphasized, while urging the parish to continue to focus on the Lord Jesus and his mission and ministry here.. The 37 years old was a priest at Saints Peter and Paul Roman Catholic Church in Pearl River, Louisiana. Clark and two women engaged in filmed sexual congress was destroyed and burned at Archbishop Aymonds order, which came as soon he learned on Oct. 8 the details of Clarks activity in the parish Church, a spokesperson told CNA. Wattigny was ordained a priest in 1994 and spent the first six years of his career working at St. Peter in Covington; Visitation of Our Lady in Marrero; and St. Elizabeth Ann Seton in Kenner. These Aymonds, they are nothing more than managers of decline. Chistopher Baglow, a theologian who taught Fr. In his free time, Clark enjoyed hunting and fishing with his family. Public records additionally show that one of the women, Mindy Dixon, 41, is an adult film actor who also works for hire as a dominatrix. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Travis Clark and. Archbishop Aymond celebrated Mass at the parish Oct. 3, last weekend, after Fr. The Church should accept men for priesthood who want to be excellent academically, spiritually, pastorally, and morally, Baglow told CNA. The altar upon which Fr. You can destroy as much by failing to build as by actively wrecking. When you subscribe to the CNA UPDATE, we'll send you a daily email with links to the news you need and, occasionally, breaking news. Demonic activity inside and outside the Church is more prevalent than most people realize. The Archbishop of New Orleans said Friday that a priest's filming of a pornographic videotape atop a church's altar was demonic, and that the priest will never again serve in Catholic ministry. The list to which Wattigny has been added was released in what Aymond called a bid to come clean amid the worldwide Catholic Churchs molestation scandal. It was often countered that pastoral gifts and holiness do not require great theological genius, and the concern was expressed by some colleagues that we should avoid focusing too much on academics.. The charismatic pastor preached that only a total life commitment to Christ would enable them to withstand the coming trial. Travis Clark is a 37 years old priest of the church in Pearl River, Lousiana who has been recently arrested for filming himself having a threesome inside the premises of the church. A loss of faith in democratic politics is a sign of a deeper and broader instability. Melissa Cheng is 23 years old and Mindy Dixon 41 years old, Mindy is an adult film actor and describes herself as a sensual yet sadistic woman with many deviant desires and she writes that her fetish is your total surrender, submission, and sacrifice.. He was arrested together with Mindy Dixon, 41, and Melissa Cheng, 23. "When a priest does not live out his vocation faithfully, he suffers consequences," Aymond said. Gene Bellisario, who has served as head of the ushers ministry at St. Luke's for 30 years, was one of several parishioners who said they were stunned by the news. The theologian told CNA that in his view the system isnt broken, its just missing a part., He urged that seminaries develop committees of well-formed knowledgeable Catholic lay people who are part of vocation evaluation and discernment.. Aymond said he planned to hold Mass at Sts. We are in a very similar situation here. October 9, 2020 Archbishop Gregory Aymond on Saturday consecrated a new altar at the Louisiana parish where a priest reportedly filmed a pornographic video atop the parish altar with two women last month. By the end of the school year 1944, Vako said, it would have been difficult to find a faculty or secondary school in Bratislava or larger cities where our circles did not operate.. Repeating the words of a fellow priest, he claims that 25% of all people are, to one degree or another, actively infested with evil spirits, allowing the diabolical to rule their minds and hearts. Clark in seminary, told CNA that he believes the priest's misdeeds point to a problem with seminary evaluation. Canon law provides that a Catholic who profanes an altar can be punished with a "just penalty," and that a priest who has "committed an offense against the sixth commandmentpublicly" can be laicized. Peter and Paul parish in Pearl River, 40 miles northeast of New Orleans, was discovered filming himself in sex acts with Dixon and Cheng on the altar of the parish church. When, exactly, was Archbishop Aymond planning to tell the people of that parish, and of the archdiocese, that a parish priest and chaplain of a big Catholic high school had been caught having sex with dominatrixes on the altar of a church? Weight. Saints Peter and Paul catholic church became Steve Fecke's spiritual home after Katrina, and worked closely with former pastor Travis Clark to help record masses for the congregation during covid. Peter and Paul in Pearl River, Louisiana. Nola.com reported, Melissa Cheng posted about the sex act on social media the day before it occurred. He received a suspended three-year sentence and will serve three years of supervised probation, FOX8 New. Houston said Wattignys role as a president focused on fundraising, alumni engagement and community building was a one-year trial run that the archdiocese did not find to be as effective as it had hoped. Archbishop Naumann and Bishop Paprocki Speak Out in Support of Traditional Latin Massgoers in Their Dioceses, We Know That Hes in Heaven: Thousands Gather for Funeral of Bishop David OConnell in Los Angeles, Brazilian Charity Caring for Children Who Survived Abortions Issues Urgent Appeal. Peering inside, the onlooker saw the small parishs pastor half-naked having sex with two women on the altar, according to court documents. Some speculated that the priest might have gotten involved with the women through a pornography addiction, and failed to appreciate the escalating circumstances until it was too late, especially regarding the demonic aspect of the pornographic performance he filmed. According to a biography on the St. Luke. The police decided that everything that happened that night was consensual, but arrested the trio for being in the public eye on charges of obscenity. The crime can carry between six months and three years in prison upon conviction. How many of those students at John Paul II Catholic High School are going to be inspired to draw closer to their Catholic faith after seeing what their previous and current chaplains were up to, and by seeing how their chestless hierarch dealt with these scandals? At Catholic News Agency, our team is committed to reporting the truth with courage, integrity, and fidelity to our faith. Darryl Hinton In Europe of the 1920s, says Arendt, the first indication of the coming totalitarianism was the failure of established parties to attract younger members, and the willingness of the passive masses to consider radical alternatives to discredited establishment parties. Yearly: $120 a year, To pay in advance without a subscription, click here Along with his . option selection above at the current full price on the date of each renewal, until you cancel. Furthermore, Cheng and Dixon posted bonds of $7,500. A priest in the Archdiocese of New Orleans has been arrested along with two women and charged with obscenity after he was discovered filming a pornographic video on a parish church altar. Setting aside the particular case in New Orleans, please avoid the trope that derelict bishops seek to protect the institution or the priesthood. When asked for comment on the scandal, a former seminary professor told Church Militant on condition of anonymity that demonic activity inside and outside the Church is more prevalent than most people realize. Music has always been a big part of his life. But in the same statement, the archdiocese said a second north shore priest, Rev. He is the husband of Katie Clark and the father of their daughter, Hailey. They were performing sex acts with each other on the altar. As you know, I dedicated Live Not By Lies to the brave and heroic Catholic priest Father Tomislav Kolakovic, who understood the threat facing the Christians of Slovakia from communist totalitarianism, and was not deterred by the criticism of his bishops, who told him he was being alarmist. When his grandfather founded Solid Rock Baptist Church in 1981, the then Clark kids started singing together and it grew from there. Your monthly donation will help our team continue reporting the truth, with fairness, integrity, and fidelity to Jesus Christ and his Church. Travis Clark, pastor of Saints Peter and Paul since 2019, on obscenity charges. According to Nola.come, the secret witness saw the half-naked priest having sex with two women wearing corsets and high-heeled boots. He also was named chaplain of Pope John Paul II High School, taking over for Fr. What would Walker Percy have been able to do with a deadhead bureaucrat like Archbishop Aymond?!). Pat Wattigny's inappropriate texts, Rev. Peter and Paul Parish. Fr. We won't rent or sell your information, and you can unsubscribe at any time. Other priests on the list belong to religious orders, and their clerical status lies with those orders. But theyre also talking about this vile story from a small town north of New Orleans: The lights inside Saints Peter and Paul Roman Catholic Church in Pearl River were on later than usual on Sept. 30, so a passerby stopped to take a closer look. Since 2018, Aymond has been privately asking credibly accused clergy to voluntarily leave the priesthood and return to the laity through a process called laicization, according to archdiocesan officials. The same reader sent the letter that JP2 High principal Douglas Triche wrote to the parents: The failure of authority in the Archdiocesan office ends up harming the authority of the high schools leadership, even though they did nothing wrong, and didnt even know what was going on. More: Arata said Wattigny was sending texts to his client in the middle of the night, repeatedly asking when the boy would turn 18 and discussing private, in-person meetings. Dixon is a pornographic performer and "dominatrix." According to Gallup, Americans confidence in their institutionspolitical, media, religious, legal, medical, corporateis at historic lows across the board.