A former Franciscan friar was convicted Wednesday of sexually abusing a grade school student during the 1990s at a Mississippi Catholic school. A Leflore County jury deliberated less than an hour before finding Paul West, 62, guilty of one count of sexual battery and one count of gratification of lust, the Greenwood Commonwealth reported. A … Read more
A former Mississippi priest, accused of lying about having cancer, concealing an HIV diagnosis and advocating a fictitious orphanage in Mexico in an attempt to defraud parishioners, has been indicted on 10 counts of wire fraud. Additionally, an affidavit filed by Homeland Security Investigations in federal court against the Catholic Diocese of Jackson alleges the church allowed parishioners to be … Read more
A retired priest in the Catholic Diocese of Jackson has been removed from public ministry after a credible accusation of abuse. The Rev. Edward Balser, 90, is no longer allowed to publicly identify himself as a priest after a credible allegation of years-long inappropriate touching in the 1950’s, according to a release issued by the … Read more