For immediate release: Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Priest with marijuana restored; clergy sex victims respond

Statement by Barbara Dorris, Outreach Director, SNAP
Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, St. Louis MO
314 503 0003 cell, 314 862 7688 home, SNAPnetwork.org, SNAPdorris@gmail.com

Let’s hope this bishop ‘supervises’ this priest with drug problems more effectively than most bishops ‘supervise’ predator priests.

We hope that anyone who saw, suspected or suffered from the crimes by this clergyman or others will come forward, call police, get help, and protect others by reporting to law enforcement.

(SNAP is a 20 year old, confidential, independent, Chicago-based national support group with 8,000 members in 60 chapters. Our mission is to heal the wounded and protect the vulnerable. Despite the word 'priest' in our title, we help men and women who were victimized by any religious figure of any denomination.)

For more info: David Clohessy 314 566 9790 SNAPclohessy@aol.com, Barbara Blaine 312 399 4747, SNAPblaine@gmail.com

http://www.dailymail.com/News/200903240368

Priest busted for pot reassigned to new parish
by The Associated Press

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) -- A Roman Catholic priest who was suspended after his arrest on drug charges has been reassigned.

Wheeling-Charleston Diocese spokesman Bryan Minor says Bishop Michael Bransfield has reassigned the Rev. James O'Connor to St. Augustine Church in Grafton. O'Connor also is serving the parish at St.20Elizabeth in Philippi.

The diocese removed O'Connor as the priest at Blessed Sacrament Church in South Charleston after his Sept. 29 arrest.

O'Connor pleaded guilty to lesser drug charges to avoid jail time and was ordered pay $259 in fines and court costs. In exchange, prosecutors agreed to drop felony charges of possession of marijuana with intent to deliver.

Minor says O'Connor has undergone treatment and remains under supervision.