Latest news with #OurLadyoftheVisitation
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
Priest to leave Green Township parish after admitting to viewing pornography
A priest at the center of controversy at a Green Township Catholic church is admitting to viewing pornography and has announced his departure from the parish. Martin Bachman, a priest at Our Lady of the Visitation, on June 6 told members of the parish he would begin a previously planned sabbatical immediately and not return. "I have viewed adult pornography and engaged with some video games of an inappropriate nature," Bachman said in a letter on the parish website that the Archdiocese of Cincinnati provided. Bachman said he did not view the pornography or video games in the parish office or on a parish-owned device. Bachman also said he'd been "scammed out of a significant amount of my personal money" but not parish funds, and reported the scam to law enforcement. Both matters – related to pornography and the alleged scam – had bubbled up in recent weeks at Our Lady of the Visitation. They came to a boil at the end of May when a member of the Archdiocese staff read a letter during Mass from Archbishop Robert Casey defending Bachman and Visitation's pastor. In that statement, Casey said no wrongdoing had been substantiated. On June 6, the Archdiocese changed course. "We confirmed information this week about the nature of the sinful and disturbing online activity in which Father Bachman has participated that requires immediate attention," a statement from the Archdiocese said. The priest will address the issues "during his time away from ministry," the statement said. Bachman, in his letter, said the past couple of years had been "particularly difficult ones" with the deaths of his parents within 30 days of each other and "not taking sufficient time to grieve." But he added that he would "take ownership" of his behavior and asked for parishioners' prayers to move from "sin to grace, out of darkness into light." This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Father Martin Bachman to leave Visitation, admits viewing pornography
Hindustan Times
2 days ago
- Hindustan Times
NFL vet Jake McQuaide disrupts a church with a scandalous question: ‘Did the priest use…'
NFL veteran long snapper Jake McQuaide interrupted Mass at a church in Ohio to confront Catholic officials and question, 'Did the priest use our parish computer to look at pornography?' On Saturday, at Our Lady of the Visitation in Green Township, where Archdiocese of Cincinnati Chancellor Jason Williams was addressing parishioners regarding claims that Rev. Martin Bachman had accessed pornography using a parish-owned computer. Williams read aloud a letter from Archbishop Robert Casey: 'All concerns have been investigated, and no wrongdoing either criminally or ecclesiastically has been substantiated' against either Fr. Bachman or the parish's pastor, Don Siciliano. ALSO READ| Atlanta Falcons to trade Kyle Pitts? NFL insiders spill secrets amid rumours 'Furthermore, recent rumors, for which no corroborating facts have been uncovered, are unsubstantiated. Rumors which quickly spiral out of control have the potential to severely harm the good reputation which each of us should enjoy. Consequently, like gossip, the spreading of rumors is sinful, and we should all work to overcome this tendency of our fallen human nature.' Casey also stressed that Green Township Police had confirmed there was 'no evidence or investigation of criminal wrongdoing by Fr. Bachman,' and that there were no ongoing church-led investigations either. But then McQuaide stood up and interrupted the Mass, asking, 'Please take a second. We want to put these rumours to rest. Can you answer this for me, fact or fiction?' per a video clip captured by WCPO. 'Did the priest use our parish computer to look at pornography? …True or false? True or false?' 'You can look at pornography at your house, but you cannot do it here.' Someone in the church said, 'This is not the time for this,' but McQuaide pushed on. 'I'm sorry, sir, this is the time and the place. I will stand up.' Ohio police officers reportedly escorted McQuaide out of the church. Captain Mitch Hill of the Green Township Police told Fox News Digital that McQuaide "was escorted out at the specific direction of the church" and that he was not arrested or charged. Hill reiterated that Fr. Bachman 'has not been the target of an investigation by this department.' ALSO READ| Stefon Diggs to be laid off before season starts; Patriots to take call on boat video soon: NFL insider Notably, the scandal stems from a complaint filed by a parishioner who allegedly saw explicit content on a parish computer, images that included thumbnail links to adult websites. Casey noted in the letter that Bachman will begin a 'previously planned sabbatical' in July.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
'It's sad and embarrassing': Rumors and pornography accusation disrupt Cincinnati parish
Months of tension between Catholic parishioners and their priests at a West Side parish boiled over last weekend with a disruption during Mass, accusations about pornography and a plea from Cincinnati's archbishop to end "sinful" rumors and gossip. The problems burst into public view Saturday at Our Lady of the Visitation in Green Township, when police officers escorted a man who'd interrupted the afternoon service out of the church. The incident occurred moments after Archdiocese of Cincinnati Chancellor Jason Williams read a statement from Archbishop Robert Casey defending a Visitation priest, Martin Bachman, and its pastor, Don Siciliano. Casey's statement referred to accusations and complaints about the priests as unfounded and unfair. 'Several concerns have been brought to the attention of the archdiocese,' Casey wrote. 'These have been investigated, and no wrongdoing – either criminally or ecclesiastically – has been substantiated.' Casey then urged parishioners to avoid spreading falsehoods about anyone, including their parish priests. 'Rumors which quickly spiral out of control have the potential to severely harm the good reputation which each of us should enjoy,' he wrote. 'Consequently, like gossip, the spreading of rumors is sinful, and we should all work to overcome this tendency of our fallen human nature.' Jake McQuaide, a Visitation parishioner and NFL player, stood to protest after Williams read Casey's statement, shouting at Williams and demanding, specifically, that he address an allegation that Bachman had accessed pornography on a computer at the church. 'We want to put these rumors to rest,' McQuaide said. 'Can you answer this for me?' 'This is not the time,' Williams responded. Williams then said the accusation against Bachman was false, but the back-and-forth continued until Green Township police officers approached McQuaide and walked him out of the church. Police Capt. Mitch Hill said the archdiocese had asked police to attend the service in case there were disruptions. He said McQuaide, who could not be reached for comment, was not detained or charged with a crime. Bachman did not respond to calls or an email seeking comment. But an archdiocese spokeswoman, Jennifer Schack, said the allegation that Bachman used a parish-owned computer to access pornography is false. Casey said in his statement that Bachman would begin a sabbatical in July, which he said was planned prior to the accusations and is unrelated to them. Todd Zureick, the Visitation parishioner who filed a complaint with the archdiocese about the pornography allegation, said he saw images on the computer that included thumbnail links to adult pornography sites and other sites with explicit content. He said he received the images from a third party, whom he has not identified, and then shared them with the archdiocese in April. Zureick said he does not believe the images are illegal but that they are inappropriate for a workplace, especially a church. He said the archdiocese failed to adequately investigate the complaint, which has resulted in the public airing of accusations and more frustration among parishioners. 'It's sad and embarrassing that the lack of institutional control and leadership at Visitation has led to this,' Zureick said. Casey, however, said in his statement that the matter was investigated thoroughly and that no misconduct was revealed. 'Both Father Siciliano and Father Bachman are priests in good standing in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati,' Casey wrote. 'There are no ecclesiastical investigations being conducted related to their conduct.' He also described some of the accusations that have been made as 'defamatory statements' and said Green Township Police have found no criminal misconduct related to any priest at Visitation. Hill confirmed his department has found no criminal wrongdoing. But police records show they did investigate an unrelated complaint in late 2023 with connections to Visitation. The name of the person who filed the complaint is redacted, because of a state law that conceals the names of crime victims. But The Enquirer found the property listed on the complaint is owned by the archdiocese and matches Bachman's address. According to a police report, the man who filed the complaint said he had been encouraged by an unknown person he'd met online to deposit money into an investment account. By the time he realized it was 'a scam,' the police report said, he had deposited $58,000. Weeks later, the man who filed the complaint said he'd been contacted again by the person he'd met online, and this time she was threatening to reveal sexually explicit conversations he'd had with her 'to his parishes' if he didn't pay more money. Hill said police, who investigated the matter as a telecommunications fraud, don't know if that threat was carried out. But he said the $58,000 investment was never recovered. Schack did not respond late Monday when asked if archdiocese officials were aware of the fraud investigation. Casey's statement also does not mention the fraud investigation. Long before the uproar last weekend, parishioners at Visitation, St. Jude in Bridgetown and St. Joseph in North Bend had expressed concerns about leadership in their parishes. All three parishes are part of a 'family of parishes' that is overseen by Siciliano and Bachman. The parish family was created a few years ago as the archdiocese began consolidating parishes and schools into groups that could share resources and priests. Those changes have, at times, upset parishioners. A petition started early this year listed a string of complaints and concerns from parishioners at Visitation, St. Jude and St. Joseph about the operation of their parishes and parish schools. 'We … are deeply concerned about the current direction of leadership and decision-making within our parish,' the petition states. It goes on to request better communication from church leaders, more transparency in parish finances, more autonomy for school faculty and protection from retaliation for parishioners who speak out. As of Monday, the petition had 651 signatures. Maggie Lysaght, the Visitation parishioner who started the petition, said the concerns expressed in the petition are based on input from more than 200 parishioners. She said the problems they reveal shouldn't be overshadowed by the pornography accusations that arose at the church last weekend. 'There are a lot of unhappy parishioners,' she said. In his statement, Casey indicated he's aware the consolidation of parishes might be a challenge for some parishioners. 'Times of change can be difficult,' he wrote. 'We may not like some decisions that are made, and things may not always unfold according to our personal preferences.' This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Rumors and pornography accusation disrupt Cincinnati west side parish
Yahoo
4 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
'It's sad and embarrassing': Rumors and pornography accusation disrupt Cincinnati parish
Months of tension between Catholic parishioners and their priests at a West Side parish boiled over last weekend with a disruption during Mass, accusations about pornography and a plea from Cincinnati's archbishop to end "sinful" rumors and gossip. The problems burst into public view Saturday at Our Lady of the Visitation in Green Township, when police officers escorted a man who'd interrupted the afternoon service out of the church. The incident occurred moments after Archdiocese of Cincinnati Chancellor Jason Williams read a statement from Archbishop Robert Casey defending a Visitation priest, Martin Bachman, and its pastor, Don Siciliano. Casey's statement referred to accusations and complaints about the priests as unfounded and unfair. 'Several concerns have been brought to the attention of the archdiocese,' Casey wrote. 'These have been investigated, and no wrongdoing – either criminally or ecclesiastically – has been substantiated.' Casey then urged parishioners to avoid spreading falsehoods about anyone, including their parish priests. 'Rumors which quickly spiral out of control have the potential to severely harm the good reputation which each of us should enjoy,' he wrote. 'Consequently, like gossip, the spreading of rumors is sinful, and we should all work to overcome this tendency of our fallen human nature.' Jake McQuaide, a Visitation parishioner and NFL player, stood to protest after Williams read Casey's statement, shouting at Williams and demanding, specifically, that he address an allegation that Bachman had accessed pornography on a computer at the church. 'We want to put these rumors to rest,' McQuaide said. 'Can you answer this for me?' 'This is not the time,' Williams responded. Williams then said the accusation against Bachman was false, but the back-and-forth continued until Green Township police officers approached McQuaide and walked him out of the church. Police Capt. Mitch Hill said the archdiocese had asked police to attend the service in case there were disruptions. He said McQuaide, who could not be reached for comment, was not detained or charged with a crime. Bachman did not respond to calls or an email seeking comment. But an archdiocese spokeswoman, Jennifer Schack, said the allegation that Bachman used a parish-owned computer to access pornography is false. Casey said in his statement that Bachman would begin a sabbatical in July, which he said was planned prior to the accusations and is unrelated to them. Todd Zureick, the Visitation parishioner who filed a complaint with the archdiocese about the pornography allegation, said he saw images on the computer that included thumbnail links to adult pornography sites and other sites with explicit content. He said he received the images from a third party, whom he has not identified, and then shared them with the archdiocese in April. Zureick said he does not believe the images are illegal but that they are inappropriate for a workplace, especially a church. He said the archdiocese failed to adequately investigate the complaint, which has resulted in the public airing of accusations and more frustration among parishioners. 'It's sad and embarrassing that the lack of institutional control and leadership at Visitation has led to this,' Zureick said. Casey, however, said in his statement that the matter was investigated thoroughly and that no misconduct was revealed. 'Both Father Siciliano and Father Bachman are priests in good standing in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati,' Casey wrote. 'There are no ecclesiastical investigations being conducted related to their conduct.' He also described some of the accusations that have been made as 'defamatory statements' and said Green Township Police have found no criminal misconduct related to any priest at Visitation. Hill confirmed his department has found no criminal wrongdoing. But police records show they did investigate an unrelated complaint in late 2023 with connections to Visitation. The name of the person who filed the complaint is redacted, because of a state law that conceals the names of crime victims. But The Enquirer found the property listed on the complaint is owned by the archdiocese and matches Bachman's address. According to a police report, the man who filed the complaint said he had been encouraged by an unknown person he'd met online to deposit money into an investment account. By the time he realized it was 'a scam,' the police report said, he had deposited $58,000. Weeks later, the man who filed the complaint said he'd been contacted again by the person he'd met online, and this time she was threatening to reveal sexually explicit conversations he'd had with her 'to his parishes' if he didn't pay more money. Hill said police, who investigated the matter as a telecommunications fraud, don't know if that threat was carried out. But he said the $58,000 investment was never recovered. Schack did not respond late Monday when asked if archdiocese officials were aware of the fraud investigation. Casey's statement also does not mention the fraud investigation. Long before the uproar last weekend, parishioners at Visitation, St. Jude in Bridgetown and St. Joseph in North Bend had expressed concerns about leadership in their parishes. All three parishes are part of a 'family of parishes' that is overseen by Siciliano and Bachman. The parish family was created a few years ago as the archdiocese began consolidating parishes and schools into groups that could share resources and priests. Those changes have, at times, upset parishioners. A petition started early this year listed a string of complaints and concerns from parishioners at Visitation, St. Jude and St. Joseph about the operation of their parishes and parish schools. 'We … are deeply concerned about the current direction of leadership and decision-making within our parish,' the petition states. It goes on to request better communication from church leaders, more transparency in parish finances, more autonomy for school faculty and protection from retaliation for parishioners who speak out. As of Monday, the petition had 651 signatures. Maggie Lysaght, the Visitation parishioner who started the petition, said the concerns expressed in the petition are based on input from more than 200 parishioners. She said the problems they reveal shouldn't be overshadowed by the pornography accusations that arose at the church last weekend. 'There are a lot of unhappy parishioners,' she said. In his statement, Casey indicated he's aware the consolidation of parishes might be a challenge for some parishioners. 'Times of change can be difficult,' he wrote. 'We may not like some decisions that are made, and things may not always unfold according to our personal preferences.' This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Rumors and pornography accusation disrupt Cincinnati west side parish
