Company Man: My Jesuit Life, 1950-1968

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West Virginia bishop accused

Bishop Bransfield of West Virginia, reputed adversary of peremptorily ousted Jesuit president of Wheeling Jesuit University, is on a clerical-abuse hotseat:

PHILADELPHIA (AP) – Authorities have re-opened a 2007 fondling complaint against a priest who taught at a suburban Philadelphia high school and is now the Roman Catholic bishop of West Virginia.The complaint stems from Bishop Michael Bransfield’s days at Lansdale Catholic High School in the 1970s. The Philadelphia Archdiocese said it did not find the complaint credible at the time, and passed it on to Montgomery County authorities. But the archdiocese said last week that the complaint has been reopened.

The ousted Jesuit, Rev. Julio Giulietti, was fired after two years on the job after he and the bishop had disagreement about the fate of property that Giulietti wanted for expansion of WJU and the bishop wanted for Wheeling (Catholic) Hospital.  Giulietti has since headed Jesuit operations in Viet Nam, with health care a focus.

Wheeling Jesuit’s investigated vice president leaving

J. Davitt McAteer leaving Wheeling Jesuit U.  As the ChiSox TV announcer would say, “He gone.” 

McAteer is under federal investigation for how he handled millions in NASA grants.  In 2009 he was on the inside at WJU to the extent that he was appointed, we know not by whom, acting president when the Jesuit president was fired peremptorily and mysteriously by fellow Jesuits after two years in office. 

He will be on the outside as of June 30, when his contract will be not renewed, no reason given by the current president.  In the affidavit submitted by the investigating federal agent, McAteer is said to have admitted diversion of federal funds to cover unrelated WJU expenses and been told no problem by the WJU directors.

Very sticky business.

President Beyer and “James Fleming” (thus the news story, not saying he is Rev., S.J., who as University Vice President and Chief of Staff is the highest-ranking Jesuit at WJU) take over the relevant federal programs.

(Story broken and posted at Fox by AP 8 hrs before this by Wheeling Intelligencer, based on email sent to alumni, which email is to be only announcement, said WJU spokeswoman.)