Priest placed on leave in 2011 found suitable for ministry

A Philadelphia priest placed on leave in February 2011 has been found suitable for ministry.

Rev. Joseph DiGregorio was one of nearly two dozen priests the Archdiocese of Philadelphia placed on leave when a grand jury report accusing a group of priests of child sexual abuse raised suspicious about other priests in the ministry.Days after he was put on leave, DiGregorio appeared on a local talk radio show to deny allegations that he had groped a girl in the 1960s.

Accusations made against DiGregorio were investigated by the diocese’s Multi-Disciplinary Team, which took on the matter after it was reviewed by the district attorney’s office.

“A rigorous investigative process involving more than 20 experts in child abuse did find that Father DiGregorio violated The Standards of Ministerial Behaviors and Boundaries more than 40 years ago but that there is compelling evidence that makes him suitable for ministry,” the diocese’s statement reads.

Parishioners of Stella Marie and St. Martin of Tours, both in Philadelphia, were informed of the finding at weekend masses. Those are the last two parishes DiGregorio served.

Resolutions have been announced on all but nine of the administrative leave cases, which have not yet been released by law enforcement to the MDT.