Victims of abuse to gather at St. Patrick’s Church today

As the congregation of St. Patrick’s Catholic Church leaves today’s service around 12:45 p.m., they will be met by some of the victims of child sex abuse and their supporters.

 

The group will be handing out fliers to churchgoers at the Center City church located at 242 South 20th Street. The leaflets urge parishioners to help the victims and their supporters to find others who were molested by Msgr. Phillip J. Dowling, a Catholic priest who admits molesting one girl and is accused of molesting three others.

According to SNAP, a support group for those abused by clergy, it was “only after the fourth allegation did church officials put Dowling on “permanently restricted ministry.” He remains a priest at this point and is still on the archdiocesan payroll.”