CNA<\/a>).- Wyoming Catholic College has discharged its new chaplain Father Stuart MacDonald following the discovery of a \u201cpattern of misbehavior\u201d around students such as excess drinking and bad language.<\/p>\n\t\u201cI think it\u2019s very sad that this happened. I think it\u2019s particularly sad that it involved a priest of the Catholic Church,\u201d college president Father Robert Cook told CNA Dec. 5.<\/p>\n
\t\u201cI really am very happy that we so quickly and so definitively dealt with this in what I believe was a totally proper and appropriate manner.\u201d<\/p>\n
\tThe college discharged the chaplain on Nov. 19 after an investigation found he engaged in \u201cvery bad language\u201d and \u201ctelling bad jokes\u201d with students.<\/p>\n
\t\u201cHe drank excessively with a few of our students who were over the age of 21. He also had conversations with students about very personal matters in front of other students,\u201d Fr. Cook said. \u201cAll of this fell well beneath the standard that I require of anyone who works here, faculty, staff, administrators, and certainly the chaplain.\u201d<\/p>\n
\tFr. MacDonald became the college\u2019s chaplain in mid-August. He is a canon lawyer and a priest of the Diocese of St. Catharines in Ontario, Canada. He was ordained in 1997.<\/p>\n
\tThe diocese\u2019s chancery told CNA that the diocese takes \u201cvery seriously\u201d all allegations of inappropriate behavior on the party of clergy, staff or volunteers. It has not determined whether the priest will return to any position in the diocese.<\/p>\n
\tWyoming Catholic College has notified the Department of Homeland Security to terminate Fr. MacDonald\u2019s employment visa.<\/p>\n
\tFr. Cook said the college began its internal investigation after a former student made a Nov. 10 phone call with allegations about the chaplain. The former student\u2019s complaint involved possible criminal conduct committed by the priest. Fr. Cook told the former student to go to the police \u201cimmediately.\u201d<\/p>\n
\tDetective Randy Lutterman of the Lander Police Department confirmed\u00a0that there was an investigation into Fr. MacDonald.<\/p>\n
\tLander Police Chief Jim Carey told CNA Dec. 7 that no charges will be filed against the chaplain.<\/p>\n
\t\u201cWe are confident, through the evidence that we have received, that no criminal act was committed, however inappropriate,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\tThe Wyoming newspaper The Daily Ranger\u00a0reported that\u00a0Carey said an anonymous letter was sent to individuals and to the Lander Journal claiming that Fr. MacDonald sexually abused students.<\/p>\n
\tBut Fr. Cook\u00a0said the college\u2019s \u201cvery thorough\u201d investigation has not found any incidents or accusations of sexual conduct toward any student at Wyoming Catholic College.<\/p>\n
\tThe college has informed students and their parents about the improper conduct behind the chaplain\u2019s dismissal. They were \u201cprofoundly shocked\u201d and \u201cgreatly saddened\u201d by the incident.<\/p>\n
\tChaplains \u201chave to meet the highest standards, or they have to leave,\u201d Fr. Cook stated. \u201cThis college is all about being very Catholic: teaching the students to know and love their Catholic faith, to live morally good lives.<\/p>\n
\t\u201cIt is simply unacceptable to have anyone, let alone the chaplain, give a poor or even bad example to them.\u201d<\/p>\n
\tThe chaplain had undergone a \u201cvery thorough vetting program\u201d and a background check that found no criminal record, while Fr. MacDonald\u2019s bishop had sent a letter stating he knew no reasons that would disqualify him from being a chaplain.<\/p>\n
\tThe college president said prospective Wyoming Catholic College students and their parents should feel that the college is \u201ca safe place to go.\u201d<\/p>\n
\t\u201cYou cannot escape sin in this world. But when it shows up, if it\u2019s dealt with in a very definitive and clear manner, then that\u2019s a good place to be,\u201d Fr. Cook said.<\/p>\n
\tHe said prospective students should be \u201cproud\u201d to go to a college that acted quickly to \u201cprotect the educational mission in which we are engaged.\u201d<\/p>\n
\tUpdated\u00a0 Dec. 7, 2012 at 3:05 p.m. MST. Adds commennts to CNA in paragraph 11 from Police Chief JIm Carey about no crime beingg committed.<\/em><\/p>\n\n
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Lander, Wyo., Dec 6, 2012 \/ 04:03 am (CNA).- Wyoming Catholic College has discharged its new chaplain Father Stuart MacDonald following the discovery of a “pattern of misbehavior” around students such as excess drinking and bad language.<\/p>\n
\t…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1031,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1766","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-us"],"yoast_head":"\n
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