Greensburg bishop calls Irwin pastor's actions 'an egregious failure'

An Irwin-area Catholic priest who resigned amid questions about how the parishes he led hired a man who had a criminal record has returned to ministry, Greensburg Catholic Bishop Larry J. Kulick said.

But the Rev. John Moineau will be moving from his former post at Irwin’s Immaculate Conception and North Huntingdon’s St. Elizabeth Ann Seton parishes to a position at a group of four parishes in New Kensington.

Kulick reinstated Moineau to priestly duties with some restrictions effective Oct. 23. The parishes in New Kensington include St. Margaret Mary in Lower Burrell, and Mount St. Peter, St. Joseph and St. Mary of Czestochowa.

Moineau was well-regarded by parishioners in the Irwin area and was also known throughout the diocese for chronicling his battle with pancreatic cancer in online videos.

The move comes after a diocesan investigation concluded into non-criminal negligence when a man previously guilty of lewdness and indecent exposure was allowed to work for more than a decade combined at Irwin’s Immaculate Conception and North Huntingdon’s St. Elizabeth Ann Seton parishes, in violation of diocesan policy.

The past criminal record of Shon M. Harrity, 47, was brought to the attention of the diocese when he was arrested in May on new charges of sexually assaulting a girl for two years. Diocesan officials noted the charges against Harrity aren’t related to his past work in maintenance and on cemetery grounds for the parishes.

Kulick said in an interview with Triblive Monday that “the church has had a lot of work to do to build up trust, and the only way I believe we’re going to build that trust up is by being consistent with what we say and what we do, especially with child protection and vulnerable adults. It’s a top priority for me in all that we do.”

When the diocese discovered that some items in Harrity’s employee file had gone missing, it requested an investigation by the Westmoreland County District Attorney’s Office — which found no evidence of criminal activity on the part of others at the two Irwin-area parishes, including Moineau and the Rev. Leonard Stoviak, the priest who originally hired Harrity in 2012, who has since retired.

But Kulick said the diocese’s own investigation found Moineau and Stoviak both were guilty of “culpable negligence” regarding Harrity’s employment and records of his criminal background.

According to the diocese, Moineau stated in a 2020 letter to church officials that he had reviewed Harrity’s file and found no problem with his continued employment, when he actually hadn’t completed the review.

The canonical investigation also concluded that Stoviak “was aware that Harrity had some sort of criminal record” but hired him anyway, even after former finance council members said they’d warned the pastor about Harrity’s background.

Stoviak could not be reached for comment.

“Although I was not aware of this employee’s criminal background, it was my responsibility to know,” Moineau said in a video recorded for parishioners in June. “I was the pastor when his clearances were renewed in 2020, and they showed he was disqualified from employment by the state and the church.

“I signed a letter stating I personally reviewed his clearances. I did not. And for that, I am sorry for this act of negligence.”

The diocesan investigation also resulted in the termination of three employees — the safe environment coordinator at each of the two Irwin-area parishes and another staff member who worked with employee files.

Along with the pastor, the safe environment coordinator is responsible for ensuring that each employee completes a series of child abuse trainings and passes three different criminal background checks.

According to the diocese, Kulick, during his previous stint as vicar general, had not been informed of Harrity’s criminal record.

The strong ties Moineau developed with worshipers at the Irwin and North Huntingdon parishes was evidenced in a petition drive to have him reinstated and criticism aimed at Kulick, charging that Moineau had not been given due process before Kulick asked him to resign and that the diocesan officials were too harsh with Moineau.

“I have received dozens of letters stating that what occurred was simply a clerical error,” Kulick said. “This was much more than a clerical error. This was negligent supervision, which was an egregious failure to uphold our higher standards related to the safety of children.”

Moineau was granted a medical leave on June 17. Kulick said doctors have cleared the priest to return to most duties except for ministering to the ill, out of concern for potential harmful exposure while undergoing cancer treatments.

Kulick said Moineau will not be in charge of any parish administrative functions but will be free to continue posting YouTube video updates of his cancer journey — as long as they are posted on a private account, not that of his former parishes.

Stoviak, who has been featured in online blogs and radio appearances will be prohibited from such church-related communications for one year and will not be brought out of retirement to fill any vacancies for administrator, pastor or parochial vicar, Kulick said.

Kulick said the limitations imposed on the two priests is “a prudent action, a recognition that harm has been done, even if it’s through the lack of proper administration. There is an acknowledgement and recognition that there needs to be justice brought to this situation because of neglect.”

In the wake of the revelation of Harrity’s criminal past, Kulick ordered an audit of the employee and volunteer criminal history clearances at all 78 parishes and 12 schools in the diocese. He said no other problems were uncovered, but he intends to have the audits continue on an ongoing basis, checking records at one third of the parishes each year.

“I asked two independent canon lawyers from outside the Diocese of Greensburg, as well as two separate diocesan advisory boards, to hear the evidence collected during the canonical (diocesan) investigation,” Kulick said. “I instructed the investigation to proceed, and I myself remained outside the investigative process.”

Kulick issued a plea for Irwin-area parishioners not to turn their backs on the church because of Moineau’s departure.

“I know many of you love and miss Father John,” he said. “Our faith is not about one priest or even one Bishop.”

Harrity is free on bond awaiting trial on the sexual assault charges in Westmoreland County Court. Harrity’s attorney, Patrick J. Thomassey, said his client has denied the charges.

Related:

• Greensburg Diocese asks county detectives to probe failure of worker background checks
• Diocese board to review employee background concerns at Irwin-area parishes
• Some parishioners unhappy about Norwin pastor's ouster; failed employee background procedure probed