Rev. John F. Bench Summary of Case: A priest of the Pittsburgh diocese, Bench relocated to the Charleston, SC diocese in 1980. He was removed from active ministry in Dec. 1993 after he was accused of molesting a young girl. Bench admitted to the abuse. He asked to be reinstated as a priest in Florida in 2000. Bishop Baker of Charleston was going to approve the reinstatement, but changed his mind when the parents of Bench's victim complained. Bench died in Florida in 2009. Ordained: 1964 Died: 2009 |
Start | Stop | Parish/Assignment | Town/Accusations | State | Position | Notes |
1964 Pittsburgh bishop was John Joseph Wright (1959-1969), followed by Vincent Martin Leonard (1969-1983) |
1971 | St. Henry's | Pittsburgh | PA | 2/2 | St. Henry's had a school with 748-476 students. |
1971 | 1976 | St. Edward's | Blawnox | PA | 2/2 | St. Edward's had a school with 104-63 students, and beginning in 1975, a kindergarten with 16 students. |
1976 | 1980 | St. Joseph's (German) | Pittsburgh | PA | 1/3 | St. Joseph's had a school with 396-320 students. |
1980 Charleston bishop was Ernest Leo Unterkoefler (1964-1990) |
1985 | Presbyterian College | Clinton | SC | Campus Ministry | |
Clinton Rehabilitation Center | Clinton | SC | Chaplain | |||
Knights of Columbus | SC | Chaplain | ||||
the Pee Dee | SC | Episcopal Vicar | The Pee Dee is a region in the northeastern corner of South Carolina. | |||
1980 | 1985 | St. Boniface | Joanna | SC | 1/1 | |
St. Mary's | Yonges Island | SC | ||||
1980 | 1985 | Holy Spirit | Laurens | SC | This was a mission of St. Boniface in Joanna. | |
1980 | 1982 | St. Mark's | Newberry | SC | This was a mission of St. Boniface in Joanna. | |
1985 | 1986 | Mission Parish | Pawley's Island | SC | This was a mission of St. Mary's in Georgetown. | |
1986 | 1987 | St. Andrew's | Andrews | SC | This was a mission of St. Mary's in Georgetown. | |
1987 | 1989 | St. Leo the Great | Andrew's | SC | This was a mission of St. Mary's in Georgetown. | |
1985 Unterkoefler was succeeded by David Bernard Thompson (1990-1999) |
1991 | St. Mary's (Our Lady of Ramsom) | Georgetown | SC | ||
1991 | Dec. 1993 | Holy Cross | Pickens • Bench was accused in 1993 of molesting a young girl. Bench admitted to the abuse. |
SC | 1/1 | Bench was removed from Holy Cross in Dec. 1993 due to allegations of child sexual abuse. |
Dec.1993 Robert Joseph Baker followed Thompson as Charleston bishop (1999-2007) |
2002 | Absent on Leave | Bench is not indexed beyond the 2002 Directory. In 2000 Bench asked to be reinstated in Florida. Bishop Baker was going to allow the transfer to a Florida diocese, but reconsidered after vigorous protest by the parents of Bench's victim. |
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2002 Robert Eric Guglielmone replaced Baker as Charleston bishop (2009-) |
2009 | Bench died June 6, 2009 in Englewood, FL. |
Sources: Official Catholic Directory (New York: P.J. Kenedy and Sons, 1965-2002) • 2 Priests Accused of Sex Abuse Resign, By Bo Emerson and Keith Graham, Atlanta Journal and Constitution, December 30, 1993
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