Statement of the Diocese on the Hiring of Former Priest by St. Augustine Preparatory School

By Andrew Walton
Diocese of Camden
November 4, 2005

Officials from St. Augustine Preparatory School in Richland—which is not affiliated with the Diocese of Camden, but is a private high school under the oversight and jurisdiction of the Augustinian order—contacted the diocese by phone on the eve of two successive school years to express an interest in hiring Mr. Frank Hudson, a suspended priest who had been out of ministry since 2001.

While the diocese is not involved in any way with the hiring decisions of this private school, it strenuously objected to his hiring on both occasions—first in August 2004 and again in August 2005—, given the circumstances of Mr. Hudson's status as a suspended cleric and the fact that the diocese in July 2004 had received an allegation of sexual abuse of a minor against Mr. Hudson that was alleged to have occurred in 1975.

When the diocese learned that Mr. Hudson had been hired for the 2005-06 school year—in spite of these prior objections—it wrote on October 5, 2005 to St. Augustine Preparatory School to reiterate again its serious objections to hiring Mr. Hudson.

The Diocese of Camden, which places the concern and well-being of young people above every other consideration, and has implemented comprehensive measures to ensure the safest possible environments for young people, is angered that school administrators at St. Augustine Preparatory School inexplicably chose to ignore these repeated warnings and serious objections from the diocese.

Contact: Andrew Walton
(856) 756-7900, ext. 5282