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  4 Members of Catholic Order Are Suspended

By Michael Clancy
Arizona Republic (Phoenix)
October 10, 2002

Four Phoenix members of the Catholic Crosier Order have been suspended, the culmination of a study of sexual misconduct within the small religious group.

Four members who live elsewhere and never served in Arizona also were suspended, according to a report released Wednesday.

The four local members are:

* The Rev. Neil Emon, 61. Emon was identified publicly and suspended in May. He has lived in Phoenix since 2000.

* Brother Gabriel Guerrero, 66. He was assigned to Phoenix in 2000.

* The Rev. Richard Ohlemacher, 80. Retired for 10 years, Ohlemacher served as associate pastor at St. Louis the King in Glendale from 1987 through 1992.

* The Rev. Justin Weger, 77. Weger has lived in Tucson and Phoenix since 1974. He has not had authorization to serve as a priest in the Phoenix Diocese, Crosier spokesman David Kostik said.

None was currently assigned, although Emon and Ohlemacher frequently helped out at area churches, he said.

All four were "removed from public ministry" and are "living under restrictions." They will continue to reside at the Crosier house on Campbell Avenue near 24th Street, where 10 priests and three religious brothers live.

The order said all the cases were more than 15 years old. No details, including times and places of the violations, were disclosed.

The Crosiers are one of the oldest orders of priests and brothers in the Roman Catholic Church, with about 100 members nationwide.

 
 

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