04:34 PM EST on Tuesday, March 2, 2004

By JANELLE MARTINEZ / 6NEWS

6NEWS has confirmed a priest was removed from a Charlotte parish in September because he was accused of sexually abusing a minor.

Reverend Patrick Leonard was removed from St. John Neumann Catholic Church on Idlewild Road months ago, but parishioners just found out why this weekend through a statement that was read during mass.

For the second time in about a week the Charlotte Diocese has had to answer questions about a priest and allegations of sexual abuse by a minor.

Leonard spent five years at St. John Neumann Catholic Church as an associate priest. He is an Augustinian priest, so questions about his removal were directed Augustinian Friars in Pennsylvania.

A spokesperson for the order, Michael Dolan, would not say who the victim was or where it happened, only that it happened several years ago in a different diocese. He said the alleged victim, who is now grown, came forward in August. Leonard was removed in September.

"When he came here, he was a priest in good standing," said David Haines, spokesperson for the Charlotte Diocese.

Haines said they take allegations like this seriously.

"If an accusation is made against a priest in this diocese, our diocese is set up to react very quickly and to take the appropriate action," he said.

Dolan said Leonard is not longer in the public ministry and is undergoing psychological treatment. He is still a priest and has not been charged.

Parishioners at St. Neumann's were never told why Leonard left until this weekend, nearly six months later.

"It's very sad, but the church goes on. The church has gone through many, many scandals throughout the years, even from the beginning of time and the church is still here and we still believe,” said Connie Danko, parishioner. “He (Leonard) just seemed like a nice priest. You know you hate to sin, but you love the sinner."

News of why Leonard was removed came just ten days after Our Lady of Assumption Catholic Church, also located in Charlotte, learned one of its priests faced sexual abuse allegations. Father Gregory Littleton resigned because of those allegations.

The Augustinian Order said it decided to break its silence about Leonard in light of the Littleton case and the National Sexual Abuse by Clergy study that was released just this past Friday.