Diocese investigates monsignor

A popular Mesa priest who founded the nation’s largest Roman Catholic youth organization has been placed on administrative leave while church officials investigate claims he knew about sexual misconduct involving a teen 20 years ago, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Phoenix announced Wednesday.

Monsignor Dale Fushek, pastor of St. Timothy Catholic Community in Mesa, is prohibited from priestly duties while investigators look into the claims that he knew about the abuse and was present during one of the incidents.

Monsignor Dale Fushek, pastor of St. Timothy Catholic Community in Mesa, is prohibited from priestly duties while investigators look into claims that he knew about sexual abuse at the church and was present during one of the incidents.

Attorney Frank Verderame notified church officials Dec. 22 that a former parishioner claimed to have recovered repressed memories of sexual molestation by the Rev. Mark Lehman, who served 10 years in prison for molesting students in the late 1980s at St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic School in Phoenix.

Lehman was living in the St. Timothy rectory at the time, and most of the acts occurred in his bedroom, according to Verderame.

"The memories my client recovered include incidents which involve Fr. Dale Fushek . . . who was present during one of the incidents of abuse," Verderame said.

The accuser, who was 14 at the time, said there was no physical contact between him and Fushek.

Fushek and Lehman were unavailable for comment.

Verderame has not yet filed a legal claim, but the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office was notified.

"Father Dale is one of most popular priests known locally, nationally and internationally," said diocese spokeswoman Mary Jo West.

The diocese immediately placed Fushek on administrative leave in accordance with strict guidelines recently put into place.

In 1995, the diocese quietly paid $45,000 to a former adult staff member to settle a sexual harassment claim against Fushek.

In 2003, Fushek and Bishop Thomas J. O’Brien were among several current and former church officials named in a lawsuit that alleged they "used every means in their power" to keep a man from going public with allegations he was drugged and raped by a priest in 1987.

Fushek has been the pastor of St. Timothy since 1985 and is founder of Life Teen ministry, which reaches more than 125,000 youths in 10,000 parishes in 11 countries.