Priest stuns parish by saying he'd been abused, quitting as pastor

Published: 2004-09-03

BOTHELL, Wash. (CNS) -- In a move that stunned his parish and the Seattle Archdiocese, Father Lawrence Minder, pastor of St. Brendan Parish in Bothell, announced at Masses in late August that he was resigning his pastorate, saying he could not agree to the archbishop's recent request that he go through therapy. According to a parishioner who was present at one of the Masses, the 43-year-old pastor also told the assembly he has been in therapy for 20 years after allegedly being sexually abused in another diocese by a man who is now a priest. The parishioner, who asked not to be identified, said Father Minder also urged parishioners not to direct their anger at himself or Seattle Archbishop Alex J. Brunett but at "the abusers who robbed people of the ability to trust and be in good relations" with their priest. The pastor read his resignation announcement at all three weekend Masses Aug. 28-29 following short homilies. "He said he was resigning from the parish because the archbishop was asking him to go through some therapy that he could not agree to," the parishioner said. Father Minder also sent a letter of resignation to the archbishop, which the archbishop received Aug. 31.

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