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Lastiri assigned to parish in Bakersfield
Priest sought counseling at Maryland center
By Adam Ashton
June 7, 2005
The Merced priest who lost his parish nearly a year ago because of accusations that he sought sex over the Internet has a new assignment as an associate pastor within the Roman Catholic Diocese of Fresno.
The Rev. Jean-Michael Lastiri, former administrator of Merced’s St. Patrick’s Parish, is expected to return on June 15 to St. Philip the Apostle Church in Bakersfield, said diocese spokesman Jesse Avila. Lastiri served as an associate pastor at St. Philip from 1987 to 1989.
Avila said Lastiri prepared himself for the assignment by seeking counseling at a Maryland center for troubled priests, where he had been directed by diocese leader Bishop John T. Steinbock last July after a group of parishioners uncovered Internet messages allegedly written by Lastiri seeking male sex partners.
Two weeks ago, St. Patrick’s disclosed an internal audit showing that Lastiri had misspent $60,000 during his last two years at the parish’s helm.
Avila said Lastiri will not have any administrative responsibilities in Bakersfield. Rather, he will take confessions, perform Mass and visit hospitals and jails.
“It has all the potential to be a very good situation,” Avila said. St. Philip’s is larger than St. Patrick’s, with more than 3,900 registered families compared with the Merced parish’s 3,100 families.
Merced reaction mixed
Parishioners in Merced greeted news of Lastiri’s new task with a mix of well-wishes for their former priest and skepticism that Steinbock would reassign Lastiri to the diocese after both the sexual and financial mishaps.
“It’s a typical Catholic cover-up,” said John Abbate, 38, a Merced restaurant owner and lifelong St. Patrick’s member. Abbate said he’d like to see St. Philip’s parishioners get plenty of information about Lastiri’s time in Merced. . . .
Full article
Background info on Lastiri
Priest sought counseling at Maryland center
By Adam Ashton
June 7, 2005
The Merced priest who lost his parish nearly a year ago because of accusations that he sought sex over the Internet has a new assignment as an associate pastor within the Roman Catholic Diocese of Fresno.
The Rev. Jean-Michael Lastiri, former administrator of Merced’s St. Patrick’s Parish, is expected to return on June 15 to St. Philip the Apostle Church in Bakersfield, said diocese spokesman Jesse Avila. Lastiri served as an associate pastor at St. Philip from 1987 to 1989.
Avila said Lastiri prepared himself for the assignment by seeking counseling at a Maryland center for troubled priests, where he had been directed by diocese leader Bishop John T. Steinbock last July after a group of parishioners uncovered Internet messages allegedly written by Lastiri seeking male sex partners.
Two weeks ago, St. Patrick’s disclosed an internal audit showing that Lastiri had misspent $60,000 during his last two years at the parish’s helm.
Avila said Lastiri will not have any administrative responsibilities in Bakersfield. Rather, he will take confessions, perform Mass and visit hospitals and jails.
“It has all the potential to be a very good situation,” Avila said. St. Philip’s is larger than St. Patrick’s, with more than 3,900 registered families compared with the Merced parish’s 3,100 families.
Merced reaction mixed
Parishioners in Merced greeted news of Lastiri’s new task with a mix of well-wishes for their former priest and skepticism that Steinbock would reassign Lastiri to the diocese after both the sexual and financial mishaps.
“It’s a typical Catholic cover-up,” said John Abbate, 38, a Merced restaurant owner and lifelong St. Patrick’s member. Abbate said he’d like to see St. Philip’s parishioners get plenty of information about Lastiri’s time in Merced. . . .
Full article
Background info on Lastiri
