Massachusetts priest placed on leave for alleged sexual misconduct involving adult

A Massachusetts priest has been placed on administrative leave following allegations of sexual misconduct involving an apparent adult victim — while an attorney for another alleged adult victim has accused the diocese of conducting a “cover-up” regarding the priest.

Bishop Edgar da Cunha of Fall River, Massachusetts, recently informed parishioners of St. Michael and St. Joseph Parishes in Fall River that their co-pastor, Father Jay Mello is under investigation due to of “concerning information” the diocese has received about possible sexual misconduct.

The bishop's letter announcing the news was shared during weekend masses of June 22 and 23.

According to a June 23 statement from the diocese, “there are no allegations of inappropriate conduct with minors” in Mello’s case.

The diocese said an initial investigation “revealed that there is sufficient evidence to warrant further investigation to determine whether Father Mello violated the Standards of Ministerial Behavior and the Code of Conduct for Priests.”

On administrative leave, Mello “no longer resides at the rectory and has been ordered to refrain from exercising public priestly ministry.”

The diocese noted that Mello “has denied the allegations of priestly misconduct and is entitled to the presumption of innocence until the investigation is completed and a final decision is made.”

The statement encouraged “anyone with concerns about the conduct of a priest, staff member or volunteer affiliated with the diocese” to contact law enforcement and/or the diocese’s director of safe environment and victim assistance.

OSV News reached out to \Mello by email for comment, but did not receive an immediate response.

OSV News also reached out to the Diocese of Fall River to clarify the specific restrictions placed on the priest.

On June 27, Mello was listed on the websites of St. Michael and St. Joseph parishes as their pastor.

But Boston-based attorney Mitchell Garabedian told reporters the allegations against Mello were far from unprecedented.

On June 26, Garabedian participated remotely in a press conference held outside the Diocese of Fall River offices, claiming that Mello had “sexually…abused” his unnamed male client in 2013. Garabedian's client – who is not implicated in the recent allegations against the priest – was 28 at the time.

Garebedian said his client met Mello in the early 2010s at the former Sacred Hearts retreat center in Wareham, Massachusetts, and shared with the priest — a 1998 graduate of a high school culinary arts program — a “common interest” in cooking.

The attorney said that in 2013, Mello allegedly invited the man to discuss the topic of cooking at the rectory of St. Francis Xavier in Acushnet, Mass., where the priest was filling in while still assigned to the church St. Patrick of Falmouth, Massachusetts. (now part of St. Joseph, guardian of Holy Family Parish in Falmouth).

The alleged abuse took place at the rectory, Garabedian said, adding: “There was no consent in this sexual relationship. It was a violent incident … and my client fled.”

Garabedian told OSV News that the alleged incident was classified as a “sex offense” and that his client reported it to the Acushnet Police Department.

OSV News has asked the police department to confirm the complaint and is awaiting a response.

Garabedian also told OSV News that shortly after the alleged sexual assault, his client met with the late Bishop George Coleman, then bishop of the Diocese of Fall River.

“And my client was ignored after that,” Garabedian said. “The bishop was very silent, he just listened and said nothing.”

Garabedian said Coleman “did nothing” after that.

“Common sense would dictate that an investigation would have been carried out at the time, in 2013,” he said.

Ten years later, Garabedian said, his client — who had since become “aware of other victims” — contacted the diocese again, this time at the direction of da Cunha, about Mello.

The lawyer added that his client had been through an “emotional roller coaster” following the alleged abuse and was seeking “validation” of his experience as well as compensation from the diocese.

In response to the press conference, the Diocese of Fall River released a statement June 26 saying it was unable to provide additional information about the case during the ongoing investigation into Mello.

Once the investigation is complete, “all information, including allegations, will be presented to the Ministerial Review Committee for evaluation,” the diocese said, referring to the independent advisory body mandated by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops' Charter for the Protection of Children and Youth.

“After reviewing and discussing the information, the review board will propose recommendations to Bishop Edgar M. da Cunha… for a response to the allegations,” the diocese said.