Jul 15, 2004 / 22:00 pm
Two years after being accused of sexual abuse, Fr. Chris Eggleton, OP, has been declared innocent of all charges by a Miami court. The allegation was part of a lawsuit against the Archdiocese of Miami.
His former parish community of Holy Ghost Catholic Church in Hammond has organized a mass and reception July 25 to celebrate, reported the Daily Star. The announcement at the parish brought a standing ovation at the 9:30 mass Sunday.
The case draws attention to the widely ignored situations of false allegations, which rarely get press. Fr. Eggleton had strongly denied the allegations when he was first accused, and his parishioners supported his innocence as well.
Fr. Eggleton has also been cleared according with the guidelines of the bishops and those of the Conference of the Major Superiors of Men, enabling him to continue his work in the priesthood. He will begin as the prior of a Dominican House in Raleigh, N.C., this week.