Dale Fushek
Encyclopedia
Dale Fushek is the leader of the Praise and Worship Center in Chandler, Arizona
and the former Vicar General
of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Phoenix. In 2005 he was charged with 10 criminal misdemeanor counts related to alleged sexual contact with teens and young adults. By February 2010, the charges were adjusted to four counts contributing to the delinquency of a minor and one count of indecent exposure
. On April 15, 2010, Fushek agreed to a plea bargain
offered by the Maricopa County Attorney's Office in which he pleaded guilty to one of the charges. The four other charges were dropped and he was fined $250, in addition to being sentenced to 364 days of probation
.
On December 15, 2008, the Diocese of Phoenix announced that Fushek had been excommunicated
by Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted
for establishing the Praise and Worship Center, a community outside the Catholic Church, in defiance of the bishop's order for him to cease ministry.
in 1952. His family moved to Phoenix, Arizona
in the 1960s. After graduating from Phoenix Central High School in 1970, he attended St. John's Seminary in California
, where he decided to dedicate his religious work to children and teens. In 1978 he was ordained a priest in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Phoenix. Later, he attended the University of Notre Dame
and received a Masters degree in theology
.
In 1983 Fushek was transferred to St. Timothy's Catholic Parish in Mesa, Arizona
. There, he founded Life Teen
, a program that was similar to ACT at St. Jerome's. The program Fushek developed for teens proved extremely popular and numerous other parishes and dioceses began to develop Life Teen programs of their own. Fushek is no longer involved in Life Teen as of his resignation in 2005.
Fushek was instrumental in planning and organizing the 1987 visit of Pope John Paul II
to the United States. He again played the lead in the 1989 visit of Mother Teresa
. On April 19, 2000, Fushek was appointed to the post of Vicar General, second in command of the Diocese of Phoenix, by then Bishop Thomas O'Brien. On February 15, 2002, Fushek was named a Monsignor
, an honorary title reserved for priests of distinction.
suit that had been filed against him by a former Life Teen staff member.
In April 2004, the newly installed Bishop Thomas Olmsted, who replaced Bishop Thomas O'Brien after his conviction and resignation for a fatal hit-and-run accident, accepted Fushek's resignation from his position as Vicar General.
In late December 2004, additional complaints against Fushek emerged and the Diocese of Phoenix began to conduct an investigation. Fushek was placed on paid administrative leave shortly thereafter.
On January 27, 2005, a lawsuit was filed in Maricopa County Superior Court alleging that Fushek witnessed a sexual assault
committed by a priest, and did nothing.
On April 4, 2005, Fushek resigned as a pastor of St. Timothy's Catholic Church.
On November 21, 2005, Fushek was arrested and charged with 10 criminal misdemeanor counts related to alleged sexual contact with teens and young adults. Maricopa County prosecutors have not ruled out the possibility of more serious charges.
On May 22, 2006, three of the ten misdemeanor counts were dismissed at the request of the prosecution.
On December 5, 2006, the lawsuit filed on January 27, 2005, was settled by the Diocese of Phoenix for $100,000. The settlement does not imply any admission of guilt, according to the Diocesan attorney Mike Haran. The case was dismissed with prejudice, which means it cannot be refiled.
On February 16, 2010, the Arizona Republic reported that Pope Benedict XVI
had laicized Fushek after Church investigations of the allegations. During this 3-year internal trial, Fushek opted not to participate in his own defense citing that he now felt free to pursue God's will.
On April 15, 2010, Fushek pleaded guilty to one count of misdemeanor assault, ending five years of prosecution on charges of inappropriate sexual behavior involving teens. Fushek was sentenced to 364 days of probation and fined $250. The four other charges were dropped.
In March 2011, Fushek released his autobiography, The Unexpected Life: An Autobiography of a Very Human Priest, ISBN 978-1-881276-05-0. The cover states that, "Dale Fushek presents a candid, flesh and blood portrait of the sacred and the profane in his life as an ordained priest. The good, the bad, and the unbelievable are described with gratitude and commitment to a larger purpose. Unflinching yet always dignified, Dale Fushek gives his reaction to the events that sent his personal ministry into chaos, and changed the very fabric of his existence."
Building #3, in Chandler, Arizona 85225.
The Praise and Worship Center is not a Catholic organization, although their website asserts that it is not "anti-Catholic
". The Center's vision statement declares an intention "to bring together people of all traditions who are willing to follow the person of Jesus Christ and form a non-judgmental community of faith." According to the Center's website, "The Center is being founded by a small group of people who are searching for something to supplement their own spiritual journeys." In addition, "there are no doctrinal guidelines or mandated acceptance of proscribed theology required for membership."
On January 4, 2008, the Arizona Republic reported that the "Diocese [of Phoenix] urges Catholics not attend to Fushek services."
On December 15, 2008 the Bishop of Phoenix, Thomas J. Olmsted, issued a decree of excommunication against Fushek and Dippre:
Shortly after the announcement, Life Teen president Randy Raus posted a letter regarding the excommunication to ym.lifeteen.com, Life Teen's website for adult leaders.
Chandler, Arizona
-Demographics:As of the Census of 2010, there were 236,123 people, 86,924 households, and 60,212 families residing in the city. The racial makeup of the city was 73.3% White, 4.8% Black or African American, 1.5% Native American, 8.2% Asian, 0.2% Pacific Islander, 21.9% Hispanic or Latino, and 8.3%...
and the former Vicar General
Vicar general
A vicar general is the principal deputy of the bishop of a diocese for the exercise of administrative authority. As vicar of the bishop, the vicar general exercises the bishop's ordinary executive power over the entire diocese and, thus, is the highest official in a diocese or other particular...
of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Phoenix. In 2005 he was charged with 10 criminal misdemeanor counts related to alleged sexual contact with teens and young adults. By February 2010, the charges were adjusted to four counts contributing to the delinquency of a minor and one count of indecent exposure
Indecent exposure
Indecent exposure is the deliberate exposure in public or in view of the general public by a person of a portion or portions of his or her body, in circumstances where the exposure is contrary to local moral or other standards of appropriate behavior. Indecent exposure laws vary in different...
. On April 15, 2010, Fushek agreed to a plea bargain
Plea bargain
A plea bargain is an agreement in a criminal case whereby the prosecutor offers the defendant the opportunity to plead guilty, usually to a lesser charge or to the original criminal charge with a recommendation of a lighter than the maximum sentence.A plea bargain allows criminal defendants to...
offered by the Maricopa County Attorney's Office in which he pleaded guilty to one of the charges. The four other charges were dropped and he was fined $250, in addition to being sentenced to 364 days of probation
Probation
Probation literally means testing of behaviour or abilities. In a legal sense, an offender on probation is ordered to follow certain conditions set forth by the court, often under the supervision of a probation officer...
.
On December 15, 2008, the Diocese of Phoenix announced that Fushek had been excommunicated
Excommunication
Excommunication is a religious censure used to deprive, suspend or limit membership in a religious community. The word means putting [someone] out of communion. In some religions, excommunication includes spiritual condemnation of the member or group...
by Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted
Thomas J. Olmsted
Thomas Olmsted is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He is the fourth and current Bishop of Phoenix, having previously served as Bishop of Wichita from 2001 to 2003.-Early life:...
for establishing the Praise and Worship Center, a community outside the Catholic Church, in defiance of the bishop's order for him to cease ministry.
Early religious education
Fushek was born in Cleveland, OhioCleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
in 1952. His family moved to Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
in the 1960s. After graduating from Phoenix Central High School in 1970, he attended St. John's Seminary in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, where he decided to dedicate his religious work to children and teens. In 1978 he was ordained a priest in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Phoenix. Later, he attended the University of Notre Dame
University of Notre Dame
The University of Notre Dame du Lac is a Catholic research university located in Notre Dame, an unincorporated community north of the city of South Bend, in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States...
and received a Masters degree in theology
Theology
Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
.
Ministry as Catholic priest
As a young priest, Fushek was assigned to St. Jerome's Parish in Phoenix. There he began to work toward bringing children and especially teens back into the ministry. He founded an organization called Active Christian Teens (ACT). ACT sought to expand the ministry to teens and young adults, part of the religious community whom Fushek believed felt out of place in church.In 1983 Fushek was transferred to St. Timothy's Catholic Parish in Mesa, Arizona
Mesa, Arizona
According to the 2010 Census, the racial composition of Mesa was as follows:* White: 77.1% * Hispanic or Latino : 26.54%* Black or African American: 3.5%* Two or more races: 3.4%* Native American: 2.4%...
. There, he founded Life Teen
LIFE TEEN
Life Teen, Inc. is a Catholic youth ministry organization and movement originating in the United States. It was established in 1985 at St. Timothy's Parish in Mesa, Arizona to "lead teens closer to Christ." Life Teen believes that "Eucharist-based ministry has the power to transform teens,...
, a program that was similar to ACT at St. Jerome's. The program Fushek developed for teens proved extremely popular and numerous other parishes and dioceses began to develop Life Teen programs of their own. Fushek is no longer involved in Life Teen as of his resignation in 2005.
Fushek was instrumental in planning and organizing the 1987 visit of Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
to the United States. He again played the lead in the 1989 visit of Mother Teresa
Mother Teresa
Mother Teresa , born Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu , was a Roman Catholic nun of Albanian ethnicity and Indian citizenship, who founded the Missionaries of Charity in Calcutta, India, in 1950...
. On April 19, 2000, Fushek was appointed to the post of Vicar General, second in command of the Diocese of Phoenix, by then Bishop Thomas O'Brien. On February 15, 2002, Fushek was named a Monsignor
Monsignor
Monsignor, pl. monsignori, is the form of address for those members of the clergy of the Catholic Church holding certain ecclesiastical honorific titles. Monsignor is the apocopic form of the Italian monsignore, from the French mon seigneur, meaning "my lord"...
, an honorary title reserved for priests of distinction.
Allegations of sexual misconduct
In May 2002, Fushek disclosed to his congregation that, in 1995, the Diocese of Phoenix had settled a sexual harassmentSexual harassment
Sexual harassment, is intimidation, bullying or coercion of a sexual nature, or the unwelcome or inappropriate promise of rewards in exchange for sexual favors. In some contexts or circumstances, sexual harassment is illegal. It includes a range of behavior from seemingly mild transgressions and...
suit that had been filed against him by a former Life Teen staff member.
In April 2004, the newly installed Bishop Thomas Olmsted, who replaced Bishop Thomas O'Brien after his conviction and resignation for a fatal hit-and-run accident, accepted Fushek's resignation from his position as Vicar General.
In late December 2004, additional complaints against Fushek emerged and the Diocese of Phoenix began to conduct an investigation. Fushek was placed on paid administrative leave shortly thereafter.
On January 27, 2005, a lawsuit was filed in Maricopa County Superior Court alleging that Fushek witnessed a sexual assault
Sexual assault
Sexual assault is an assault of a sexual nature on another person, or any sexual act committed without consent. Although sexual assaults most frequently are by a man on a woman, it may involve any combination of two or more men, women and children....
committed by a priest, and did nothing.
On April 4, 2005, Fushek resigned as a pastor of St. Timothy's Catholic Church.
On November 21, 2005, Fushek was arrested and charged with 10 criminal misdemeanor counts related to alleged sexual contact with teens and young adults. Maricopa County prosecutors have not ruled out the possibility of more serious charges.
On May 22, 2006, three of the ten misdemeanor counts were dismissed at the request of the prosecution.
On December 5, 2006, the lawsuit filed on January 27, 2005, was settled by the Diocese of Phoenix for $100,000. The settlement does not imply any admission of guilt, according to the Diocesan attorney Mike Haran. The case was dismissed with prejudice, which means it cannot be refiled.
On February 16, 2010, the Arizona Republic reported that Pope Benedict XVI
Pope Benedict XVI
Benedict XVI is the 265th and current Pope, by virtue of his office of Bishop of Rome, the Sovereign of the Vatican City State and the leader of the Catholic Church as well as the other 22 sui iuris Eastern Catholic Churches in full communion with the Holy See...
had laicized Fushek after Church investigations of the allegations. During this 3-year internal trial, Fushek opted not to participate in his own defense citing that he now felt free to pursue God's will.
On April 15, 2010, Fushek pleaded guilty to one count of misdemeanor assault, ending five years of prosecution on charges of inappropriate sexual behavior involving teens. Fushek was sentenced to 364 days of probation and fined $250. The four other charges were dropped.
In March 2011, Fushek released his autobiography, The Unexpected Life: An Autobiography of a Very Human Priest, ISBN 978-1-881276-05-0. The cover states that, "Dale Fushek presents a candid, flesh and blood portrait of the sacred and the profane in his life as an ordained priest. The good, the bad, and the unbelievable are described with gratitude and commitment to a larger purpose. Unflinching yet always dignified, Dale Fushek gives his reaction to the events that sent his personal ministry into chaos, and changed the very fabric of his existence."
Praise and Worship Center and excommunication
In late 2007 Fushek, along with Mark Dippre, who left the priesthood and is now married, established a Christian assembly called the Praise and Worship Center. Services started at Thanksgiving 2007 and have attracted between 500 to 700 people; they are currently held at 2551 North Arizona Avenue,Building #3, in Chandler, Arizona 85225.
The Praise and Worship Center is not a Catholic organization, although their website asserts that it is not "anti-Catholic
Anti-Catholicism
Anti-Catholicism is a generic term for discrimination, hostility or prejudice directed against Catholicism, and especially against the Catholic Church, its clergy or its adherents...
". The Center's vision statement declares an intention "to bring together people of all traditions who are willing to follow the person of Jesus Christ and form a non-judgmental community of faith." According to the Center's website, "The Center is being founded by a small group of people who are searching for something to supplement their own spiritual journeys." In addition, "there are no doctrinal guidelines or mandated acceptance of proscribed theology required for membership."
On January 4, 2008, the Arizona Republic reported that the "Diocese [of Phoenix] urges Catholics not attend to Fushek services."
On December 15, 2008 the Bishop of Phoenix, Thomas J. Olmsted, issued a decree of excommunication against Fushek and Dippre:
Shortly after the announcement, Life Teen president Randy Raus posted a letter regarding the excommunication to ym.lifeteen.com, Life Teen's website for adult leaders.
See also
- Roman Catholic sex abuse casesRoman Catholic sex abuse casesThe Catholic sex abuse cases are a series of convictions, trials and ongoing investigations into allegations of sex crimes committed by Catholic priests and members of religious orders. These cases began receiving public attention beginning in the mid-1980s...
- Crimen sollicitationisCrimen sollicitationisCrimen sollicitationis is the title of a 1962 document of the Holy Office codifying procedures to be followed in cases of priests or bishops of the Catholic Church accused of having used the sacrament of Penance to make sexual advances to penitents.It repeated, with additions, the contents of an...
- Pontifical SecretPontifical secretThe pontifical secret or pontifical secrecy or papal secrecy is the code of confidentiality that, in accordance with the canon law of the Roman Catholic Church, applies in matters that require greater than ordinary confidentiality:...
- Sex Crimes and the Vatican (Panorama Documentary Episode)
External links
- Robert Nelson, "Cross to Bare", Phoenix New Times, February 23, 2005.
- The Praise and Worship Center
- Official St. Timothy's Website.
- Official Life Teen Website.
- Life Teen's Response to Fushek's Excommunication
- Autobiography of Dale Fushek - The Unexpected Life