Sacred Heart Church (Saratoga, California)
Encyclopedia
Sacred Heart Church, is a Roman Catholic parish in Saratoga, California
. The church is a part of the Diocese of San Jose in California
. The current pastor of Sacred Heart is Father Gary Thomas. He has held the position since May 2006.
opened adjacent to the under construction parish hall. The hall itself would not open until 1960 when the church itself was moved to the Saratoga Avenue location. The current church was constructed in 1970 and the parish hall was converted into a gym for the school.
Al Larkin the then pastor of Sacred Heart was accused of sexually molesting a young boy earlier in his career. No criminal charges were brought, however Msgr. Larkin did have a civil suit brought against him. Father Larkin later resigned his position as pastor.
On March 31, 2006, Father Randy Benas, the parochial vicar of the parish, was accused of raping a 29 year old Oregon woman he met over the internet. The woman had been receiving advice from Father Benas and had been invited to meet with him on her way to San Diego
. Father Benas allegedly arranged for them to meet at a Motel 6
where he is alleged to have made unwanted sexual advances that ended in the woman's rape. The district attorney of Santa Clara County
did not pursue charges against Father Benas; however the Sunnyvale
Police Department pointed out this in no way exonerates Benas and he has not returned to Sacred Heart.
Saratoga, California
Saratoga is a city in Santa Clara County, California, USA. It is located on the west side of the Santa Clara Valley, directly west of San Jose, in the San Francisco Bay area. The population was 29,926 at the 2010 census....
. The church is a part of the Diocese of San Jose in California
Roman Catholic Diocese of San Jose in California
The Roman Catholic Diocese of San José; in California is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the northern California region of the United States. It comprises Santa Clara County, and is led by a bishop. Its patron saints are Saint Joseph and Saint Clare of...
. The current pastor of Sacred Heart is Father Gary Thomas. He has held the position since May 2006.
History
Sacred Heart Church was established January 12, 1951 under the auspices the Archbishop of San Francisco, John Mitty. The Church's first pastor was Father Gerald Geary. The original church building was located in downtown Saratoga, however the parish quickly outgrew their original location and moved to the present location on Saratoga Avenue in 1955. Initially a rectory and parish hall were planned to be built on the new site. Two years later Sacred Heart SchoolSacred Heart School (Saratoga, California)
Sacred Heart School in Saratoga, California, USA is a private co-educational Roman Catholic school. The school grades range from pre-school Montessori for 4–5 year olds through junior high school . The school is attached to Sacred Heart Church which was the first Roman Catholic church in Saratoga....
opened adjacent to the under construction parish hall. The hall itself would not open until 1960 when the church itself was moved to the Saratoga Avenue location. The current church was constructed in 1970 and the parish hall was converted into a gym for the school.
Scandal
In 2005 the sex abuse scandal that has rocked the Catholic Church struck Sacred Heart. Msgr.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"...
Al Larkin the then pastor of Sacred Heart was accused of sexually molesting a young boy earlier in his career. No criminal charges were brought, however Msgr. Larkin did have a civil suit brought against him. Father Larkin later resigned his position as pastor.
On March 31, 2006, Father Randy Benas, the parochial vicar of the parish, was accused of raping a 29 year old Oregon woman he met over the internet. The woman had been receiving advice from Father Benas and had been invited to meet with him on her way to San Diego
San Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
. Father Benas allegedly arranged for them to meet at a Motel 6
Motel 6
Motel 6 is a major chain of budget motels with more than 1,000 locations in the United States and Canada, and is the largest owned and operated hotel chain in North America. It is owned and operated by Accor Hotels.-History:...
where he is alleged to have made unwanted sexual advances that ended in the woman's rape. The district attorney of Santa Clara County
Santa Clara County, California
Santa Clara County is a county located at the southern end of the San Francisco Bay Area in the U.S. state of California. As of 2010 it had a population of 1,781,642. The county seat is San Jose. The highly urbanized Santa Clara Valley within Santa Clara County is also known as Silicon Valley...
did not pursue charges against Father Benas; however the Sunnyvale
Sunnyvale, California
Sunnyvale is a city in Santa Clara County, California, United States. It is one of the major cities that make up the Silicon Valley located in the San Francisco Bay Area...
Police Department pointed out this in no way exonerates Benas and he has not returned to Sacred Heart.