Had denied any wrongdoing for years, now pleads guilty (which is not – forgive me lawyer readers if I get it wrong – an admission of guilt as we understand it, but an admission that based on the evidence, a judge and jury could find him guilty. But still)

Parishioners shocked, but still…well, you can write the rest of the sentence

While some parishioners said they did not know how to react to the pleas, some continued to express support for their priest.

They said the long months since the allegations surfaced have not been easy.

“It’s been difficult, but it has brought the parish closer together,” said Roseanna Falco, a member of the parish since it was founded. “He’s taught us that it is our church . . . that we are the church.”

Falco said Leonard is an inspirational priest.

“His homilies are powerful. It really makes you want to go to church. You want to be there so you can hear,” she said.

But, maybe there’s hope for the parish yet. As this article describes it, the Diocese of Richmond isn’t exactly rushing to hand Leonard any consequences of his action. VOTF has registered its displeasure, and good for them.

Two years down the line, we might think that the story is winding down, but it’s not at all. There have been a few convictions of priest-abusers this week, a few suspensions, and several more lawsuits filed around the country, as readers of the Abuse Tracker well know. And during this time, our leaders mostly pat themselves and each other on the back for compliance. Ah, well.