The Redemptorists

A Roman Catholic religious order that had until now refused to increase child support payments for a boy fathered by one of its priests pledged Wednesday to provide additional financial support and counseling for the 12-year-old.

Father Thomas Picton, who heads the Denver Province of the Redemptorists, said he would also encourage the Whittier priest, Arturo Uribe, to get counseling to learn how to be a proper father.

"This should never, ever have happened," said Picton, who since March has run the Denver Province, which oversees 200 priests in 31 states. "You don’t not take care of the kid."

This month, Stephanie Collopy, the boy’s mother, fought unsuccessfully in court for increased child support payments from Uribe.

She argued that, as an unemployed single parent of a child with chronic asthma and other health problems, she needed more than the court-ordered $323 a month paid by the Redemptorists. She also asked that Uribe be ordered to provide health insurance for the boy.

The judge ruled that because Uribe had taken a vow of poverty — he receives a monthly allowance of $100 plus room, board and the use of a car — he could not be ordered to pay more child support.

Picton said his order’s attorneys, who had fought Collopy in court, had not spoken with him directly about the case while proceedings were underway and that he was told about it only when lawyers feared the story was about to appear in The Times.

Collopy was pleased by Picton’s announcement.