A Catholic priest confessed from the pulpit he was the father of a four-year-old boy - and was quitting the church.
Father Peter McDonough, 54, dropped the bombshell on the congregation at St Patrick's church in Collyhurst at Mass on Sunday.
Fr McDonough, who is deaf and conducts services by sign language, told worshippers that he had fathered the young boy and that the service would be his last.
Salford diocese officials say Fr McDonough, who was ordained by Pope John Paul II when he visited Heaton Park in 1982, met Bishop Terence Brain on several occasions to discuss his situation.
But they have insisted the decision to leave was 'entirely' his own. One parishioner told the M.E.N. that Fr McDonough, who is based at St Joseph's Mission to Deaf People in Collyhurst but holds services at St Patrick's, had 'let down' the local Catholic community.
Revelation
It is thought the mother of the child was not a member of St Patrick's congregation but was someone Fr McDonough had met through his work with the church.
Nobody at the church or diocese would confirm whether Fr McDonough and the mother were still in a relationship.
Fr McDonough made the revelation after performing a sign language Mass.
At the end of the service he asked parishioners to sit down. He then delivered the devastating news.
The priest stayed behind for two hours after Mass to explain his decision. Monsignor Mark Davies, Salford Roman Catholic Diocese's vicar general, said: "It was with great sadness that the deaf community and the whole Catholic community in Collyhurst learnt of Fr Peter's decision on Sunday.
Monsignor Mark Davies
It was very much his decision. He finished on Sunday and he is looking at his life
Child
"Following much reflection and many conversations with his Bishop, Father Peter McDonough has reached this personal decision.
"The outstanding work of St Joseph's Mission to Deaf People to which Father Peter dedicated so many years of his priestly life will continue to be fully supported by the Salford Diocese."
The vicar general added that Fr McDonough, who had been at St Joseph's for 27 years, had met with the Bishop several times to discuss his future.
He said: "Fr McDonough has left the church and is now taking time to consider what to do next. He wants to take responsibility for the child and he needs to look for full time employment.
"It was very much his decision. He met with the Bishop on several occasions to discuss the matter. He finished on Sunday and he is looking at his life."
A spokesman for the diocese said Fr McDonough did not want to comment on the circumstances surrounding his decision to quit.
You need Flash player 8+ and JavaScript enabled to view this video.
Tweet
Showing comments 1 to 25 and replies | View All
annon (12/08/2009 at 10:13)
Zimmerman, manchester (12/08/2009 at 11:35)
nyb, ex manc (12/08/2009 at 11:58)
Voter (12/08/2009 at 12:03)
Thomas The Tank, Rusholme (12/08/2009 at 12:23)
Mr Manchester (12/08/2009 at 12:40)
I guess an element of Free Will comes into the issue, which everyone has the option to take.
Good luck to this man, and I hope the congregation here can support each other through this difficult time.
Deejay, Bury (12/08/2009 at 12:42)
Andy ex-Stockport, Elsewhere (12/08/2009 at 13:14)
Tezza, Tyldesley (12/08/2009 at 13:17)
Tezza, Tyldesley (12/08/2009 at 13:26)
My niece was turned away form being baptised in a catholic church because her parents weren't married although living together.
And rightly so, I can’t understand people who don’t go to church, have children outside wedlock, and then expect to get married in church and have there children baptized.
The church does not agree with sex before marriage, so why should they baptize someone whose parents are not married.
I have been to 2 christenings in the last few months of babies whose parents have no intention of ever going to church again and also to a wedding of someone who hasn’t been to church for years.
And only used the church to have a “Big White Wedding” what hypocrites these people are
Stretford Born Blue, Brooklands (12/08/2009 at 13:37)
Andy ex-Stockport, Elsewhere (12/08/2009 at 13:56)
Justified True Belief , - ... (12/08/2009 at 14:11)
That’s a matter of opinion.
The laughable thing here is that this priest took nearly five years (5 YEARS) to do the right thing. What a hypocrite.
Andy ex-Stockport, Elsewhere (12/08/2009 at 14:57)
annon (12/08/2009 at 15:49)
Less and less people get married these days and it's not frowned upon within a community so why should a church turn people away when they are always banging on about forgiveness? If they see having a child out of wedlock as a sin then why don't they they don't turn them away from their congregation too?
Isn't the important issue about bringing the child up in a loving environment rather than within a marriage?
I think a lot of people want their chilldren to be baptsed a certain faith due to family tradition and some schools still call for this. Also Andy, I think baptisms, weddings etc are left up to the priests discression, from what I've witnessed it seems to vary from curch to church rather than one rule throughout.
It's all very hypocritical and these rules should definately be reviewed. Let's face it..who'd have ever thought female clergy would be allowed years ago? These priests must live a lonely existence aside from their faith and work....It's time to move forward a little.
Justified True Belief , - ... (12/08/2009 at 15:53)
In the words of Gandhi - Hypocrisy and distortion are passing currents under the name of religion
Justified True Belief - Currently residing in Stockport
Tezza, Tyldesley (12/08/2009 at 16:15)
Your right many people have children out of wedlock and again your right it’s not frown upon by the community, but the rules of the church state that sex before marriage is frown upon and so if you want to be a member of that church then surely should you not obey the rules?
And you say that many people have their children christened out of family tradition, then surely this is the most hypocritical thing to do, you should only do it if you intend to practice the said religion, I personally think many people do it because they want a bit of a party afterwards.
And you say that “These priests must live a lonely existence aside from their faith and work” well that’s the life they have chosen and if they don’t like it then get out and try to get a job in the real world ( oh yes and one that includes a free house and a house keeper)
garfield (12/08/2009 at 17:12)
BALL AND BAT, ALL OVER (12/08/2009 at 18:00)
Get a grip.
Ms B, Manchester (12/08/2009 at 18:24)
hodie, wiltshire (12/08/2009 at 19:14)
anon anon (12/08/2009 at 22:27)
I wish Peter and 'D' well, but wish they hadn't prolonged the process of admission to Peter's responsibilities as a father.
BazzatheRed, Mancs living in Cyprus (12/08/2009 at 22:42)
ps excuse my sense of humour, but how do you describe that you have a love child using sign language !!
anon anon (13/08/2009 at 21:39)
how would you say you had a love child in french, spanish, urdu, swahili????
sign language is exactly what it says on the tin....SIGN LANGUAGE
why don't you find out about it before you make such an off hand comment about it?
Wes Brown (14/08/2009 at 23:43)
Shock horror! A Deaf person using Sign Language? You wouldn't make a meal of it if a Welsh person giving a sermon in Welsh would you.
Surely "by" should be "in"?? and which sign language does he use? British (BSL)? American (ASL)?