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Sexual abuse allegations by former priests in Hampton Roads under investigation

Daily Press - 6/9/2020

Allegations of sexual abuse of Hampton Roads children by four retired or inactive priests are now under review by the Catholic Diocese of Richmond.

None of the four are currently serving in active ministry, the diocese said Monday. None have served in the diocese in recent years.

The diocese has not reached any conclusions about the allegations, though it has informed civil authorities about them.

The allegations are of abuse at Christ the King Catholic Church and Christ the King Catholic School in Norfolk in 1986, at St. Paul’s in Portsmouth in the early 1990s and at St. Mary Star of the Sea at Fort Monroe in the late 1970s.

The priests who are accused are:

William Dinga, Jr., who retired in 1990 and who in addition to serving at Christ the King served at Saint Jerome and at Saint Vincent de Paul in Newport News, as well as at churches in Roanoke, Lynchburg and Richmond. He has vehemently denied the allegations. Prior to this recent allegation, he did not have permission to exercise any public priestly ministry.

Thomas L. Long, Jr., who took a leave of absence in 1988 after his time at Christ the King school and has not served in the Richmond Diocese since. His priestly functions had been suspended before these allegations surfaced.

Joseph Slowik, who in addition to serving at St. Paul’s also served at Church of Saint Therese in Gloucester. He was removed from public ministry in 2006. When the diocese removed him from the Gloucester church in late 2005, it did not disclose any reason for its action, the Daily Press reported at the time.

Fr. Eugene Daigle, a Redemptorist, or member of the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer (C.Ss.R),who was at St. Marys Star of the Sea in the 1970s, is no longer in active ministry. The diocese has informed the provincial superior of the Redemptorists of the Baltimore Province of the allegations.

As part of the Church process into the allegations, the Diocesan Review Board will make recommendations to Bishop Barry Knestout. The bishop will decide an appropriate response to the allegations based upon the board's findings.

“While the alleged incidents are from the past, we recognize the pain is still a deep and present reality for victim survivors of abuse and for their loved ones,” the bishop said.

Dave Ress, 757-247-4535, dress@dailypress.com

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