An Irish priest currently resident in the west of Ireland, and who is wanted in the US on child abuse charges, has sent Christmas cards to friends in Arizona protesting his innocence.
Father Patrick Colleary, who served in the diocese of Phoenix, Arizona, until May of last year, is wanted there on two counts of sexual conduct with a minor and one count of attempted sexual conduct with a minor.
In May 2002, he was placed on administrative leave in the diocese after admitting he fathered a child in 1978 and being accused of fondling a schoolgirl who later became his lover and had twice attempted suicide.
A native of Co Sligo, Father Colleary was ordained from All-Hallows College, Dublin, in 1975.
In December last year, he was charged with sexually abusing then 10-year-old Mark Kennedy, an altar boy at the Holy Spirit parish in Tempe, Arizona, in 1979.
He was held in prison until January 8th of this year, when the charge fell because of statute of limitations provisions. Father Colleary was released from jail and returned to Ireland.
However, last June a warrant was issued for his arrest by Arizona's Maricopa County Attorney's office and extradition proceedings were begun.
These are being fought by Father Colleary, who is currently on bail.
In his Christmas card messages to friends in Arizona, Father Colleary thanked them for their support "while I was unjustly held in Madison Street jail last Christmas season."
"My final story of great joy, I will be home for Christmas. It will sure beat Madison Street and Sheriff Joe \'s menu," he wrote.
It is not clear how many of Father Colleary's former parishioners at the parish of Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Scotsdale, Phoenix, received the cards in which he said he missed "all of you."
He urged supporters to get a copy of the 1979 report of the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office investigation into Mark Kennedy's allegations and quoted that investigation's final report. It said the priest's actions were "insufficient to show intent in an assault or other crime". They should be turned down for prosecution and the case was "exceptionally cleared," it said.
"Thank you for believing me that there has been an investigation in 1979 and that I have been cleared of any wrongdoing," he wrote.
In the card, he described the current charges of sexual conduct with a minor as "false".