Priest who gave Sen. Ted Kennedy’s funeral homily charged in sex assault case

Boston Globe ^ | December 15, 2020 | Travis Andersen

[ebb tide]

Priest who gave Sen. Ted Kennedy’s funeral homily charged in sex assault case

A Catholic priest who delivered the funeral homily for Massachusetts Senator Edward M. Kennedy in 2009 has been indicted on charges alleging rape and indecent assault of a minor.

A Barnstable Superior Court grand jury on Friday indicted the Rev. Mark R. Hession, 62, on two counts of rape, one count of indecent assault and battery of a person under 14, and one count of witness intimidation, court records show.

An arraignment date will be set in January, a spokesperson for the Cape and Islands district attorney’s office said. It wasn’t clear who was representing Hession, and information on the dates and locations of the alleged rapes and assault wasn’t immediately available.

The Diocese of Fall River said Hession has been suspended from active priestly ministry since last year.

“A priest on leave is not permitted to exercise public ministry nor present himself as a priest in public settings,” the diocese said in a statement.

Get Today's Headlines in your inboxThe day's top stories delivered every morning.

The diocese said it learned of the criminal investigation after Hession was placed on leave in March 2019 for sending what church officials described as “inappropriate communications” to several adult parishioners.

Hession had previously served as pastor of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish in Seekonk before being appointed in 2018 to the same position at Holy Family Parish in Taunton, according to the diocese’s website. He was also the pastor of Our Lady of Victory Parish in Centerville and Our Lady of the Assumption Parish in Osterville.

In 2009, the Globe described Hession as the Kennedys’ “family priest on Cape Cod.” During Kennedy’s funeral Mass, Hession said, “We bring with us treasured memories” of the lawmaker.

“Memories not only of a national leader and a master legislator, but of a beloved husband, a great father, a terrific grandfather, a sweet uncle, a dear friend, a trusted colleague, a wise mentor,” Hession told the congregation.

He knew “Ted and Vicki and their family as their parish priest. My sources of reflection are the scriptures and the pastoral experience of ministering to Ted and his family,” he said. “As a priest, I saw him treasure and draw strength from his family.”

In 2002, during the initial fallout from the clergy sex abuse scandal, Hession told the Cape Cod Times he didn’t feel priests who had been accused of wrongdoing should be named publicly in the absence of criminal charges.

“The law allows for a certain exercise of discretion to make settlements with confidentiality,” Hession told the newspaper. “I don’t think it’s the best policy to publish the names if there is no indictment. It just enlarges the circle of the crisis.”

Jeremiah Manion of the Globe staff contributed to this repor

[ebb tide]

The Francis, "Who am I to judge"?

[marktwain]

Surprise, surprise!

[Steely Tom]

Makes sense, somehow.

[ConservativeMind]

Of course this should be the case.

[forgotten man]

The Catholic Church has refused funeral Masses for Mafia leaders who died. It was scandalous to allow a funeral Mass for that killer of Mary Jo Kopechne and fat sack of sh*t in the first place. The fact that the priest who delivered the homily is a child rapist is the cherry on the cake.

[ResponseAbility]

***It just enlarges the circle of the crisis***

Hey, a new get out of jail free card!

[Polyxene]

Figures — he was probably The Swimmer’s confessor.

[11th_VA]

No news here folks, keep moving along ...

[Governor Dinwiddie]

Birds of a Feather.

[sitetest]

Something needs killing.

[Sapwolf]

Straight priests in Massachusetts?

That’s like a...

unicorn.

[Governor Dinwiddie]

The worst sin is that Ted Kennedy is buried in Arlington National Cemetery in the shadow of the Custis-Lee Mansion. Arlington should be reserved for veterans and spouses only. Political hacks should be disinterred and reburied in Potter's field.

[BenLurkin]

[JeanLM]

When Mary Joe was drowned this guy was 11 years old. Maybe he grew up believing the Kennedy myths. As to why he gave such a glowing homily it’s probably because the clan knew of his weakness and threatened exposure. That fits the pattern.

Somehow I don’t know why the homosexual angle of child predators in the priesthood isn’t emphasized, although it’s not obvious in this case that the 14 year old was male. In most cases they have been. So while the Catholic Church has been blamed for the problem, predatory homosexuality has never been that I have seen.

[Fido969]

“Memories not only of a national leader and a master legislator, but of a beloved husband, a great father, a terrific grandfather, a sweet uncle, a dear friend, a trusted colleague, a wise mentor,” Hession told the congregation.

"... but a terrible driver," the priest concluded....

[Fido969]

Somehow I don’t know why the homosexual angle of child predators in the priesthood isn’t emphasized,

Because we're told that even though 90% of the victims are boys, "it's not about homosexaulaity, and to say it's related is hate.." according to the buggery crowd.

[Ann Archy]

NO DECENT PRIEST would have done his funeral, so I am not one bit surprised. DISGUSTED, but not surprised.

[Ann Archy]

NO DECENT PRIEST would have done his funeral, so I am not one bit surprised. DISGUSTED, but not surprised.

[MinorityRepublican]

The Catholic Church should refuse communion for all practicing pro-choice Catholics who are our Representatives and Senators. If they change their position to pro-life or they retire from politics and they’ve confessed their sins to a priest, then they will be eligible for communion again.

[slapshot]

All about the donations. No doubt Kennedy clan dropped a few shekels to RCINC to pave the way for Ted to receive a fitting sendoff. RCINC is the oldest, most profitable multinational corporation on the planet