CAMERON—A late Catholic priest, who once served a former Cameron congregation for a dozen years, is one of 22 persons in the Diocese of Austin named last week as having been “credibly accused” of committing sexual abuse against a minor.
The diocese, which released the statistics compiled by the church, did not specify whether the reports concerning Father James H. Greenwell originated in Milam County or in the other Central Texas parishes where he served. He died in 2012 at age 88.
He had served from the mid-1960s to 1976 at Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church in Cameron.
That church served the Cameron area’s Hispanic congregation for 50 years,. It was founded in 1926.
Blessed Sacrament Church burned on Jan. 3, 1976, and was never rebuilt. Its congregation merged with St. Monica’s following the fire.
Greenwell, who was ordained in 1954, also served at Our Lady of Guadalupe in Temple, Santa Maria del Pilar in Marlin, St. Joseph’s in Marlin and had been a chaplain at the Waco Veterans Administration Hospital.
‘CREDIBLE’—Bishop Joe Vazquez released the list of 256 names of “priests, deacons, or religious leaders about whom the Diocese of Austin has received credible allegations of committing sexual abuse against a minor.”
The diocese said inclusion of a name on the list does not establish the allegation was substantiated or proven to the diocese, court of other authority.”
Greenwell’s was the only name on the list with a record of service in Milam County.
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