The sudden and severe punishment thrust upon the Rev. Michael Swierz, longtime revered priest at St. Patrick Church in Hubbard, has cast a mysterious stain on the church, its parishioners and the community at large. That stain deepens by the day that no specific reason is offered for its cause.

We therefore implore the Diocese of Youngstown and Bishop David Bonnar to explain to parishioners and the public the reason or reasons behind this effective banishment of Swierz.

It was two weeks ago that the Diocese issued a terse news release informing the St. Patrick community that Swierz had resigned effective June 17 as pastor of that church, as president of St. Joseph the Provider School in Youngstown and as president of the Trumbull County Deanery.

“Father Swierz has been placed on administrative leave because of admitted actions that constituted violations of Diocesan policies. The actions at issue occurred while he was at St. Rose Parish in Girard in the late 1980s,” the release stated.

“The investigation into these matters is ongoing, and Father Swierz is cooperating in the investigation,” the statement added.

The shroud of secrecy behind Swierz’ departure has rightly frustrated many in the community. So much so that about 150 members of St. Patrick Church, and staff members and faculty of St. Joseph the Provider organized a rosary rally in support of “Father Mike” last weekend.

They also circulated a petition sent to diocesan officials urging transparency and accountability by releasing detailed reasons or allegations surrounding Swierz’ sudden ouster. Add our name to that petition.

The petition states, “We are now asking that you have faith in the laity of the church. Please profess your faith in us by providing the full account of what happened.”

Given that the alleged offense took place nearly four decades ago when Swierz served at St. Rose and given the scuttlebutt surrounding unpriestly behavior in that era of the Catholic Church, withholding the rationale for the Diocese’s action only adds fire to the rumor mill.

The purpose of the petition is not to impede or counteract any legitimate investigation into potential wrongdoing by Swierz in the late 1980s. It is rather an attempt for clarity and transparency that parishioners and the public so deserve.

We are certain that if the allegations are serious and can be proven by a preponderance of evidence, then the punishment meted out to Swierz will be accepted by most of those whom the priest had served.

But as long as the alleged wrongdoing by Swierz is shrouded in secrecy, many in his flock will still question the legitimacy of Swierz’ departure. After all, over the past nearly 40 years since his ordination as a priest, Swierz had amassed a solid reputation as a compassionate, hard-working, community-minded religious leader in the Mahoning Valley.

Most notably, parishioners have heaped deserved praise on him for his guidance and support during the COVID-19 pandemic that struck the church community and the global community in the early years of this decade. Even more importantly, Swierz successfully shepherded the church and its members after a fire destroyed the sanctuary of the church in January 2021, causing nearly $5 million in damage. He oversaw reconstruction work over three years at a price tag of $15 million that culminated with the reopening of the sanctuary four months ago.

Swierz’ sphere of influence and public service also has spread throughout the diocese. While at St. Joseph the Provider Church, he took additional assignments of St. Elizabeth and St. John the Baptist churches in Campbell. He also has served as chaplain of the Youngstown Fire Department..

Given the community’s respect for Swierz and interest in his future, the Diocese should waste no time in releasing concrete reasons for his placement on administrative leave. Failing that, it must proceed with all due speed to complete the investigation and publicly release its findings.

Clearly it must act more quickly than it did in the case of the Rev. Denis Bouchard, former pastor of Queen of the Holy Rosary Parish in Vienna. Bouchard was placed on similar administrative leave in 2018. Just last week — six long years later — an independent review board found no sufficient evidence to proceed with criminal action over accusations of sexual abuse against him. His leave was removed and his “good name” restored.

Any time frame for transparency in Swierz’ case that approaches six years — or six months for that matter — will not be tolerated by Swierz’ faithful followers. Diocesan leadership should recognize as much and swiftly release reasons for Swierz’ ouster and promptly conclude its investigation of the heretofore revered priest.

editorial@ vindy.com