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Priest Facing Sex Counts
Former local priest was also once WJU professorBy JENNIFER COMPSTON-STROUGH
POSTED: July 13, 2010
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A priest who taught at Wheeling Jesuit University and served as associate pastor of St. Paul's Parish in Weirton is being held without bond in the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center in Virginia, accused of sexual battery on a juvenile.
Lt. Sonny Cachuela, public information officer for the Fairfax County Sheriff's Office, said the Rev. Felix C. Owino, A.J., is charged with aggravated sexual battery of a minor under 13 years of age. Owino's next court appearance is scheduled for Sept. 2 in the Fairfax County Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court.
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston issued a news release Monday, stating it had suspended Owino from his priestly duties within the diocese, pending the outcome of his trial in Virginia. The diocese had learned Friday that Owino was arrested Thursday in Fairfax County.
According to information from diocesan spokesman Bryan Minor, Owino is a priest of the religious missionary congregation known as the Apostles of Jesus, the first African congregation of Catholic priests and brothers. He came to West Virginia last year as an instructor in the philosophy department at Wheeling Jesuit.
The university also issued a statement, noting Owino was on summer break from his teaching duties when the alleged battery occurred. He served until June as a faculty member in the philosophy department, but has no current responsibilities at the university and is not expected to return to campus.
During his time at Wheeling Jesuit, campus authorities received no student complaints about his conduct.
"This alleged behavior violates the core of who we are called to be as Christians and as a Jesuit, Catholic campus community whose mission demands that we dedicate ourselves to the care and protection of our students," said Interim President Sister Francis Marie Thrailkill, OSU. "We encourage all students to report misconduct to the president's office or their student advisor."
Originally from Nairobi, Kenya, Owino was ordained in 1992 and is a member of the Religious Missionary Institute of the Apostles of Jesus, headquartered in Philadelphia, according to the university. He joined the faculty of Wheeling Jesuit in the fall 2008 term and taught for two consecutive terms, most recently instructing an online class. Prior to that, he worked at Magdalen College in New Hampshire and before that at Alvernia College in Reading, Pa.
"Bishop Michael J. Bransfield asks the community to pray for those involved in this incident, especially the minor," the diocesan news release states. "May the healing power of our Lord, Jesus Christ, be with all abuse victims now and each day."
Minor noted that suspected cases of sexual abuse by personnel of the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston can be reported by calling one of the bishop's designees at 888-434-6237. The designees are the Rev. Monsignor Frederick P. Annie, V.G., at ext. 267 and the Very Rev. Anthony Cincinnati, S.T.D., V.E., at ext. 260.
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View Comments: | 1-25 |26-42 | Post a comment
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Irishfan
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07-26-10 4:45 AM
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And the Bible is NOT the ultimate authority, CHRIST IS. The words of the Bible would have no foundation if they would NOT have come forth from God and God's son. I think you also would find the Epistles of Clement very interesting.
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Irishfan
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07-26-10 4:40 AM
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Regarding the apostolic succession from Peter, Paul himself in his letter to the Church of Galatia notes that he did not begin his ministry until AFTER he conferred with Peter and James- "Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter (?e´t???), and abode with him fifteen days. But other of the apostles saw I none,save James the Lord's brother (a?de?f?´? )"
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Irishfan
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07-26-10 4:13 AM
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In addition, the hierarchy development was not an official founding of anything, it was simply the beginning of a unification attempt that continued in the fourth century with the Edict of Milan (which made Christianity legal) and the First Seven Ecumenical Councils. These councils did not create Catholicism; rather, they were designed to unify Christianity, as there were already disagreements regarding beliefs.
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Irishfan
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07-26-10 4:11 AM
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I am assuming that when you state that the Catholic Church was not founded until the 3rd Century that you are referring to development of hierarchy, which, while it did begin in the third century, was developed only to create consistency in what was being taught within the early Christian Church, as Christianity was spreading quickly in the Roman Empire. But the root of Catholicism is Christ himself; the history begins at the moment of creation, continues with his instruction to Peter to "feed my sheep", his instruction to "eat of my flesh" and "drink my blood" and his instruction of his apostles to "wash each other's feet" "as I have done for you" in the days prior to Pentecost, then sealed them with the Holy Spirit saying "As the Father sent me, so I send you."
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Palmer
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07-26-10 1:56 AM
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It may be true however it doesnt Make Peter the First Pope of the church. The Catholic Church was not founded until the 3rd century. The problem with all of christianity Catholic and protestant denominations as well as others is that they do not realize that the bible is the ultimate authority. The only true church is that of which Christ is the hesd snd all who are saved are a part of his church. Catholicism, Methodism, Presbyterianism, Lutheranism, etc. etc have all developed thier thier own opinions and as a result have fractured the church. As a result the lutheran church just approved of gay pastors and is condoning the sin. The Catholic church also forbids priests to marry which is clearly contrary to what was stated in Corinthians and also in 1timothy 4:3-4. My personal belief is that this is why the Catholic church has had this sex abuse scandal. It has rejected a gift that God has given us. We have come to a point where mans opinion has now overruled Gods will. Thats troublin
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Irishfan
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07-24-10 2:25 AM
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The first appearance of the Risen Christ was before Peter, ahead of the other disciples, and when the Lord came before the disciples at Tiberias, he gave to Peter the famous command to “Feed my lambs.... Tend my sheep.... Feed my sheep”. In the time immediately after the Ascension, Peter stood as the unquestionable head of the Apostles, his position made evident in the Acts. He appointed the replacement of Judas Iscariot; he spoke first to the crowds that had assembled after the descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost; he was the first Apostle to perform miracles in the name of the Lord; and he rendered judgment upon the deceitful Ananias and Sapphira. Peter was instrumental in bringing the Gospel to the Gentiles.
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Irishfan
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07-24-10 2:25 AM
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"You are Peter (Petros [rock] in Greek), and on this rock (petra in Gree) I will build my Church, and the gates of*****will not prevail against it" (Matt. 16:18)He added: “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven”. Let's remember that Peter was always listed as the first of the Apostles in the New Testament accounts. He is recorded more than any other disciple, and was at Jesus’ side at the Transfiguration, the raising of Jairus’ daughter, and the Agony of the Garden of Gethsemane. He helped organize the Last Supper and played a major role in the events of the Passion.
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Palmer
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07-23-10 11:06 PM
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Maybe this has been my one weak spot of understanding on the subject but please show me eveidence that Peter was the rock the church was built on and why you believe as I assume all catholics do that he was the first pope.
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Irishfan
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07-23-10 1:03 PM
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It's not about having it "right", it's about a complete understanding of the truth; i.e. knowing what truly happened and what it truly means. I certainly think the Catholic and Orthodox churches have a better understanding of the truth because their origin traces back to Christ himself building his church upon Peter. While they split because of a few differences, Protestants, prior to the Schism, their beliefs regarding the focal point of Christianity (the Resurrection and the events leading up to it) remained the same. Protestants chose to break away, opting to focus more on a personal relationship with God and one being "saved" in his or her lifetime rather than when true salvation occured - the Resurrection. The truth in Christianity lies in Christ's words ( I AM the bread of life; This IS my body, etc.). It isn't about your faith alone saving you. Only Christ saves. He saved us when he sacrified His life on the cross and defeated death in rising.
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Palmer
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07-22-10 11:12 PM
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I am leaving for work in a minute and will get further replies in tomorrow but let me ask you do you think Catholics or the Protestant demoninations have it 100% right and do you think this dividion is a good thing?
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Irishfan
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07-22-10 9:19 AM
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As for Mary, we certainly don't believe she has any special powers. However, we do believe that, because Christ loved her, He listens to her and holds her prayers for us with the highest regard (much like any human son who loved his mother would do for her).If you know anything about the Catholic Church, you would know that we do NOT worship Mary and do not put her above Christ. Her "yes" ("Behold I am the handmaiden of the Lord. Be it done to me according to your word.") to God in accepting to bear his Son is the ultimate example of sole human faith in God. Think about what happened. She's young (12 to 16), an angel appeared to her and tells her she will bear the Savior. That had to be absolutely terrifying, knowing that she, an unmarried maiden, would soon be pregnant; not only having to raise a child, but the Child of God, for that matter. But she doesn't doubt God's plan, as I would have or anyone else would have, for that matter. That's why she was chosen, bec
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Irishfan
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07-22-10 9:09 AM
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Again, Christ said "This IS my body" "This IS my blood". He did not say this "is like" my body. "I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you" (John 6:53. We cannot say that God cannot take something HE created (bread and wine) and spirtually make it into something, because that is denouncing his power.
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Irishfan
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07-22-10 9:04 AM
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The denomination started as Christ alone, in the Catholic Church, with the foundation of Peter: the rock. Then those in the Protestant Reformation chose to break away. Its funny how Protestants did this, yet criticize Christ's church for not being unified. Regarding Communion, you are thinking with a one track mind; wanting to believe by seeing, which Christ chastized Thomas for. Something does not have to physically take on the form on something else to BECOME that something. By your thinking, the Incarnation of Christ could not then be possible, because that would be the physical being changed by the spiritual. The physical is only the dwelling place of the spiritual. No where in the Mass does the Priest take the place of Christ the father. Paul himself in his letter to the Corinthians, in the Bible, called himself a father over the people, continuing Christ's call for men like Paul and the apostles to minister (with the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
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Palmer
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07-21-10 2:27 AM
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The Catholic Church, npt the people but the church was a pagan lie born in the 3rd century by people refusing to give up thier pagan traditions. It was not founded by Peter and like many others was not mentioned in the Bible. The reason we have the problems we have today is that Christs "one true church" has been divided by Satan and we refuse to acceot that its happened. When we learn to call ourselves nothing but "Christians" we will shut Satan out for good with a unity thats never been seen. Until then well alaways have dissention in the church. As. my original posts sat and the Holy Bible affirms "God is not the author of confusion". We as mankind need to stop "churchshopping" and follow the one and only permissible denomination of the christian church as sanctioned by the word of God. That denomination is Christ alone. Then well be better off.
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Palmer
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07-21-10 2:19 AM
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Purgatory says that Christ ws some throw away to God and some second rate citizen who wasnt worthy of paying our debts. Mary may by ones own interpretation been a virgin but it still doesnt mean she has any special powers. Let me ask you this. If my future son grows up to be a doctor then should people worship me as an even better doctor even though i was just a pee on all my life. The answer is no Mary was respectable and was Jesus' mother but does not deserve any special honor whatsoever.
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Palmer
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07-21-10 2:14 AM
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Just about every account of the holy communion says do this in "rememberance of me" The anabaptists while I do and with biblical and good reason strictly condemn to*****denominational names for the church do make a good point. If the eucharist were actually the blood and body of Christ then they would taste like flesh and blood but they dont. As a non catholic by my own mistake at my grandmas funeral I mistakenly accepted communion once in the Catholic Church and it tasted like bread and juice to me. The mass Recrucifies Christ and makes him repay the debt over and over again that "was never to be repeated". By calling the pope and thier clergy "father" a man takes a position that he is the Holy Father which in the bible is blasphemy in its highest.
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Irishfan
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07-18-10 10:18 PM
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After all, their is a reason why the Eucharist is referred to as "communion." It is because we receive the Eucharist in communion with those who also believe it is the Body and Blood of Christ.
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Irishfan
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07-18-10 10:15 PM
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And the reason for "closed Communion" as you put it is because, as in any faith, when you receive Christ into your body and soul you should fully believe in Him and in His presence in your life. With communion for Catholics and Orthodox, the belief is that Christ is truly present in the bread and wine, as He said He was. This is not taken lightly,therefore, one must fully believe in this (through a Baptism in the name of the Holy Trinity and a profession of Faith). Additionally, because of this, Orthodox Christians (who have done the above) may receive the Eucharist in the Catholic Church and vice versa. While Catholics and Orthodox Christians certainly believe in welcoming all to receive Christ, it is also important that those wishing to receive Him understand WHAT they are receiving and WHY the Eucharist is the Body and Blood of Christ. This is achieved through the process of becoming Catholic or Orthodox.
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Irishfan
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07-18-10 10:03 PM
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You're are right, it is Transubstantiation (though I disagree with Catholics giving it a physical name and explanation because it truly is a mystery) and through the power of God has this been done. Christ says this IS my body. For us to say that God cannot do something (whether taking on the form of something else) actually denounces our faith in Him, because there truly is nothing He cannot do.
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Palmer
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07-18-10 5:00 PM
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At times it seems to me though that the catholic Church wants to hold itself up above others. It is also not a very christian attitude to have a closed communion. It is the Lords Supper and no church should have the power to deny that. We are supposed to partake in communion as a rememberance. The wafer cannot become the actual body of Christ. My Dads side of the family are devout Catholics and everything ive been taught about catholic Communion has pointed to the belief in transubstantiation.
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Irishfan
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07-17-10 10:55 PM
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And, being a Catholic, I did not read the sites with skepticism. However, I do find them to be somewhat judgemental and that saddens me because that is not a true Christian attitude. The unfortunate aspect of the division of Christ's church on Earth is how judgmental and accusatory Protestants, mainly, have become toward Orthodoxy, Catholicism and even Judaism. Yes, in rare cases, it is the other way around, but for the most part, no.
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Irishfan
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07-17-10 10:49 PM
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To sum it up, We do not "pray to" or worship statues, they are used simply for recollection purposes in prayer; We do not "pray to" or worship Mary as if she is the Savior; only Christ is the Savior and we simply ask Mary to pray for and intercede for us; We do as Christ himself commanded when he said "Take this all of you and eat, this IS my body"; We believed Mary recognized Christ as her Savior because she would not have known that she was without sin, even though Christ (who was without sin) could not have been born FROM a sinner.
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Irishfan
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07-17-10 10:48 PM
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To sum it up, We do not "pray to" or worship statues, they are used simply for recollection purposes in prayer; We do not "pray to" or worship Mary as if she is the Savior; only Christ is the Savior and we simply ask Mary to pray for and intercede for us; We do as Christ himself commanded when he said "Take this all of you and eat, this IS my body"; We believed Mary recognized Christ as her Savior because she would not have known that she was without sin, even though Christ (who was without sin) could not have been born FROM a sinner.
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Irishfan
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07-17-10 10:41 PM
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And even Martin Luther himself (whom I realize did not intend for the Protestant Reformation, as such, to become what it did, John Wesley, as well as most other prominent leaders in the Protestant Reformation believed in the perpetual virginity of Mary (Sermon on the Presentation of Christ in the Temple", Luthers Werke 52:688- 99,quoted in Jaroslav Pelikan, Mary through the Ages, 158, and Martin Luther's Theology of Mary)( Letter to a Roman Catholic, July 18, 1749 [1])
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Irishfan
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07-17-10 10:38 PM
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Regarding Mary, We do not believe she can bring us to heaven; only Christ can do this. We believe she did not go on to have other children. As I'm sure you know, the original texts of the Gospels were written in Kone Greek, and they mention Jesus' adelphoi (?de?f??)which has two literal meanings according to that language: countrymen or brothers. Because the many different versions of the Bible that exist today have numerous erroneus translations, there have been many misconceptions that ALL denominations are trying to sort out. Personally, I like this article about that: goarch****/ourfaith/ourfaith7068. Additionally, there are other writings from that time period, which suggest Joseph had other children from a prior marriage.
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