Parents pull children from First Communion after priest shows gay porn slideshow

Group is “enraged” that the Catholic Church is “doing nothing and hoping that we will go away”

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Father Martin McVeigh, the priest in question

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A group of parents in Tyrone will not allow their children to take part in the First Holy Communion ceremony if Father Martin McVeigh is involved. McVeigh recently showed 16 images of gay porn at the start of a PowerPoint slideshow of the parents of the Communion class.

McVeigh was giving a talk on preparing children for the Holy Communion ceremony. When he entered his USB into the computer 16 gay porn images popped up for all the 26 parents, some teachers, and one eight-year-old child to see.

The priest left the room “shaken and flustered” and then returned to finish the meeting by asking children to consider donating some of their First Communion money to the Church.

The parents initially complained to the Catholic Parish Outreach (CPO), Council for Catholic Maintained School (CCMS), and the CPO of the Armagh Diocese. So far according to the Mid Ulster Mail newspaper, no action has been taken.

On Monday the parents met to discuss the incident. They are still waiting to hear whether McVeigh will preside over their children’s ceremony.

In a statement they sent to the Mail they said “If we find that he will be conducting the service or even in attendance, we won’t allow our children to take part.

“It is absolutely disgraceful that Armagh has not suspended him from his duties after what took place last week. We have been left in the dark over this matter but we certainly will not be stopping until we get answers.”

The parent feel that the Church is “doing nothing and hoping that we will go away”.

“The questions that remain unanswered are the fact that Fr McVeigh is still saying Mass and has not been suspended pending an investigation.

“In any other responsible organization this would have been the first action.”

“The parents are enraged that Fr McVeigh has been entrusted with the pastoral care of their children however, he has given no explanation for why he left the room for 20 minutes after the incident or no apology to the offended child, parents or teachers.
 
“The good name of the school is being tarnished with a matter that should be dealt with by the Church not through the media.

“We feel that the situation is not being treated with the gravitas that it warrants and we as parents feel that the Church are doing nothing and hoping that we will go away,” concluded the statement.

In another letter sent to the Mail a parishioner said they would be withholding their weekly donation to the Church. Another local said that McVeigh should not be judged until the Church has concluded their investigation.

On Monday Ireland’s Primate, Cardinal Sean Brady, released a statement saying “inappropriate imagery was inadvertently shown by a priest at the beginning of a PowerPoint presentation.”

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