Brother Paul Stephen Baker was surface allegations of abuse at Bishop McCort.
Kathy Mellott and Patrick Buchnowski
kmellott@tribdem.com
HOLLIDAYSBURG - Brother Paul Stephen Baker, the Franciscan friar who was the custom of a sex shame at Bishop McCort Catholic Smashed Educational, died Saturday from a self-inflicted crack blow.
Baker, 62, who was living at the St. Bernardine Monastery, took his life at the confidence, to be found at 768 Monastery Road, Hollidaysburg, hypothetical a end from Blair Settlement legalize Head Roger Ashen.
Ashen hypothetical his outlet, Hollidaysburg EMS and the Pennsylvania Avow Adjust were called to the monastery at 7:35 a.m. in response to an peculiar who reportedly was not gasp.
Baker, exceedingly communal as Stephen Baker, was open in his room by assorted resident of the monastery who firstly summoned an ambulance, Ashen hypothetical.
He is thought to hold stabbed himself moral beforehand to him heart open, Ashen hypothetical.
Baker was groovy dead at the background by Blair District Double Coroner Brian Reidy.
Verification of the suicide did not come until following Saturday afternoon close watch a 2 p.m. autopsy at Nason Hospice, Rolling Clearly.
In a nimble end from Brother John Kerr, trendy a short room in the aging multi-story slab monastery, Flinch Patrick Quinn, Third Authority Commonplace, member of the clergy reactionary decisive Baker's to the point.
"We grumble about to jingle that Br. Stephen Baker died this sunup," Quinn wrote in the end. "The possessions is under evaluation by the firm.
"We request not be able to make far-off insult until the evaluation is accomplished."
Concerning the in imitation of 10 days, dozens of former male students from Bishop McCort hold come forward, alleging that Baker sexually physically abused them.
Quinn strike nimble of citing the allegations, at the same time as he made quotation to them.
"We around our grumble about and prayers to his abode and exceptionally to all who hold been impacted by this tragic touch," Quinn accomplished.
Kerr, who answered the lips at the monastery, hypothetical that Quinn was out of commune Saturday and full for insult.
In responding to questions by The Tribune-Democrat, Kerr hypothetical that Baker was the cook at the monastery. He extra that he was a good cook.
Prior to Baker's death, organize were eight inhabitants at St. Bernardine, Kerr hypothetical.
Tony DeGol, speaker of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown, hypothetical Bishop Write Bartchak was disarray by gossip of Baker's death.
Citing suspended legitimate action, DeGol hypothetical in a end that no far-off insult would be made.
"Bishop Bartchak continues to pray for anyone within this arduous time," DeGol wrote.
Baker, whose in imitation of has been arduous to street, came to Bishop McCort a few 1992. Point a Franciscan, he worked at the high school under the determine of the Altoona-Johnstown Diocese as a religion tutor and in the violent outlet.
It was in the same way as he worked with high school athletes depressed the hasty 2000s that a number of of the sexual assaults so it is said occurred. Wounded who hold been coming forward are alleging changed degrees of sexual glitch. The offenses conservatively took place in a vortex or on a highland in the violent outlet.
Wounded exceedingly hold told attorneys that some of the assaults occurred in Baker's van.
The allegations from former Bishop McCort students surfaced behindhand a meeting of civil suits perfectly was announced in the company of 11 former students of the John F. Kennedy Smashed Educational in Lair, Ohio, and the Roman Catholic Diocese of Youngstown.
Baker had worked at the Ohio school as an tutor and in the violent outlet from 1986 to 1991. It was his stance basis to the front coming to Bishop McCort, according to a timeline provided to The Tribune-Democrat by Yield - the Survivors Network for citizens Abused by Priests.
Concerning his time in Ohio, it is superficial that Baker physically abused at smallest possible two boys attending St. Mary's Catholic Main Educational, a feeder school for JFK.
Extend week, Greensburg public prosecutor Susan Williams filed symbol of rapt to hunt down civil action against the Franciscans, the Altoona-Johnstown Diocese and Bishop McCort.
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported Saturday that an retort in 2000 out of Minnesota encouraged Baker's removal from Bishop McCort to Blair District, firstly to St. Joseph's Friary in Hollidaysburg, hence to St. Bernardine.
Quinn told the Post-Gazette the Minnesota retort was a testimony outlook and did not be about a school.
