The priest who pleaded no contest yesterday to sexually assaulting an altar boy in Fayette County once served in Indiana County, and his abuse occurred just after he served in this area.
66-year-old Andrew M. Kawecki led the Church of the Resurrection Parish in northern Indiana County from 2002 to 2004. The parish includes churches in Ernest, Clymer, Glen Campbell, Heilwood, and Rossiter.
Kawecki’s no contest plea to a single count of indecent assault will require him to register as a sex offender for at least ten years, He will be sentenced early in 2022.
Kawecki was charged in August of last year after the victim came forward and accused him of sexually abusing him in a back room at St. Cyril and Methodius Church in Fairchance between 2004 and 2007. The boy was between the ages of 11 and 14 when the assaults began. After the charges were filed, another person came forward and accused Kawecki, but those charges came outside the statute of limitations.
The Catholic Diocese of Greensburg is in the process of formally removing Kawecki from the priesthood. Spokesperson Jennifer Miele said yesterday that anyone who suspects that a child, young person, or vulnerable adult has been abused should contact PA ChildLine at 1-800-932-0313, “no matter when or where the suspected incident might have occurred.”
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