Easton, Pennsylvania, is home to one of the Diocese of Allentown’s largest schools, Notre Dame High School. Established in 1957, Notre Dame has educated countless children in Eastern Pennsylvania and even parts of New Jersey. Notre Dame also has the dubious distinction as an assignment held by a staggeringly high number of priests accused of sexually abusing children. The following…
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THOMAS BENESTAD
The Shocking History of Priest Abuse in Easton, Pennsylvania
Easton, Pennsylvania, located on the Delaware River across from New Jersey, is a town of about 30,000 people. It is home to five Catholic parishes, a surprisingly large number given the small size of the town. It is also the home of Notre Dame High School, one of the largest schools operated by the Diocese of Allentown. The parishes and…
Msgr. Thomas J. Benestad – Diocese of Allentown
Msgr. Thomas Benestad Diocese of Allentown Ordained: 1970 Leaves of Absence: 1978, 2001, 2006, 2007 Retired/named Pastor Emeritus: 2009 Assigned as follows: 1970-1973: St. Bernard (Easton, PA) 1970-1973: Lafayette College Newman Ctr. 1970-1973: Notre Dame High School (Easton, PA) 1973-1978: St. Thomas More (Allentown, PA) 1978: Leave of Absence 1978-1980: Holy Rosary (Reading, PA) 1980-1988: St. Bernard (Easton, PA) 1988-2001:…
Priest Thomas Benestad of Boca Raton Parish Had History of Abuse Per Grand Jury Report
Monsignor Thomas Benestad assisted at Ascension Catholic Church in Boca Raton between 2007 and 2011. Parishioners are now learning for the first time from a Grand Jury Report that Benestad was accused of child sexual abuse dating back to his tenure as a priest of the Diocese of Allentown in the 1980’s. This alleged abuse is documented in the recent…