WEST CHESTER, Ohio — A West Chester priest has left his parish without explanation from the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, and worried parents are demanding answers.
“We’ve been told by our parish office to stop calling the parish office. To stop asking for information. They have nothing to give us. So where do we turn? We don’t know what to do,” said Angie Stofko, a parishioner at St. Michael Church who has a son at the school. “Yes, he’s gone. But for what? We have no clue."
Father Ed Burns Jr. is pastor of the St. Carlo Acutis Parish, which includes St. Gabriel Church and school in Glendale, St. Michael Church and School in Sharonville and St. John Church in West Chester.
WATCH: We asked the archdiocese about Burns' absence
Parishioners say a vague announcement about Burns’ absence was made last weekend.
“At the end of Mass, there was a general announcement that Father Ed Burns was placed on administrative leave pending investigation, and there was no further information,” Stofko said. “On Monday morning, I emailed the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, looking for some clarification on this. I did get a response from Jennifer Schack at the archdiocese, saying that while it’s a very concerning matter, they have no further information to give us as parents."
Schack, the archdiocese spokesperson, declined to provide information about Burns or whether his absence was related to inappropriate behavior with children.
She also declined to say if a temporary administrator would be appointed for the parish, and who would be filling in for Masses. Church bulletins show that retired priests are scheduled to say Masses this weekend.
“I have no information for the media at this time,” Schack wrote in an email to WCPO.
The Butler County prosecutor’s office, West Chester Township police and Glendale police all said they had no record of a complaint or criminal investigation involving Burns.
Stofko said she’s especially worried because in 2019 Burns held meetings at the parish and Facebook live chats, “To defend, in his own words, close personal friend Geoff Drew. Geoff Drew is currently sitting in prison for what he’s done.”
A WCPO investigation revealed that priests, parents, and church and school officials knew about Drew’s inappropriate behavior with boys for decades, ranging from lingering hugs and shoulder massages to vacations and camping trips where alcohol was served and a boy blacked out from drinking too much.
Police interviewed a second victim, but prosecutors said they could not file criminal charges because the statute of limitations had expired.
“Unfortunately, the younger families … don’t know what happened with that case. They don’t know that our leader and our pastor defended him (Drew),” Stofko said.
Burns did not respond to a request for comment.
“I know all of my close friends with kids there are very worried. They’ve tried themselves, they’ve emailed, they’ve called (the archdiocese)," Stofko said.
Stofko said she was a longtime Facebook friend of Burns. But he recently took down his personal Facebook page and deleted all parishioners as friends from his professional page, she said.
According to his LinkedIn profile, Burns graduated from Mount St. Mary's Seminary & School of Theology and was ordained in 2004. He then served as parochial vicar at Immaculate Heart of Mary Church for two years.
Afterward, Burns spent many years as a Catholic chaplain at Wittenberg University and director of Catholic Campus Ministry at Wright State University.
Burns began serving as pastor at St. Michael in 2018 and assumed oversight of the other two churches in 2022.
The latest public email message to parishioners, archived on the parish website, made no mention of Burns' whereabouts or if he would return: “There are many questions and conversations happening within our community right now. While we do not have specific information at this time, please know parish leadership is working closely together and will provide updates as we are able."
“I just wish that the archdiocese would learn from the past and the ways that they have handled things. This is not the 1950s anymore,” said Stofko, who insisted that parents just want to know if the allegation against Burns involves children.
“It’s just mindboggling to me how they think it’s not our business or we’re not due that information, any information,” said Stofko. “You have way too many children who have been under his care for the last six years, and I would like answers. Does it involve them or not?”
