Getting rid of John Nienstedt doesn't end the problems for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. I can think of two other cases that need resolution and both are going to be dilemmas for the archdiocese.
The first case to watch will be that of Fr. Michael Keating. Keating was the associate pastor at my old parish in the early 2000s and became a professor at St. Thomas later on. Keating came to the priesthood later in life — he was 46 when he was ordained — and he was considered a real superstar. He's a brilliant homilist, probably the best I've ever heard, and he was much beloved at St. Thomas. The accusations against him stem from a relationship he with a teenaged girl and date back to when he was still a seminarian. Keating is on a leave of absence from St. Thomas and he's fighting the lawsuit. It's going to be a he said/she said scenario for the most part; the interesting question is whether the Archdiocese will want Keating back if he prevails, given everything that's happened.
Another one to watch — the case of Fr. Mark Huberty. Huberty was charged with sexual misconduct because of a relationship with a adult female parishioner, but he won an acquittal from a jury in less than two hours. Although Huberty has been cleared of charges and at least some of his former parishioners want him back, the Archdiocese probably would rather have him move on, given the current environment.
Watch these cases carefully.
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