South Hills priest of 41 years placed on leave amid accusations he abused child in 1990s

A South Hills priest of more than four decades has been placed on leave over an allegation that he sexually abused a child in the 1990s, officials with the Roman Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh said Thursday.

The Rev. Robert Cedolia — who has been presiding over four parishes in the South Hills — must immediately stop engaging in public ministry and will take up a temporary residence while officials investigate, diocese spokeswoman Ellen Mady said in a news release. Cedolia also is prohibited from administering the sacraments, dressing in clerical attire or identifying himself as a priest.

Those restrictions become permanent if the investigation concludes that the allegation of child sex abuse is true, Mady said.

Cedolia denies the accusation.

It’s the first that’s been lodged against him in his 41 years as a priest, according to Mady.

Officials did not provide further details about the alleged abuse.

The allegation was reported through the diocese’s Independent Reconciliation and Compensation Program.

“If it is determined that the allegation is unfounded, all that is possible will be done to restore Father Cedolia’s reputation and return him to ministry,” Mady said.

Since last year, Cedolia has been overseeing Saint Clare in Clairton, Holy Spirit in West Mifflin, St. Thomas a Becket in Jefferson Hills and St. Elizabeth of Hungary in Pleasant Hills.

He moved to the South Hills grouping in fall 2018 after he was assigned there amid mass transfers of priests as part of the diocese’s broader reorganization plan.

Previously, Cedolia, who studied at St. Paul Seminary in Crafton, served as pastor at Holy Sepulcher Parish in Middlesex Township and St. Anne Church in Castle Shannon.

St. Anne’s is now part of St. Paul of the Cross Parish — where Cedolia helped form a partnership with a nonprofit to support homeless people, according to an Aug. 5 story in the Pittsburgh Catholic.

The diocese notified the Allegheny County District Attorney’s Office of the allegation against Cedolia, Mady said.

“Safety of young people is of utmost concern to the Diocese of Pittsburgh,” she said. “We will follow our procedures for response to such allegations.”

Broader investigation into clergy sexual abuse continues

A far-reaching grand jury reported released in August 2018 documented allegations of child sexual abuse by 301 Catholic priests across Pennsylvania and the subsequent cover-ups by church officials.

As of earlier this month, only two — one in the Greensburg Diocese and one in the Erie Diocese — faced criminal charges. Both are in prison.

Others have long since died, and still other incidents are outside the criminal statute of limitations.

The Greensburg Diocese has referred 78 clergy abuse complaints to Westmoreland County District Attorney John Peck over the last year. To date, no one has been charged. In at least nine instances, the priests named were dead.

The Pittsburgh Diocese referred more than 300 new allegations to Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen Zappala based on calls it received after the grand jury report was issued.

Allegheny County District Attorney’s Office spokesman Mike Manko said one of those referrals has resulted in criminal charges. Hugh Lang, 88, a retired priest, is awaiting trial on charges he sexually assaulted a 10-year-old boy in 2001 when he was a priest at St. Therese in Munhall.

Reports of child sexual abuse can be made via the state’s PA Childline hotline at 1-800-932-0313 or the Diocese of Pittsburgh’s Office for Victim Assistance at 1-888-808-1235.