BRAINTREE (AP) - The pastor of a Roman Catholic church in Norwell has taken a voluntary leave of absence following an allegation of inappropriate behavior in the presence of minors.
The Boston Archdiocese announced Sunday that the Rev. Thomas Maguire, pastor at St. Helen Mother of the Emperor Constantine, voluntarily stepped aside after the accusation surfaced.
The church immediately notified police of the allegation and has initiated an investigation.
Neither the archdiocese nor police disclosed the nature of the allegation, but police said it had occurred within the past week.
The Patriot Ledger reports that Maguire has been a critic of the archdiocese for its handling of the sex abuse scandal, even calling on Cardinal Bernard Law to resign. He could not be reached.
