In 2002, according to a story written by Daniela Altimari of the Hartford Courant, Monsignor Kevin Wallin, under indictment for meth dealing and suspended from the Diocese of Bridgeport for acting out his cross-dressing sexual fantasies in the rectory, railed publicly against priests who sexually preyed on children. Altimari’s story follows:
From the pulpit of the St. Augustine Cathedral Sunday morning, Monsignor Kevin W. Wallin forcefully denounced priests who prey on young people.
Wallin’s remarks came two days after news reports disclosed that a city woman had been entangled in a sexual relationship with a St. Augustine priest, the Rev. Joseph DeShan, in 1988, when she was 15. The girl, a rectory employee at the time, became pregnant at 16; five years later, DeShan left the priesthood.
Wallin used words such as “terrible” and “tragedies” to describe the sexual abuse of children and teenagers.
“What can I say about the situation?” he asked parishioners. “It’s terrible. It should not have happened.”
However, he added, “It’s not my job to apologize.”
Wallin, who was installed as St. Augustine’s pastor less than two weeks ago, is among the latest priests to confront the unfolding crisis in the Roman Catholic Church, which has been shaken by reports of sexual misconduct.
A loquacious man with thinning brown hair, Wallin, who is 50, joked that he almost reconsidered coming to St. Augustine. He was ordained in 1984 and previously served as pastor of St. Peter’s Church in Danbury.
“Don’t think I didn’t think about folding up my tent and going back to Danbury,” he said as hushed laughter rippled through the ornate white sanctuary. Instead, he added, “I came to do what has to be done here.”
Like other diocesan officials, Wallin sought to sow skepticism on media reports of the scandal. He alluded to newspaper articles on the subject, which he said contain “things that are true and things that are not.”
Above all, Wallin urged parishioners not to lose faith in the church. “We are in the midst of one of those confusing, difficult, disappointing times,” he said. “My task is to fan the flames of faith, my own and yours. If we as a community fan those flames, we shall survive this.”
After the sermon, parishioners applauded.
“Being straightforward and condemning those that did wrong, that’s just what we needed to hear in our parish right now,” said 40-year-old Efrain Roman, a lifelong member of St. Augustine’s.
Lidio Santos, a parishioner from Trumbull, said he was surprised that Wallin addressed the scandal. Then again, he added, “this thing is so big the church has to deal with it head-on.”
Santos has known Wallin for many years and says he has long been impressed with Wallin’s frank manner.
That candor is necessary if the church is to thrive, he said. “It doesn’t take much for people to lose their faith, but it takes a lot for them to get it back.”
Tam Nguyen, who is 17 and came to Mass on Sunday with his mother and 3-year-old brother, predicted the church will emerge from the scandals stronger and more united “as long as people keep believing.”
