A rather strange story from Chicago: two priests removed from a parish.

The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago has asked two priests to leave a northwest suburban parish while authorities investigate the allegations of a 26-year-old Palatine man who said he was sexually assaulted this month in the priests’ home.

Rev. Juan Sanchez-Espinoza, 48, who has lived in the priests’ residence of the Mision San Juan Diego in Palatine since June, was placed on administrative leave Aug. 10, a spokeswoman for the archdiocese said Monday. Officials have asked him to move.

A week later, Rev. Moises Marin, 45, the parish’s pastor, who shares the town home with Sanchez-Espinoza, was also asked to leave. Church officials discovered that he was present during the alleged incident, said Susan Burritt, a spokeswoman for the archdiocese.

More details, including an interview with the accuser, in the Sun-Times.

The Archdiocese has a statement on its website.

Cincinnati pastor removed while Archdiocese investigates 30-year old accusations

LIttle Rock diocese removes pastor for "misconduct."

Finally, the Jacksonvillle paper finally catches up with the excommunication of the fairly freshly ordained priest who’s left and hung his sign up at RentAPriest:

The article doesn’t answer the question that comes to the top of any informed person’s mind which is why excommunication and not simply suspension? I suppose because he’s refusing to be laicized, but I’m not sure.

Update: A pastor of two parishes in the Diocese of Memphis resigns after a lawsuit is filed regarding sexual abuse allegations dating back to the 80’s when he was working in a Catholic high school.

People: these are stories all from the last couple of days. I didn’t reach back any further than that. I wasn’t even reaching. For some reason, they just kept coming….