An episcopal vicar in the archdiocese of Boston began a voluntary administrative leave Monday after he pleaded not guilty to allegedly paying for sex with an female prostitute.
Msgr. Arthur M. Coyle, episcopal vicar of the Merrimack region since 2008, was arrested Sunday near the Polish Cemetery in Lowell after police said they witnessed him paying a fee for sex in a vehicle behind the cemetery.
In a statement Monday, the archdiocese said Coyle, 62, had taken the voluntary leave "as a result of his arrest on charges related to sexual misconduct involving an adult." He will not be permitted to perform any public ministry until the case is resolved, the statement said.
Preview our Ministries special section, which is only available if you subscribe to our print newspaper or Kindle edition.
"The steps taken today do not represent a determination of Msgr. Coyle's guilt or innocence as it pertains to these charges," it added. "The archdiocese asks for prayers for all impacted by this matter."
Coyle was in residence at St. Rita Parish in Lowell, according to the archdiocesan website. He is scheduled to return to court for a pretrial conference Sept. 16.
NCR Comment code:
We are not able to monitor every comment that comes through. If you see something objectionable, please click the "Report abuse" button. Once a comment has been flagged, an NCR staff member will investigate.
For more detailed guidelines, visit our User Guidelines page.
For help on how to post a comment, visit our reference page.