The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cincinnati announced Thursday, May 1, that Archbishop Daniel E. Pilarczyk has suspended retired priest Robert A. Stricker for allegedly sexually abusing a boy in the 1950s.

The archdiocese had investigated the same complaint against Stricker, now 84, in 1993, but concluded the allegation was unsubstantiated, according to spokesman Dan Andriacco. A few weeks ago, the purported victim renewed his accusation, with new information, and Pilarczyk on Wednesday "concluded that the accusation had the semblance of truth and therefore placed Stricker on administrative leave," he said.

"All I can say is, we have information now that we didn't have then," Andriacco said.

Stricker served his entire ministry in the Cincinnati area, Andriacco said. The alleged abuse occurred when Stricker was serving at St. William parish in Price Hill. The archdiocese, which includes the greater Dayton area, serves some 500,000 Catholics in 19 counties.

Stricker is one of eight area priests involved in the child sex abuse scandal who are currently on administrative leave, awaiting possible defrocking by the Vatican. The Vatican ordered the permanent removal from priesthood of seven others, and an additional three, elderly priests were allowed to remain on the archdiocese payroll but removed from priestly ministry.

The allegation against Stricker will be presented to an archdiocese review board, which will be asked to make a recommendation to Pilarczyk as to whether the case should be forwarded to the Vatican for further action. The suspension with pay is the strongest action Pilarczyk can take on his own, Andriacco said.

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