A Louisiana parish run by a priest previously serving in Texas is drawing criticism after it published a bulletin urging parishioners to pray for Anthony Odiong, a Roman Catholic priest convicted of criminal clergy sexual assault in Waco, Texas, and sentenced to life in prison. According to reporting from multiple outlets, the bulletin appears after Odiong’s guilty verdict and specifically encourages prayers for him, while not mentioning the survivors or victims of the assaults included in the Texas case.
Victims and their supporters have argued that the omission sidelines those harmed. One of the women Odiong was convicted of assaulting—identified in court proceedings as Mary Doe—issued a statement urging the St Anthony of Padua community in Luling, Louisiana, to pray not only for Odiong but also for his victims.
The reports describe the controversy as part of a broader debate over how religious institutions communicate with congregations following convictions involving clergy sex crimes, particularly regarding acknowledgment of survivors.
