07:21 AM EDT on Thursday, April 3, 2008
By TONY BURBECK / WCNC
CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- A former priest at St. Matthew Catholic Church in
Charlotte has been arrested and charged with molesting a boy who attended
the church.
Rev. Robert Yurgel was an assistant pastor at St. Matthew. It was a
two-year assignment from May 1997 to July 1999.
"That's a common practice in the diocese," said Antoinette Usher with St.
Matthew.
Police say that's when Yurgel molested a 14-year-old boy, whose family
attended the church. The police report says it happened at a house, not
the church.
"It was something that I'm sure was very uncomfortable for him to talk
about. It was embarrassing. It was perpetrated by a member of the
community who was trusted," said Capt. Lisa Goelz with the
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department.
Yurgel is now charged with five counts of indecent liberties and two
counts of statutory rape.
U.S. Marshals arrested him Wednesday at a New Jersey church where he's an
active priest.
"We do have corroborating evidence that what the victim did allege is
true," Goelz said.
Police aren't saying what that evidence is.
At St. Matthew, Yurgel's name doesn't ring a loud bell.
"Most of our parishioners don't know the individual involved," Usher said.
It's due to the short stay, plus, church officials say most current
parishioners didn't attend St. Matthew then.
"I'm sure our pastor will address that quickly and thoroughly," said
Usher.
Yurgel is in the process of being extradited back to Charlotte

Catholics are not Christians.
Anyone there who believes in Jesus alone is, though.
---firefly