Residents of Wayne, N.J. Protest Arrival of Priest

WAYNE, N.J. (1010 WINS)  -- Residents of Wayne, N.J. are protesting the arrival of an accused pedophile priest to their town.


Steve Sandberg reports

Fr. James Tully has been hiding out in churches around the world and is now taking refuge at the Xaverian Missionary Fathers residence in Wayne.

In 1986-87, Tully, a Xaverian Missionary priest, sexually abused Bill Nash, when Nash was a young seminarian in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, according to Milwaukee Criminal Court documents.

"Fr. Tully has been abusing kids for decades. I've come forward to try to put a stop to this," Nash told 1010 WINS' Steve Sandberg.

Tully also abused other Wisconsin kids, according to the documents, and abused youngsters in Boston according to a settlement by the Archdiocese of Boston.

In 2002, after new allegations were made by another victim, Tully was sent to work at the Vatican. In November 2007, he was transferred to work in Vicenza, Italy. Nash tracked him down there and publicly exposed him through media outlets.

Motivated by positive public remarks by the Pope six months ago during his April trip to the United States, Nash publicly announced in June that he petitioned the Vatican to defrock Tully.

At the time of the alleged abuse, Nash was studying to become a priest. In 2005, he received a $75,000 settlement from the Xaverians. Nash now lives in Ashfield, Massachusetts.

Tully was born in Malverne Long Island, and was from the diocese of Rockville Center.

For more information on Nash and Tully, click here