Volume > Issue > Note List > "Thank Goodness, It Was With a Woman, Not a Man"

“Thank Goodness, It Was With a Woman, Not a Man”

We have been reluctant to comment on the saga of Msgr. Eugene V. Clark, the Rector of St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York. But some of our readers have asked us to.

Msgr. Clark, 79 years old, allegedly has had an affair with his 46-year-old longtime secretary, Laura DeFilippo, a married woman. The details are sordid, and Clark has denied them — or most of them so far as we can tell. Mrs. DeFilippo’s 14-year-old daughter allegedly found her mother sitting on Clark’s lap wearing a satin teddy. We haven’t heard Clark’s explanation of that.

Msgr. Clark has been a hero of ours. He is a determined foe of homosexuality in the priesthood, and he has had a show on the Eternal World Television Network (EWTN) called “Relationships,” where he promotes marital fidelity and other good things.

Two days after the news broke, Clark resigned his Rectorship at St. Patrick’s, and EWTN put his show on hiatus. William Donohue, no Catholic-basher (indeed, President of the Catholic League), said he feels “personally betrayed.” The New York Chancery is investigating, and we don’t know at this time what the verdict will be. But it seems that most people think he’s guilty. Nevertheless, the refrain we keep hearing is, “Thank goodness, it was with a woman, not a man.”

Enjoyed reading this?

READ MORE! REGISTER TODAY

SUBSCRIBE

You May Also Enjoy

The Year of Living Fearfully

The mark of Christians is to stay recollected in faith, hope, and charity, and in the knowledge that there are things worse than death, such as sin.

Surviving in an Unfriendly Culture

Bill Clinton promised to “grow the economy.” Whether it’s truly growing can be debated, but…

Interview with an American Exorcist

Monsignor Rossetti has been an exorcist for the D.C. archdiocese for 12 years and has led hundreds of exorcism and deliverance sessions.