After she was hurt at a bingo game, she says someone claiming to be a monsignor told her she may be excommunicated.
By Times Staff Writer
Published March 26, 2004
CLEARWATER - A 72-year-old woman who described herself as a lifelong Catholic says a man identifying himself as a monsignor from the Diocese of St. Petersburg threatened to excommunicate her after she was injured at a parish bingo game, according to a lawsuit filed Wednesday in Pinellas-Pasco Circuit Court.
Catherine Robert, whose last address according to county records is in Pinellas Park, was attending a bingo game June 11, 2003, at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Pinellas Park when she was seriously injured as she left a stall in the women's restroom, the lawsuit states.
Six weeks later, the lawsuit says, Robert received a phone call "from an individual who identified himself as a monsignor from the chancery who then threatened her with excommunication if she did not stop annoying them, and that he was tired of "child related' incidents."
The lawsuit gave no further details of what the caller was referring to.
Because of the monsignor's threat of excommunication, "(Robert) was caused to receive severe emotional distress that has caused angina attacks and a series of minor strokes with a serious concern for a major stroke," the lawsuit states.
Robert did not return phone calls Thursday. Her attorney, Thomas Woodruff, said he couldn't comment on the suit, which names both the diocese and Bishop Robert Lynch as defendants.
Joe DiVito, general counsel for the Diocese, said Thursday that Woodruff has not given him the name of the person who called Robert, nor whether the caller even has a name.
DiVito said he has interviewed everyone connected with the Pastoral Center - the diocese headquarters - "and from what I've found, I am absolutely convinced it didn't happen.
There were no monsignors who worked at the center in July 2003.
"I can't think of anyone who has been excommunicated in the history of the St. Petersburg Diocese," he said. "That has to come through Rome."
Church spokeswoman Mary Jo Murphy said Thursday the central administration building used to be called the chancery years ago, but has been called the Pastoral Center for at least the past 10 years.
"Everyone who works here calls it the Pastoral Center," Murphy said.
The lawsuit seeks more than $1-million for Robert's emotional distress and more than $15,000 in compensation for injuries.
