An Oakland County judge ruled that there is enough evidence against a former priest to send him to trial for criminal sexual conduct charges, according to Attorney General Dana Nessel.

The Roman Catholic church reopened for in-person services in July 2020 and recently resumed in-person confessions. At 17,000 congregants, Our Lady of Sorrows is the largest parish in the Diocese of Brooklyn, which also oversees churches in Queens. Tapia said when he and his wife contracted the virus, they feared spreading it to their already weak, cancer-ridden son. Rodriguez was brought in from another parish in late June and in short order reopened the church, on July 4. The family is grateful to be able to gather at the church alongside others who also mourn loved ones.

FARMINGTON, Mich. – A former priest in the Farmington area has been charged with sexually assaulting a minor. The charges are part of Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel’s investigation into sexual abuse within the seven Catholic dioceses across the state. Gary Berthiaume, 78, has been charged with one count of second-degree criminal sexual conduct. The victim was 14 years old at the time of the assault, officials said. Berthiaume was arrested in 1977 for sexual assault of two other minors in Michigan.