A Roman Catholic priest continues to refuse instructions to return home to Africa, months after being removed from a Johnson County parish amid allegations of sexual misconduct, Archbishop James Keleher said in a statement Friday.
The Rev. Thomas Acheampong of Ghana served at the Church of the Ascension in Overland Park for about a year until October 2001. He also was a graduate student at St. Mary College in Leavenworth.
Keleher said he removed Acheampong in October after "credible allegations of sexual misconduct involving an adult woman."
Acheampong, 37, was then ordered by his bishop in Ghana to return to that country, but he has remained in Johnson County, according to Keleher, head of the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas.
"I simply want to make it perfectly clear that, although technically still an ordained priest, Acheampong is no longer affiliated with us and is NOT authorized to function as a Catholic priest in this archdiocese," Keleher said in his statement. "His residential and occupation status have been duly reported to Immigration and Naturalization Service."
Acheampong could not be reached for comment Friday.
Mike Heston, an Immigration and Naturalization Service spokesman, said that he could neither confirm nor deny that the matter had been referred to his agency "until I have an opportunity to look into this allegation."
Keleher did not detail the nature of the allegations against Acheampong, other than to note that "no secular crime (was) committed."
"Acheampong's purported actions did clearly violate the tenets of his priestly vows and compromised the trust of the people in his ministry," Keleher said in the statement.
Acheampong came to the area to pursue his graduate studies, Keleher said.
"The bishop in Ghana requested at that time that Acheampong be allowed to serve as a minister in one of our parishes while pursuing his studies. I agreed," Keleher said in the statement.
This is the second time in recent months that the archdiocese has tried to publicly clarify Acheampong's status.
In Ascension's February newsletter, the Rev. Larry Albertson, the church's pastor, wrote that "Father Thomas no longer serves as a priest here at Ascension."
Albertson also noted that Acheampong's permission to act as a priest in the archdiocese had been withdrawn by Keleher and that Acheampong had been ordered to return to Ghana by the bishop there.
The parish newsletter, however, did not reveal why Acheampong had been removed from the parish, nor why he had been ordered to return to Ghana.
A Roman Catholic priest continues to refuse instructions to return home to Africa, months after being removed from a Johnson County parish amid allegations of sexual misconduct, Archbishop James Keleher said in a statement Friday.
The Rev. Thomas Acheampong of Ghana served at the Church of the Ascension in Overland Park for about a year until October 2001. He also was a graduate student at St. Mary College in Leavenworth.
Keleher said he removed Acheampong in October after "credible allegations of sexual misconduct involving an adult woman."
Acheampong, 37, was then ordered by his bishop in Ghana to return to that country, but he has remained in Johnson County, according to Keleher, head of the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas.
"I simply want to make it perfectly clear that, although technically still an ordained priest, Acheampong is no longer affiliated with us and is NOT authorized to function as a Catholic priest in this archdiocese," Keleher said in his statement. "His residential and occupation status have been duly reported to Immigration and Naturalization Service."
Acheampong could not be reached for comment Friday.
Mike Heston, an Immigration and Naturalization Service spokesman, said that he could neither confirm nor deny that the matter had been referred to his agency "until I have an opportunity to look into this allegation."
Keleher did not detail the nature of the allegations against Acheampong, other than to note that "no secular crime (was) committed."
"Acheampong's purported actions did clearly violate the tenets of his priestly vows and compromised the trust of the people in his ministry," Keleher said in the statement.
Acheampong came to the area to pursue his graduate studies, Keleher said.
"The bishop in Ghana requested at that time that Acheampong be allowed to serve as a minister in one of our parishes while pursuing his studies. I agreed," Keleher said in the statement.
This is the second time in recent months that the archdiocese has tried to publicly clarify Acheampong's status.
In Ascension's February newsletter, the Rev. Larry Albertson, the church's pastor, wrote that "Father Thomas no longer serves as a priest here at Ascension."
Albertson also noted that Acheampong's permission to act as a priest in the archdiocese had been withdrawn by Keleher and that Acheampong had been ordered to return to Ghana by the bishop there.
The parish newsletter, however, did not reveal why Acheampong had been removed from the parish, nor why he had been ordered to return to Ghana.
