Amelia Finefrock
This past Wednesday, the Chicago PD cut off traffic north of Millenium Park after a man threw himself from the heights of Radisson Blu Aqua Hotel.
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According to the Chicago Tribune, the Cook County medical examiner’s office confirmed the following day it was, in fact, a suicide. The body was identified as James Csaszar.
Csaszar worked as a Catholic priest at the Church of the Resurrection in New Albany, Ohio. This was until misconduct allegations surfaced about the priest, then the 44-year-old was placed on administrative leave, according to the news outlet.
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Despite his death, Ohio law enforcement will continue an investigation, according to the Tribune.
According to the news outlet, the choice to suspend Csaszar was due to “questionable text and telephone communications with a minor,” the church reported in a news release. It was also further noted there were charges related to a “potential misuse of church funds” while Csaszar was serving at St. Rose of Lima Parish in New Lexington, Ohio.
The full statement is below, according to the Tribune, by Rev. Frederick F. Campbell, Bishop of Columbus:
It is with deep shock and sadness that we have learned of the death of Father James Csaszar, pastor of the Church of the Resurrection in New Albany, who took his own life yesterday in Chicago.On November 7, Father Csaszar was placed on an administrative leave by the Diocese of Columbus after diocesan officials were made aware of excessive and questionable text and telephone communications with a minor and potential misuse of church funds while serving as pastor of St. Rose Parish, New Lexington. Following a diocesan review of the matter, the New Lexington Police were contacted and all information was turned over to them and the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation for their review; an investigation was being conducted at the time of Father Csaszar’s death.
We are reminded throughout sacred scripture that God our Father is loving, merciful, compassionate and forgiving. We also know that in his years of priestly ministry Fr. Csaszar did many good things for the people that he served in his parish assignments. And so we ask that everyone pray for Father Csaszar, his family, friends, and parishioners during this most difficult time.
In an email sent to the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation and Identification, from the New Lexington Police, the email’s subject line was titled: “inappropriate relationship between Priest and 16yom.” Columbus’s 10TV reported. According to the news outlet, police were just in the preliminary stages of the investigation at the time of Csaszar’s suicide.
According to the news outlet, the priest was active and well-liked in the community, from delivering baccalaureate masses to local Catholic high schools to hosting mixers such as “Catholic Singles on Fire for Christ.” After allegations on Csaszar surfaced last November, an online petition was started to stick with the priest in support.
Csaszar worked at St. Rose Parish between 2005 and 2016, according to the Tribune. The Diocese of Columbus’s website indicates he was ordained on June 26, 1999.
