News

July 24, 2009

Ex-area priest gets defrocked by Vatican

The Very Rev. Edward J. Shoback admitted to sexual misconduct with a minor.

By Sherry Long slong@timesleader.com
Staff Writer

A Luzerne County priest who admitted in 2004 to sexual misconduct with a minor was defrocked by the Vatican.

The Very Rev. Edward J. Shoback, served as a priest in the Diocese of Scranton starting in 1967 until being removed from his pastoral duties in 2004 after the allegations surfaced.

“He may no longer function as a priest anywhere. He may not hold any parochial or administrative office in the Church. He may not teach theology in a Catholic institution,” according to a notice from Diocese of Scranton Chancellor James B. Earley printed in Thursday’s edition of The Catholic Light, a publication of the Scranton Diocese.

The misconduct happened more than 25 years ago, but no details were released.

Shoback served as a priest for more than 20 years throughout Luzerne County.

He initially was made assistant pastor at St. Ann’s in Shohola, Pike County, but moved a few months later to an assistant pastor post at St. Stephen’s in Plymouth. A year later, he went to Holy Rosary in Ashley.

From September 1971 to September 1973, he was director of religious formation at West Side Central Catholic High School in Kingston. For much of that time he lived at St. Therese’s Church in Wilkes-Barre. In September 1974, he became assistant pastor at St. Aloysius in Wilkes-Barre.

In December 1980, he became pastor at St. John’s in Luzerne, which has since merged with two other parishes under the name of Holy Family Parish. He served as pastor of Transfiguration Church in West Hazleton from 1987 to 1989. He began serving as pastor of SS. Peter and Paul Parish in Scranton in 1989.

Shoback couldn’t be reached for comment.

Diocese officials did not return calls seeking comment.

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