A Catholic priest from Grayson County who served as the unofficial chaplain for basketball teams at the University of Kentucky and University of Louisville, has had his “priestly faculties reinstated” and restrictions lifted by the Vatican after being accused of sexually abusing minors in the 1980s.
Father Joseph Edward Bradley, 76, was accused in late February 2019 of sexually abusing a minor while he was principal at Owensboro Catholic High School; he served in that capacity from 1980 until 1985. A second allegation of sexual misconduct by Bradley was reported to the Diocese of Owensboro on March 4, 2019. The incident allegedly occurred in 1980, according to the diocese. Both allegations were turned over to the Daviess County Commonwealth Attorney’s Office where the decision was made to not file sexual misconduct charges against Bradley.
A 12-member Diocesan Review Board undertook an investigation into the allegations that included interviewing several individuals and reviewing a report provided by an independent investigator, the diocese said. In late April 2019, the board recommended that the allegations be deemed substantiated, resulting in Bradley being suspended from public ministry.
Bradley, though, appealed the decision with the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, according to the diocese.
Last week, Bishop William Medley received word from the Vatican immediately reinstating Bradley’s “priestly faculties and lifting the restrictions applied,” the diocese said. However, the Vatican decree notes “given the imprudent behavior of the cleric throughout the course of his ministry in education, the Congresso (Vatican body) imposes a penal precept (restriction) on the cleric, according to canon 1739, through which he is forbidden to enter any primary or secondary school for a period of five years,” the diocese said in a statement.
Bradley was already retired but worked part-time in a voluntary capacity as chaplain at Owensboro Catholic High School when the allegations were made.
Bradley served as priest at Holy Name of Jesus Catholic Church in Henderson beginning in 1995 until 2011. He was named Henderson’s Distinguished Citizen of the Year by the Henderson Chamber of Commerce in 2007.
Bradley was the unofficial chaplain of the UK basketball team beginning in 1992 after meeting then-UK coach Rick Pitino. He also served as the team chaplain at UofL during Pitino’s tenure at the school from 2001 until 2017.
Bradley served as executive director of an Owensboro shelter for women and children that was named for Pitino’s son Daniel, who died in 1987 at six-months-old from a congenital heart ailment. Bradley also performed marriage ceremonies for several former UK basketball players and officiated at the funeral of long-time UK basketball and football play-by-play announcer, Cawood Ledford.
Bradley was ordained a priest in the Diocese of Owensboro in 1975. He retired from public ministry in 2011.
By Ken Howlett, News Director
Contact Ken at ken@k105.com
