"I'm quite involved with the parish and I'venever heard anything about this," said Amy Brooks, aparishioner at St. Jean's and a religion instructor atMuskegon Catholic Central High School.

"It's heartbreaking," Brooks said."(Abuse) is the story that people remember and theyforget about all of the good work that (priests) do."

Hurley, who became bishop in 2005, said he came across thecase in a review of files on priests who had been accused ofabuse.

After talking to LeBlanc and communicating by e-mail withthe victim, who is out of the country, Hurley said he had nochoice but to remove LeBlanc under provisions of the U.S.bishops' charter on sexual abuse issued in 2002. Thepolicy calls for permanently removing priests for a single,substantiated case of sexual abuse of a minor.

"I became aware of it and I believed I needed to dothat," Hurley said. "I am obligated as a bishop tofollow the requirements of the charter, for the well-beingof the church and protection of victims."

Since the bishops' policy took effect, eight otherpriests in the diocese have been removed for abuse casesgoing back decades. Asked why LeBlanc was not removedearlier, Hurley said, "I just don't know theanswer to that."

Most of the priests were removed by retired Bishop RobertRose, who led the diocese from 1989 to 2003. Hurley wouldnot second-guess why Rose did not remove LeBlanc soon afterhe admitted the abuse, saying before the U.S. bishops'policy "there was no consistency in the way cases werehandled (and) there really was no road map people couldfollow."

"There obviously was a belief (LeBlanc) did notrepresent a danger to anyone," Hurley said. "Idon't know of any bishop that would maintain somebodyin a position if they really believed they were a danger toyoung people."

Rose could not be reached for comment.

Given the fact Rose retired a year after the national policywas passed, then his successor, Bishop Kevin Britt, died in2004 and the diocese temporarily was managed by MonsignorWilliam Duncan and Detroit's Cardinal Adam Maida,Hurley added, "It's not surprising something likethis may not have been reviewed" before he took office.

Priests at the other parishes LeBlanc where served are toinform their parishioners. They include Blessed Sacrament,St. Francis Xavier and Holy Spirit in Grand Rapids. Althoughhe has no reason to believe there are other victims, Hurleysaid, "if there are, we would want to know aboutit."

Hurley said there are no other allegations beinginvestigated or cases pending to remove a priest in thediocese.

"To the best of my knowledge, this brings to a closewhere we had established or acknowledged cases of sexualabuse," he said.

He also said he was not aware of any common thread betweenLeBlanc's case and those of the three other priestsremoved for abuse who once served at Holy Family.

"I'm really saddened and I really apologize to thefamilies who have been abused by priests or otherrepresentatives of the church," Hurley said.