GREEN TOWNSHIP, Ohio — The pastor of St. Ignatius of Loyola in Green Township, who oversees the largest Catholic grade school in the state, has been on leave since early July.
“Archbishop Schnurr has asked Fr. Tom Mannebach, our pastor, to take some time away from the parish for rejuvenation and for growth in positive coping skills, when faced with stressful situations. The time away is open-ended and will occur in Michigan,” temporary pastoral administrator Fr. Tom Bolte wrote in the July 14 parish bulletin.
Bolte wrote in subsequent bulletins that Mannebach was away “for treatment of personal health issues,” and urged parishioners not to email or text him.
“The program he is attending will last at least through August, maybe longer. It’s very structured, so there is no contact during the program. After the end he may return as pastor here or take a different assignment. Cards can be sent to the parish office, and he will receive them in due time,” Bolte wrote in the July 28 parish bulletin.
A spokesperson for the Archdiocese of Cincinnati said Mannebach is “taking time away to address ongoing health issues,” and referred WCPO to a July 3 letter from Bolte to the St. Ignatius community, announcing his appointment as temporary parish administrator.
Cutcher resigned from active priestly ministry following a scandal in 2021 at St. Peter Church in Huber Heights. The initial stories aired on July 9 and 10.
Following the WCPO report on Cutcher, Fr. Barry Stechschulte resigned as pastor of St. Susanna parish in Mason. More than 500 people signed a petition asking him to step down after the report showed he ordered the destruction of alleged child pornography and waited six years to tell police while at a different parish.
On July 30, Archbishop Dennis Schnurr appointed Fr. Jeff Kemper as temporary administrator of St. Susanna. A spokesperson for the archdiocese declined to say where Stechschulte will be working next.
Meanwhile, the large St. Ignatius parish on the West Side has undergone turmoil in recent years. This is the second pastor to take a leave of absence since 2019, with few details initially given to parishioners.
On July 31, 2019, Archbishop Dennis Schnurr sent a letter to St. Ignatius parishioners announcing that Drew would not be returning to the parish and was accused of behavior that violates the archdiocese’s Decree on Child Protection.
Schnurr wrote that Drew would undergo a physical, psychological and spiritual assessment at an independent in-patient treatment facility and that he would consider the assessment and recommendations from professionals in determining the next step in the investigation.
Weeks later, a Hamilton County grand jury indicted Drew for raping an altar boy in the late 1980s and early 1990s while serving as a lay music minister at St. Jude’s parish in Bridgetown.
Drew pleaded guilty and is serving a 7-year prison sentence.
St. Ignatius School has more than 1,100 students registered for the new school year, making it the largest Catholic grade school in Ohio, according to the July 14 parish bulletin.
Mannebach did not return a request for comment. He has been pastor since July 2022, according to the St. Ignatius of Loyola Church website.
St. Ignatius Loyola Bulletin by webeditors on Scribd
