Key takeaways from the Guardian’s inquiry into the church’s handling of a predatory priest

Despite reports of Anthony Odiong preying on female congregants, the Catholic church extended his term

• Catholic church had been alerted to Texas priest’s sexual predation for years – but dawdled before acting

Catholic clergy leaders wanted to add nearly a decade to a priest’s temporary role as pastor at a suburban New Orleans church despite knowing several women had accused him of sexual misconduct or unwanted advances while ministering to them, the Guardian can report.

But Anthony Odiong did not make it to the end of an extension that was supposed to last until 2027. A jury in Waco, Texas, another community where Odiong worked, convicted him of criminal clergy sexual assault of two women, leading him to a sentence of life imprisonment in early June.