Pastor at St. Pius X Church Suddenly Leaves Post

The Rev. Lawrence Carroll, pastor at St. Pius X Church on Brookside Drive in Fairfield for 10 years, announced over the weekend that he was taking a leave of absence from the priesthood, effective immediately.

The reason for Carroll's request for a leave of absence, which was granted by Bishop William Lori, wasn't known, but Brian Wallace, a spokesman for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Bridgeport, said Monday that it was "entirely his [Carroll's] decision" and that he left "in very good standing."

"He left on very good terms with the esteem of his parish and the esteem of the bishop," Wallace said, adding that Carroll was "a remarkable pastor, gifted preacher and a priestly presence for the community."

Wallace said Carroll's leave of absence would last through July and that he would not come back to St. Pius if he decides to rejoin the priesthood after personal reflection. "He wouldn't come back to St. Pius because a new person would be in place," Wallace said. "There may well be a new pastor in place within the next week or two."

Ann Roche, a member of St. Pius X Church, said Monday that Carroll would be missed and that he'd been a great comfort to members of the Donnelly family after Tim and Kim Donnelly were killed in their downtown jewelry store on Feb. 2, 2005. "He was a great comfort to our family during that tragic time," Roche said.

Wallace said he wasn't aware of the specific reason for Carroll's leave of absence, saying it was a privacy issue, and that he heard many St. Pius X parishioners were saddened by Carroll's announcement during services last weekend. "While it's not what they wanted to hear and what the diocese wanted to hear, it was a personal request and a privacy issue," he said.

Carroll's departure from the helm of the church comes at a time when the church is planning to build a major addition onto the back of its building. The Faith Center would include a chapel, prayer garden, community room, choir room and office and meeting spaces.

Parishioners said Carroll brought a lot of new members to St. Pius X Church but had promised to stay on as pastor until the addition was built.

The church's website on Monday afternoon didn't have information on Carroll's decision to leave as pastor and still identified him as pastor in various sections. The church has more than 1,600 families as parishioners, according to the website.