Yet Fushek's life would take an even more dramatic turn, as he faced serious questions about his involvement in a diocese-wide sex abuse scandal that came to light in 2002.
That year, Fushek finally told St. Timothy's parishioners that the diocese had settled out of court in 1995 with a former Life Teen employee who accused him of sexual harassment. But the Phoenix diocese's change in leadership coincided with further allegations against him, on 10 counts that included indecent exposure and contributing to the delinquency of a minor.
“It was shortly after Bishop Olmsted became bishop, that the allegations started coming out against him,” Deacon Petersen noted. “But that wasn't Bishop Olmsted's doing.” The new bishop responded to the legal charges by suspending Fushek from ministry in December 2004.
“There was nothing Bishop Olmsted could do. He had to put Fushek on administrative leave. And when he did, things just went south – big time.”
The associate pastor at St. Timothy's took Fushek's place, along with a visiting priest. “Dale had an apartment somewhere in Phoenix, and went over there to live. From there, he never came back.”
“He never came back to St. Timothy's – and he started a Protestant church of his own, about four miles away from us.”
Fushek would eventually plead guilty, in 2010, to one count of misdemeanor assault. He was formally dismissed from the priesthood the same year. By that time, however, he had already brought several hundred of his former parishioners from St. Timothy's over to the new nondenominational “Praise and Worship Center” that he started in December 2007.
Because of his decision to establish a non-Catholic worship community, Bishop Olmsted declared in December of 2008 that Fushek, along with his fellow priest Fr. Mark Dippre, were excommunicated.
Because the worship services at the center originally featured only music and preaching, Fushek has tried to maintain that Catholics could attend in good conscience. But the opposition has become more open, with Fushek reportedly holding communion services and appearing in priestly attire on the cover of his memoir.
Deacon Petersen believes “Pastor Dale” is now clearly competing with his former parish and other locations in the diocese.
“He was so angry with everybody – from Bishop Olmsted, down to anybody who wouldn't just follow his lead – that he was out to draw people away from St. Timothy's, and any other place he could draw them away from.”
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“He had his service on Sunday, at 10:30, which is the exact same time we have our biggest Mass at St. Timothy's. Some of my best friends aren't my friends anymore, because I can't keep my mouth shut when they start trying to tell me I should come to the Praise and Worship Center.”
“They're even receiving Communion there. He's doing all kinds of things that are just wrong.”
Fushek has accused Bishop Olmsted of hoping he would commit suicide, a charge that Deacon Petersen says is absurd. “I know him as well as I've known any bishop,” said the deacon, who served as the first director of pro-life activities for the diocese. “He has not one ounce of vindictiveness in his whole body. He's the most fair person you'll ever meet in your whole life.”
Ultimately, Deacon Petersen attributes Fushek's break with the Church to “ego.”
“We pray for him constantly,” he said. “But for him to try to put himself out as a victim, and Bishop Olmsted as the perpetrator, that's just not right.”