Burns is the pastor of the St. Carlo Acutis Parish, which includes Gabriel Church and school in Glendale, St. Michael Church and school in Sharonville, and St. John Church in West Chester Twp. Before that, he spent many years as a Catholic chaplain at Wittenberg University in Springfield and director of Catholic Campus Ministry at Wright State University.
Archdiocese officials said after reviewing the list of websites provided by the employee, they did not turn on the computer and “promptly” gave it to the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office, which conducted a full forensic review of the computer.
During their search, the sheriff’s office said “no criminal activity or wrongdoing was found within this device.”
The archdiocese said the initial list of websites the parish employee told them may have been accessed on the computer was actually a list of websites obtained from an anti-malware program installed on the computer.
“Given that the reason for Fr. Burns’ administrative leave has been demonstrated to be unfounded, effective immediately, Fr. Burns is no longer on administrative leave and will resume his duties as pastor of the St. Carlo Acutis Family of Parishes,” the archdiocese said in a release.
In a release, the archdiocese said Archbishop Robert Casey expressed gratitude for Burns’ cooperation during the process.
“The Archdiocese of Cincinnati remains committed to transparency in all matters,” the archdiocese said in its release. “That commitment must always be balanced with respect for the individuals involved, the integrity of investigative processes, and the public’s trust in the safeguards that are in place. This balance can be difficult to maintain when public pressure demands immediate answers, but the archdiocese remains steadfast in its responsibility to pursue truth with diligence and integrity.”
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