By Waveney Ann Moore
Thursday, January 13, 2011
ST. PETERSBURG — Dozens of parents from the Cathedral School of St. Jude met behind closed doors Wednesday night to discuss concerns about how a priest handled the sacrament of confession with their children in the weeks before Christmas.
The meeting came one day after Father Joseph L. Waters, 49, addressed the matter in a letter to the school community, referring to what he called a recent controversy that "continues to disturb the peace of our school.''
Olimpia Calandra, who spoke on behalf of the group of parents, issued a written statement after the meeting at the Seminole Lanes bowling alley.
"We came together tonight to gather information and to discuss incidents that we feel compromised the safety of our children participating in the Sacrament of Penance,'' the statement said. "We have reported these incidents to the appropriate personnel within the Diocese of ...