HAZLE TOWNSHIP, Pa. -- People in Hazle Township are dealing with the aftermath of this week’s grand jury report into child sex abuse in the Catholic Church.
A street in the township is named after a priest accused of sexually assaulting a young boy.
The report found Rev. Girard Angelo was accused of sexually abusing a 14-year-old boy at a parish in Williamsport during the 1960s.
Now, people who live on Father Angelo Drive in Hazle Township want the name changed.
“My first thought was, well what are they going to do with the street sign that I look at every day. It was devastating,” Joe Tranguch said.
Fr. Angelo was a priest at Church of the Sacred Heart, just a few blocks away from the street that bears his name.
People who knew him said he wasn't particularly friendly.
“He just had this sort of attitude, like, what's the word I'm looking for, arrogant,” Tranguch said.
Catholics who live on Father Angelo Drive said it used to be a point of pride, but now it’s disgraceful.
“It's another hit to the Catholic church because there are good people who believe and there are good Catholic followers and I just think this is another hit to us,” Taylor Prehotsky said.
Township supervisors are letting the people who live on the street vote on a name change.
Neighbors said even though it will be a lot of work, it’s worth it.
“It's on everything, I mean your drivers licenses, billing, addresses in the mail. It's just going to remind me of that now, so I'd rather not,” Mark Prehotsky said.
Fr. Angelo died in 2009.
People who live on Father Angelo Drive are going to vote on a name change later this month.