Charges Filed Against Priest Who Once Served In Benton Harbor

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gaveltakenbyandrew-137

A priest who once served at St. John the Evangelist Parish in Benton Harbor is facing two charges of rape. The Michigan Attorney General’s office tells us 84-year-old Jacob Vellian of the Kalamazoo Diocese faces life in prison if convicted. He is one of five priests identified for sex charges as part of a state investigation. They all began with calls to a tip line and were verified using diocese records. The AG’s office says Vellian is charged with two rapes in the 1970s. The file says both victims were females under the age of 16. The Kalamazoo Diocese says Vellian was a visiting priest from India who served one year in Michigan in the early 70s. It says it’s fully cooperating with the state investigation.