#USA #FL – The Bishop of Palm Beach formally removed Fr. Alex J. Vargas from ministry at St. Thomas More Catholic Church after an investigation found sufficient evidence of sexual misconduct, abuse of authority, and financial wrongdoing. Bishop Manuel Rodríguez made the announcement in early September.
The diocese said it first received “serious allegations” involving Vargas on June 17, 2026. The following day it placed the priest on administrative leave, withdrew his ministerial faculties, barred him from contact with parishioners, employees, and diocesan organizations except as authorized, and reported the matter to civil authorities, including the Florida Department of Children and Families, local law enforcement, and the State Attorney’s Office. An independent firm, Renaissance Associates, conducted the inquiry.
Investigators and the diocese’s Adult Allegation Board later concluded there was insufficient information to substantiate an allegation of sexual abuse of a minor. They found enough evidence, however, to sustain allegations of sexual misconduct; abuse of power, authority, and office; financial malfeasance; and violations of the diocese’s code of conduct, including rules covering sexual contact, harassment, conflicts of interest, and administrative duties. The board determined Vargas was then unsuitable for ministry. Rodríguez accepted the findings and kept Vargas removed from ministry.
“The removal from ministry is not a legal determination of guilt,” Rodríguez wrote. He said Vargas remained innocent until proven guilty under civil and canon law and would have the chance to participate in a canonical judicial process. The diocese said it would release no further details until that process ended.
Vargas, then 55 and born in Honduras in 1971, had served St. Thomas More for more than 15 years as vicar and administrator. Retired Bishop Gerald Barbarito named him pastor in August 2025. After Vargas’s removal, the diocese appointed Very Rev. Antony Pulikal as parish administrator with full pastoral, administrative, and financial authority. Members of the Diocesan Healing Intervention Team were sent to the parish to offer support.
News of the June leave had already unsettled the parish on Military Trail near Woolbright Road. Some parishioners later praised the diocese for acting; others defended Vargas and called the allegations an attempt to defame him. In August, while the investigation was underway, the diocese issued a revised Code of Pastoral Conduct. The updated rules banned clergy from using online dating apps, required transparent professional electronic contact with minors, created an Adult Allegation Board and a Safeguarding Advisory Board, added whistleblower protections, and established a confidential reporting line.
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