07:28 PM CDT on Wednesday, September 8, 2004

By Kevin Peters and Amanda Lawson / KVUE News

Austin's Catholic and Hispanic communities are reacting to the resignation of a well known and highly respected priest.

Father Lonnie Reyes of Santa Julia Church in East Austin confessed to having sexual relations with an underage girl as well as adult women.

The incidents date back to the 1970's.

Reyes has been the priest at Santa Julia in East Austin for the past 18 years. He earned the title monsignor and served as chancellor, one of the highest positions a priest can hold in the diocese.

"He's a man. He's a man, like anybody else, and he didn't force nobody. She was 17. She knew better than to go with a priest," says church member Carroline Aleman.

"My reaction is I am shocked. We never expected. He's been very respectful, very active in the community, always helping the needy," says fellow member Juliat Cruz.

Reyes' admissions of impropriety have community leaders in East Austin talking.

Former mayor Gus Garcia has considered Father Reyes a friend for 30 years.

He says it's not up to him to judge Reyes for what he's been accused of.

But he doesn't want people to forget the good Reyes did for the community -- particularly minority education and immigrant rights.

"Here's a man that has served the Catholic Church for 30 years being publicly humiliated in front of the press. No credit was given to him for all the work he has done you know. The only thing is 'We have to get him out of here because he's bad.' And for somebody who's known him for so long and seen him do so many good things, that was very disheartening," says Garcia.

Reyes has resigned, although he is still getting his pension.

The church also told KVUE it is possible that other women may come forward with their own stories.

The statute of limitations has expired, however, and it is not likely he will face charges.

Reyes began his career as a priest in 1969 and served in churches in Waco, Luling and Austin.

He was an advocate for Mexican-Americans and immigrant rights.

This isn't the first time a priest in Austin has been accused of abuse in the past.

Earlier this year the Catholic Church released a report outlining all the cases it knew about.

Records verify credible allegations that 15 children were sexually abused by priests assigned to Catholic churches in Central Texas over three decades.

Six priests are being linked to those cases.

Four incidents occurred in the 1970's, seven in the 1980s, and four in the 1990s.

Of those six priests, two are now dead.

The other four were removed from the ministry.

The cases have cost the diocese almost $400,000.

No cases were criminally prosecuted.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.