Pierre Albalaa
Fr. Pierre Albalaa, MLM, a Maronite Rite priest, was suspended from ministry in 2018 by the Diocese of Columbus while an allegation of child sexual abuse made against him was investigated. Prior to his suspension, Fr. Albalaa worked as an administrator for Sacred Heart in Italian Village, Columbus, Ohio. The Diocese was informed by the Maronite Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon of Los Angeles that Fr. Albalaa was being investigated for a credible allegation of child sexual abuse in 2004 in California. Fr. Albalaa moved to America from Lebanon in 2002 and began work at St. Jude’s in Westlake, California. His mission was to begin a Maronite Catholic Church of his own in the San Fernando Valley, and he did just that. Within less than a year approximately 313 families began attending Fr. Albalaa’s Maronite Church, which met at St. Bernadine’s in Woodland Hills, California. Fr. Albalaa’s current status as a priest, his whereabouts, and whether he has access to children are unknown.