A Louisiana church has sparked backlash by soliciting prayers for a pastor convicted of sexual assault, but not for his victims.
Anthony Odiong, a 57-year-old Roman Catholic priest who served in Texas and Louisiana, was found guilty of one count of first-degree sexual assault and two counts of second-degree sexual assault by a jury in Waco on Friday.
After his guilty verdict was returned, St. Anthony of Padua — a church under the Archdiocese of New Orleans, located in the suburb of Luling — shared a bulletin asking the community to pray for Odiong, The Guardian reported Wednesday.
The bulletin reportedly made no mention of his victims. St. Anthony of Padua later removed a copy of the bulletin from the church’s website.
“Unfortunately, I’m not even surprised because abusive priests – even those who have been convicted of sexual abuse – are regularly given a level of public support that the victims can only dream of receiving,” Kristi Schubert, an attorney who represents a woman who accused Odiong of sexual abuse, said in a statement shared by The Guardian.
One of the women Odiong was convicted of sexually assaulting, called Mary Doe, said it was “right and just” to pray for Odiong’s soul, but she encouraged the community to also pray for his victims, the outlet reported.
“A lot of people have yet to reckon with [the] fact” that Odiong had unduly “used the love and trust of communities,” another woman Odiong was found guilty of sexually assaulting, said, according to The Guardian.
The woman, who was identified only as Jane Doe, said that when they do confront the issue, “it will be devastating.”
The Archdiocese of New Orleans told The Guardian a congregant asked Odiong to be included in the bulletin because of Catholics’ call to pray for “those who have turned away from God to turn back towards His mercy.”
“While there is much pain in the [church] from all this, they are certainly praying for all who were hurt by Odiong’s actions, including primarily the women and their families.”
The Independent has reached out to the Archdiocese of New Orleans and St. Anthony of Padua for comment.
Odiong had been accused of sexually abusing nine victims from 2007 to 2024, according to KCENTV.
Ryan Calvert, a prosecutor with the McLennan County district attorney’s office, said one more female victim was discovered in 2025, The New York Times reported.
“He took every opportunity to push boundaries, and he didn’t stop until he was caught. He doesn’t stop. That’s who he is. He is a predator,” prosecutors said in court, per KCENTV.
On Tuesday, Odiong was sentenced to life in prison on the first-degree sexual assault charge and a 20-year term for each second-degree sexual assault charge. His defense attorney said he would appeal.
Odiong will be eligible for parole after 30 years. He was also fined $30,000.
