• Robert Sullivan petitioned Pope Leo XIV to be dispensed from priesthood obligations
• Accuser Heather Jones alleges financial support exchanged for “private companionship”
• Diocese financial review found no link between payments and church funds

BIRMINGHAM, AL (TDR) — A Roman Catholic priest in Alabama has voluntarily left the clergy after a woman alleged he provided her financial support in exchange for “private companionship” including sex beginning when she was 17 years old.

Bishop Steven Raica of the Diocese of Birmingham announced Wednesday that Robert Sullivan, 61, petitioned Pope Leo XIV to be “dispensed from all the obligations arising from Holy Orders.” The pontiff granted the request Monday.

The allegations

Heather Jones, now 33, filed a formal written complaint with the diocese in late July alleging the relationship began in 2009 when she was working as a dancer at an adult establishment outside Birmingham. According to her statement, Sullivan was a regular patron who offered to “help change her life” if she contacted him.

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Jones alleged Sullivan proposed “to form an ongoing relationship that would include financial support in exchange for private companionship,” which she stated encompassed sex. She reported that Sullivan took her shopping, dining, and to hotel rooms in at least six Alabama cities over several years.

“At the time, I was a minor, with no experience navigating adult relationships, and no understanding of how power and influence could be used to manipulate someone vulnerable.”

Jones also alleged Sullivan paid her hundreds of thousands of dollars to remain silent, supporting her claim with bank records, email correspondence, and a copy of a nondisclosure agreement. Records reviewed by The Guardian showed transactions totaling $273,000 plus approximately $120,000 in Venmo payments between July 2024 and March 2025.

Church and civil responses

The diocese reported the allegations to the Alabama Department of Human Resources given Jones’s age at the time, but officials determined the case did not meet requirements for opening an investigation. The legal age of sexual consent in Alabama is 16.

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A diocesan financial review “found no link between the allegations and any diocesan, parish, or school funds,” according to Raica’s statement.

Under canon law adopted by U.S. Catholic bishops in the early 2000s, individuals under 18 are classified as minors, and sexual contact with them by clergy is considered abusive—regardless of state consent laws.

“These four months since the allegations surfaced have been challenging in the life of our local church. I am grateful for the patience and resilience of all who have been affected directly or indirectly by this matter.”

Sullivan’s background

Sullivan was ordained in 1993 and served as pastor of Our Lady of Sorrows Church in Homewood, south of Birmingham. He also held the position of vicar general, a high-ranking administrative post in the diocese, and previously served six years as president of John Carroll Catholic High School.

He announced his leave of absence to congregants on August 3 without providing a reason. The diocese disclosed the allegations publicly on August 13 following reporting by The Guardian.

Jones stated she came forward because Sullivan continued working closely with families and children, leaving her concerned “others may be vulnerable to the same type of manipulation and exploitation” she described.

Jones did not immediately comment on Sullivan’s laicization. Multiple attempts to reach Sullivan for comment were unsuccessful.

What safeguards should religious institutions implement to prevent exploitation of vulnerable individuals by clergy members?

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