A priest who championed equal rights and sometimes secretly celebrated Mass with gays in church basements was mistakenly placed on a list of priests “credibly accused” of sexually abusing minors, the Norwich Diocese said Thursday. 

In a one-sentence press release, diocese spokesman Wayne Gignac said that Richard J. Cardarelli “appeared on the original list in error. There are NO allegations of sexual abuse of a minor on file.” The church also acknowledged that three other priests should have been placed on the list. Gignac said the diocese wouldn’t comment further.

For Steven Cardarelli, putting his brother’s name on that list was the church’s final tormenting of his brother, who died in 2012. Richard Cardarelli was was hailed by many as a hero for his support of gay rights, advocacy that resulted in his excommunication from the Catholic Church.

“No apologies to the family just, 'Oh we made a mistake, what can you do? '” an emotional Steven Cardarelli said through tears during a telephone interview Thursday night.

“This caused tremendous heartache knowing what he was and what he fought for his whole life and how the church constantly tormented him in life and now also in death.” Cardarelli said.

Richard Cardarelli was a Capuchin Franciscan monk, recognizable by their brown robes, sandals, and rope belt with three knots — signifying chastity, poverty, and obedience. He eventually was ordained a priest. At one point, he was assigned to St. Pius X Church in Middletown, where he started ministering to gays and lesbians who were not welcomed in Roman Catholic churches. Cardarelli also was the Chaplain of Mercy High School in Middletown, a job he would later refer to as “the best job I ever had.”

In 1975, he founded the Hartford Chapter of Dignity and became its chaplain, and celebrated Mass in church basements on Sunday nights in the Middletown area. He then went on to work for Genesis in Manchester, a group that assists mentally challenged adults live independently.

He also taught at Central Connecticut State University and when he died, Steven Cardarelli said they took many of his brother’s letters, writings and papers to add to an exhibit titled the GLBTQ archives in the Elihu Burritt Library. The library’s website says there are several significant collections, including the following: John Loughery, Richard Cardarelli, George W. Henry, Christine Pattee, The Connecticut Coalition for Gay and Lesbian Civil Rights, and the Connecticut Gay and Lesbian Film Festival.

Gignac didn’t respond to requests for more information on how long Cardarelli served in the Norwich Diocese or how his name came to be placed on the list of credibly accused priests that it released last week.

The list includes 22 priests who were ordained in the Diocese of Norwich and later accused of abuse while working in the diocese. Among them are priests, such as Richard T. Buongirno and Thomas W. Shea, who were sued by multiple victims. There are also seven priests who belonged to religious orders and served in the diocese and 12 priests who served or resided in the diocese but were accused of sexual abuse while serving in another diocese.

Cardarelli was included among the seven priests who belonged to religious orders.

Steven Cardarelli said he was shocked when he saw his brother’s name listed as an abuser in a television report.

“I am so happy to get this call because I knew for a fact it couldn’t be true." Steven Cardarelli said. “The church didn’t like that there wasn’t a protest or a march for gay rights across the country that my brother didn’t get involved in.”