Bishop apologizes for sex offender at festival

A Catholic bishop has apologized to worshippers for allowing a California registered sex offender to volunteer at a school festival last month.

Diocese of San Jose Bishop Patrick McGrath told the St. Frances Cabrini congregation on Sunday that he takes full responsibility.

The San Jose Mercury Newshttp://bit.ly/TSmHl3 says McGrath promised to make sure it wouldn’t happen again.

Someone at the elementary school festival recognized 51-year-old Mark Christopher Gurries as a sex offender and reported it to an off-duty Santa Clara County sheriff’s deputy who was working as security.

But Gurries wasn’t arrested because he had a permission letter from the diocese.

The deputy escorted him off the campus, however.

Gurries is on probation for molesting an underage relative. The conditions of his probation state he cannot be near children.