Convicted Catholic Bishop Established Help Line
PHOENIX- Bishop Thomas O'Brien, convicted because of a hit-and-run accident which killed a man, set a help line Monday as part of his probation. The public can call him to visit injured or dying people.
Callers will hear a recorded message in which O'Brien asks them to leave contact information and details about the person to be visited.
A staff member at the Roman Catholic Diocese of Phoenix will relay the information to O'Brien, said Mary Jo West, a diocese spokeswoman. Someone will return the calls to let people know if the bishop can help them.
The help line was part of O'Brien's four-year probation sentence for the June 2003 hit-and-run accident that killed Jim Reed.
Although O'Brien is not required to comply with callers' requests, he was ordered to perform 1,000 hours of community service, including hospital visits.
