"I'm trying not to be in denial, but my prayers this morning were for him and for the person who accused him.”

Rain poured as parishioners exited St. Bridget Parish in Framingham on Sunday.

Two days earlier, the archdiocese announced the parish’s longtime pastor, Rev. Msgr. Francis V. Strahan, was put on administrative leave after it was alleged the priest had sexually abused a minor around 2006.

The allegation has unsettled members of the congregation, and, for many, it was hard to believe.

Parishioner Marian Grant hadn’t attended Mass at St. Bridget regularly for roughly a year. She’d been caring for her father, Stanley Piecewicz, who died this month at the age of 98. The family had been loyal congregants of St. Bridget for a decade after moving from another church. Most Sundays, the family was there.

“Father Strahan greeted my father and had something nice to talk about every Sunday,” Grant said. “And I think that helped my father in his last few years of life.”

When Piecewicz died, Grant called Strahan to give her father his last rites. Strahan told her he couldn’t because he had the flu, an excuse she now wonders about because of the timing. Still, Grant said, Strahan called three times to make sure another priest would be there for her father.

Grant attended St. Bridget on Sunday to hear more about a “sad and confusing” revelation she first learned of in news coverage. Back in the pews of her longtime parish, Grant listened to a bishop who attended the Mass explain that the allegation against Strahan would be investigated, something she welcomes.

Grant wants more information, because right now, she said she can’t believe it.

“In my heart, I feel that he's innocent,” Grant said. “And I feel bad for the person, if that truly happened, my prayers go out to him, too. I just don't believe (Strahan) would do that. I've seen him with children. I've seen him at Mass. I've seen him in other activities. And he was just a good, loving, kind priest. And I'm trying not to be in denial, but my prayers this morning were for him and for the person who accused him.”

Other parishioners at the church on Sunday echoed Grant’s disbelief, though they didn’t want to be quoted.

On Friday, the archdiocese said in a statement that it immediately informed law enforcement of the allegation and initiated a preliminary investigation. Until the incident is resolved, Strahan will remain “on administrative leave without any public ministry,” according to the archdiocese.

“The decision to place Msgr. Strahan on administrative leave represents the Archdiocese’s commitment to the welfare of all parties and does not represent a determination of Msgr. Strahan’s guilt or innocence as it pertains to this allegation,” the statement read. “The Archdiocese will work to resolve this case in keeping with the Charter for the Protection of Children.”

Middlesex district attorney spokeswoman Meghan Kelly confirmed to the Daily News that the diocese referred the information to that office, which is working with Framingham Police to investigate. No charges have been filed.

The allegation against Strahan comes as the Catholic Church continues to grapple with its response to the institution’s ongoing sexual abuse scandal, which has plagued congregations around the world for decades.

In February of this year, church leaders met at the Vatican to hear an unprecedented proposal intended to increase accountability for bishops in light of the role many played in covering up abuse by priests.

Reform is needed, Grant said. Sexual abuse and allegations of sexual abuse harm not only priests and victims, but the whole church, she added. Strahan marked his 60th year as a priest in February, and he’s been pastor of St. Bridget since 1983.

“It has to be changed in order to stop all of this,” Grant said. “We are a family. It's a family parish. And if one person, especially a leader like that goes down, we all hurt. It affects everyone.”

Seemingly unrelenting revelations of sexual abuse by priests did drive Grant’s daughter away from the church for a while, though Grant said she has recently started to worship again.

Grant will continue to support the church by attending St. Bridget.

“It's just such a tragedy that he goes down in his last year like this and not be remembered for all the good he did,” Grant said.

Jeannette Hinkle can be reached at jhinkle@wickedlocal.com. Follow her on Twitter @jenny_hinkle.