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More than a decade after the nation's Roman Catholic bishops pledged at a landmark gathering in Dallas to remove sexually abusive priests and to usher in a new era of transparency, The Star-Ledger found the promise rings hollow in the Archdiocese of Newark. Over seven months, Star-Ledger reporter Mark Mueller wrote more than two dozen front-page stories showing how Archbishop John J. Myers, and to a lesser extent Trenton Bishop David O'Connell, mishandled abusive priests. The coverage led to national headlines and decisive action, including the appointment of a co-archbishop in Newark, the sacking of the vicar general (second in command of the archdiocese), the arrest of a priest, the suspension of another and the reassignment of three pastors.