A Catholic book publisher has scrapped a new book one day after its release, following allegations the priest who wrote it had plagiarized material.
Loyola Press announced Jan. 10 it would pull from publication “60 Seconds for Jesus” by Father Jim Sichko, a priest of the Diocese of Lexington, Kentucky, and a papal Missionary of Mercy known for his motivational talks, generous donations and active social and mainstream media presence.
The book — drawing from Father Sichko’s “60 Minutes for Jesus” talks, and billed as a “do-votional” that gave readers “specific actions they can do to find purpose and possibility” — had been slated for release Jan. 9.
However, Loyola Press president and publisher Joellyn Cicciarelli told OSV News in a Jan. 10 statement, “We have made the decision to pull the book from publication and all rights have been returned to the author.”