A Catholic priest from Alabama, Alex Crow, who made headlines after eloping to Italy with an 18-year-old woman, has reportedly married her, prompting the Vatican to consider taking official steps to dismiss him from the priesthood. The 30-year-old priest’s marriage to the teenager, who graduated from high school in 2023, was confirmed through a marriage certificate filed in Mobile County on November 20.
The relationship between Crow and the young woman, who turned 18 in June, came to public attention when authorities discovered a love letter from the priest to the teenager on Valentine’s Day while she was still a student at McGill-Toolen Catholic High. Crow had occasionally visited theology classes at the school.
The couple spent the summer in Europe before returning to the United States earlier this month. Crow, who has already been suspended from his priestly duties, is likely to face dismissal from the priesthood, according to signals from Archbishop Thomas J. Rodi.
A statement from the Archdiocese of Mobile expressed the Archbishop’s anticipation that the Vatican would eventually laicize Alex Crow. The Archbishop had previously criticized Crow’s actions, stating that they were “totally unbecoming of a priest” and instructing him not to exercise ministry, identify as a priest, or dress as one.
Although Mobile County Sheriff Paul Burch suggested in the summer that there may have been grooming involved in their relationship, the district attorney recently announced the closure of the investigation into criminal wrongdoing. The young woman declined to answer questions during a meeting with prosecutors, according to District Attorney Keith Blackwood. Crow, ordained in 2021, is facing significant consequences both within the Church and legally, as his actions continue to generate public scrutiny.
