On Sunday hundreds of parishioners at Saint Mary of the Valley hugged and kissed an old friend as their pastor, Father Michael OBrien, returned from administrative leave.

Father OBrien has been missing the last several weeks, as the church looked into allegations raised a decade ago. A teen claimed he was molested by OBrien.

Police cleared the priest back then, and after a second investigation, the church also cleared him.

"Abuse, sexual abuse, against minors is such a terrible thing," said Father OBrien. "The necessity is to really be careful. The error in the past has been to not recognize it. And that's an additional abuse to people who are abused because when it's denied that hurts them all the more."

While it's nice to come back, Father OBrien had some hesitation. "It's wonderful, but nervous not knowing what the reaction would be."

His flock had been behind him all along, and they cheered when the announcement came.

"In my heart I knew he...there was a misunderstanding," said Mary Murray. "I welcomed him back with a big hug, and told him I loved him."

Sister Barbara says she stood by Father OBrien the entire time. "He's well loved. It was a shock to everybody. I don't think anyone doubted that he was innocent."

When asked about his time on leave, Father OBrien seems to completely understand. "It's a small price to pay for the protection of children," he said.

Father OBrien says the church is doing it's best to right the wrongs of the past and move forward.

"Well, it's a tremendous blessing. I'm just overjoyed. It's just hard to express the happiness I have to be back with my family here. They've been so good to me," he said

According to the Seattle Archdiocese, there were questions as to how the original investigation was handled.

A review by an independent panel showed the allegation was not credible.