An Alabama priest who was defrocked last month for allegedly abandoning his duties by traveling to Italy with an 18-year-old woman penned two letters which suggested that he did not plan to return to the U.S.

On Monday, Mobile police released two letters written by Alex Crow, a priest who is accused of grooming a teen girl. In one of the letters, Crow allegedly professed his love for the teen, who he addresses as his wife.

“I’m sorry I cannot give you a “normal” Valentines Day this year. I wanted to do nothing more than buy you flowers but for fear of scandal I couldn’t. I almost stole some from the Mary statue but there were too many people around,” Crow allegedly wrote to the teen on Valentines Day. “When we are together, with our family in Italy (!!!), we will have so many wonderful and normal Valentines Days, but for now: Happy Valentines Day.”

The couple were found in Italy last month by the woman’s family member. The family believes she went to Italy on her own volition.

According to AL.com, there has been speculation that Crow was taking the teen to San Sebastian de Garabandal, Spain, to exorcise her. The Spanish village is where four young girls claimed to have seen apparitions of Saint Michael the Archangel and the Virgin Mary between 1961 to 1965.

Additionally, Mobile County Sheriff Paul Burch told WPMI that they are investigating whether Crow started a relationship with the teen while she was still a student at McGill-Toolen Catholic High School. Burch also claimed the archdiocese previously ordered Crow not to have contact with another female student who was friends with the teen he went to Italy with.

“I believe there was some grooming that’s gone on, and you’ve got a much older adult interacting with teenage girls in an inappropriate way,” Burch told the news outlet.

In light of the ordeal, the archdiocese removed Crow from his post for abandoning his role and for exhibiting behavior “totally unbecoming of a priest.”

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In the second letter addressed to someone named Joshua, Crow describes him as someone the 18-year-old woman trusts and loves. He then explains to Joshua that he and the teen are leaving and are not coming back.

“Jesus has told me that He wants me to leave, therefore I am not going to return from this trip. I do this with a heavy heart. It is hard to suddenly leave everything behind, but this is what He is demanding and I cannot deny him,” Crow reportedly wrote.

Crow went on to explain that he is not leaving the priesthood.

“We know how this looks, but we are doing what we are told,” he wrote.

Burch said Crow and the teen girl are still in Europe.

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[Featured image: Alex Crow/Archdiocese of Mobile]