Assignment Record– Jerome F. Gillespie

Summary of Case: Accused of asking oral sex on 1/25/05 from woman and daughter age 12. Resigned 1/28/05. Pleaded not guilty to enticing child, soliciting sex, annoying/accosting, and assault. Most charges dismissed 4/4/05. Pleaded sufficient facts to annoying/accosting charge. Case continued pending alcohol and sexual offender evaluations with treatment if indicated, and no contact with minors without disclosing case. Case dismissed 2007. Returned to work without announcement. Was Lynnfield supply priest 4/08. Awaiting Assignment status 2009-2015; in residence at Charlestown parish at least 2011-2015.

Ordained: 1982
Incardinated: Boston archdiocese

Sources: Official Catholic Directory (New York: Kenedy & Sons, 1983-94);

• Priest Accused of Proposition, By David Abel, Boston Globe, January 28, 2005
• Priest Quits Post; to Face Charges of Sex Solicitation, Incident Alleged at Chelsea Eatery, By Kathy McCabe, Boston Globe [Swampscott MA],
January 30, 2005
• Priest Enters Plea of Not Guilty, Solicitation Case Involves Girl, 12, By Kathy McCabe, Boston Globe, February 18, 2005
• Clergyman Ordered to Undergo Evaluation, By Glenn Yode , Boston Globe [Chelsea MA], April 6, 2005
• Priest Strikes Deal in Sex Solicitation Case, by Debra Glidden, Daily Item, April 5, 2005.
• Priest's return to parish work angers advocates, Charges of alleged proposition dropped, By Michael Paulson, Boston Globe, April 26, 2008
• Advocates Angered after Priest Returns to Parish Work, Associated Press, April 26, 2008
• Boston Cardinal Quietly Returns Criminal Priest to Parish Work, By Barbara Dorris, Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests, April 26, 2008
• Sex Abuse Advocates Outraged after Priest Returns to Parish Work, Fox News, April 28, 2008

Priests in a Parish: We use the following convention to show a priest's place among the clergy of a parish: 1/2 means that he is the first priest listed in the Official Catholic Directory (usually the pastor) and that there is a total of two priests at the parish. The shorthand 3/4 means that the priest is listed third on a four-priest roster. See our sample page from the Directory.

Note: The Official Catholic Directory aims to report the whereabouts of Catholic priests in the United States on January 1 of the Directory's publication year. Our working assumption is that a priest listed in the Directory for a given year was at the same assignment for part of the previous year as well. However, Kenedy and Sons will sometimes accept updates well into the year of publication. Diocesan clergy records are rarely available to correct this information. The Directory is also sometimes misleading or wrong. We have tried to create an accurate assignment record, given the source materials and their limitations. Assignment records are a work in progress and we are always improving the records that we post. Please email us with new information and corrections.

This assignment record collates Gillespie's career history as it is represented in the Official Catholic Directory with the allegation as it is reported in the media. We make no representation regarding the truth of the allegation we report. We remind our readers that in the U.S. judicial system, a person is considered innocent until proven guilty.

A Note on Nomenclature: We use the term "assignment record," instead of the more common "service record," because "service" is not an appropriate word for the activities of an abusive priest. Dioceses are often less than forthcoming about the activities of retired priests, but when we can determine those activities, we list them in these assignment records, particularly if they involve ministry. Retired priests remain under obedience to their bishop, and even the activities of laicized priests should be a concern to the diocese.

This assignment record was last updated on September 30, 2015.