REDONDO BEACH (CA)
The Beach Reporter
November 9, 2017
By David Rosenfeld
For 22 years, until 2003, Monsignor Michael Lenihan led the congregation at St. Lawrence Martyr Catholic Church in South Redondo Beach where he continued to live until his death in 2011. By most accounts the Irish-born Lenihan was a revered spiritual leader.
Now, an attorney handling a child sex abuse case against former St. Lawrence priest Chris Cunningham claims Lenihan knew the priest was accused of sexual assault before Cunningham arrived at the Redondo Beach parish in 1998. The lawyer also said he has a witness prepared to testify that Lenihan was notified about the incident involving a child at St. Lawrence school before Cunningham was transferred to another parish in 2001 where he allegedly continued to molest young boys.
The St. Lawrence alleged victim was recently added to a 2015 case against Cunningham and the Archdiocese of Los Angeles for molestation reportedly committed at St. Louise de Marillac in Covina. That was Cunningham’s next post after the Redondo Beach parish.
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