Assignment Record– Rev. Damion Jacques Lynch

Summary of Case: Damion J. Lynch was ordained for the Diocese of Charlotte in 1991. He was assigned to St. Elizabeth's in Boone and was a chaplain at nearby Appalachian State University. In 1995 Lynch disclosed to Bishop Curlin an "indiscretion" on his part involving a St. Elizabeth's altar boy in his early teens. Lynch was placed on leave in November 1995 and sent for psychological testing. The family received settlement money, agreeing to keep quiet and to release the diocese from further damages. Curlin assigned Lynch to another Charlotte parish 1997. In 1998 the same family sued after they said they discovered that their son's twin brother had also been molested by Lynch, and that the abuse of their boys occurred repeatedly and not just once, as they had thought. Lynch then asked for a leave of absence. He was not returned to ministry. Lynch went on to become a registered nurse and in 2017 is working at MedStar Washington Hospital and living in Alexandria, VA.

Ordained: 1991

1991

Diocese of Charlotte

Bishop was John Francis Donoghue (1984-1993), followed by William George Curlin (1994-2002).

Boone

• In 1996 a family received a settlement from the diocese for alleged abuse by Lynch of their son, who was in his early teens and a St. Elizabeth altar boy. The family agreed to keep silent about the case and to release the diocese from further damages.

• In February 1998 the same family filed a lawsuit against the diocese after they said they learned that their son's twin, also a St. Elizabeth's altar boy, had also been molested by Lynch. They said they had thought that Lynch had fondled one son on one occasion, but later discovered that the abuse was ongoing and that it involved both boys. The diocese settled with them again, in 1999.

St. Elizabeth's had a CCD program with 200-110 students.

Lynch reported "an indiscretion" regarding the boy to Bishop Curlin in 1995.

In 1998 Lynch requested a leave of absence.

Lynch is not indexed beyond the 2002 Directory.

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.

Sources: Official Catholic Directory (Kenedy & Sons, 1992-2002).

• Suit Says Priest Molested Teens While in Boone, By Tim Funk, Charlotte Observer, March 26, 1998
• Catholic Diocese Has Own History of Sex Abuse, By John Railey, Winston-Salem Journal, April 14, 2002
• Charlotte Diocese Paid in Sex-Abuse Case, News & Observer, April 15, 2002
• Priest Sex-Abuse Victim Says He Shares Story to Help Others, By Dale Neal, Asheville Citizen-Times, April 23, 2002
• Special Reports: Catholic Bishops and Sex Abuse, BA.org from Dallas Morning News, June 12, 2002
 

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 Lynch's career history as it is represented in the Official Catholic Directory with the allegations against him, as reported in the media. We make no representation regarding the truth of the allegations we report, and we remind our readers that the U.S. legal system presumes that a person accused of or charged with a crime is innocent until proven guilty. Similarly, individuals who may be defendants in civil actions are presumed not to be liable for such claims unless a plaintiff proves otherwise. Admissions of guilt or liability are not typically a part of civil or private settlements. For more information, see our posting policy.

This assignment record was last updated on June 8, 2017.