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Total Individuals: 35


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Fr. Jerome J. Axton

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Ordained: 1983
Status: Accused

Diocese: Diocese of Biloxi MS

Named publicly as accused by the diocese, along with two other priests on its list in 1/19. Prohibited from ministry in 1992 after accused of sexually assaulting a teenage girl 1985-86, while assigned to Nativity BVM Cathedral in Biloxi and St. John's in Gulfport. The diocese had first received the report of abuse in 1989.

Fr. Thomas Boyce

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Ordained: 1966
Status: Sued

Diocese: Diocese of Jackson MS

Removed from ministry in 2002, died the same year. Woman filed civil suit in 2002 alleging that Boyce abused her for several years in 1970s-1980s. She was ages 13-18 during the time of the abuse. Suit dismissed by MS Appeals Court on SOL 6/06. Diocese acknowledged abuse in 2003. In 1/07 MS Supreme Court declined to hear Plaintiff's appeal. On diocese's list 3/19/19.

Fr. George Broussard

Ordained: 1962
Status: Settled

Diocese: Diocese of Jackson MS

Sued 2002, accused of sexual abuse of 3 brothers over a 4-year period. One plaintiff signed affidavit that his father met with then- Vicar General of Diocese, Bernard Law, in 1973 to report the abuse but Law did nothing. In 6/02 deposition in another case Law admitted that he failed to keep Broussard, his seminary friend and classmate, away from children after being warned that he was molesting them. Suit settled 3/06. Died in 2007. On diocese's list 3/19/19. It notes alleged abuse 1969-74 and that he left ministry in 1975.

Fr. Paul Victor Canonici

Ordained: 1957
Status: Accused

Diocese: Diocese of Jackson MS

Diocesan superintendent of education, assistant principal then principal of St. Joseph High School in Madison, parish priest. Named publicly as accused by the diocese on its list 3/19/19. It notes report in 1997 of alleged abuse in 1983, in the Madison area. Retired 1998. Removed from ministry in 2002. Died 2/15/20, age 92.

Fr. Joseph Israel Guidry

Order: SVD
Ordained: 1957
Status: Accused

Diocese: Diocese of Jackson MS

Worked in MS, LA, IL. Named publicly as accused by the Jackson diocese on its list 3/19/2019. Report to the Diocese in 2004 of alleged abuse in 1980 in Greenville. Removed from ministry. Died in 2019. Added to Baton Rouge's list in 7/2019, due to allegations elsewhere. Assigned at some point to St. John the Apostle in Baton Rouge. Included on the Order's Chicago Province list 4/18/2021. Included in the 5/23/2023 IL Attorney General's Report. Included on the Order's Southern Province list as of 2/26/2024.

Fr. Bernard Haddican

Ordained: 1960
Status: Settled

Diocese: Diocese of Jackson MS

Two accusers came forward, one in 1998 and another in 2002, alleging abuse 1964-84. A man claimed abuse by Haddican over a three-year period, beginning when he was age 12. Case settled in 2000 for $44K. Haddican died in 1996. In 2002 the original plaintiff and a man abused by another priest filed suit against the diocese and Cardinal Law (former VG of Diocese) alleging the diocese covered up their abuse and lied to them about other cases. The mother of the first complainant reportedly had asked Law for his help in 1970s, but he did nothing. Suit dismissed in 9/03. On Jackson diocese's list 3/19/19.

Fr. James Kircher

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Ordained: 1963
Status: Settled

Diocese: Diocese of Jackson MS

Removed in 1987 for misconduct. Retired in 1991. Four men alleged in a 2/02 suit that they were abused as boys by Kircher beginning in the mid-1970s and continuing through 1984. Two plaintiffs had previously settled with the diocese in 1994. Judge dismissed portion of suit invovling two who had previously settled but allowed two new plaintiffs' case to go forward. On New Orleans archdiocese's list 11/2/18. Noted to have received allegation in 2010 of abuse in the 1970s. In residence in the 1970s at St. Julian Eymard in Algiers LA. Died in 2007. On Jackson diocese's list 3/19/19. Diocese received reports in 1986 and 2002 of abuse 1978-82.

Fr. Patrick Lee

Order: SVD
Ordained: 1967
Status: Accused

Died: 04/5/2020
Diocese: Diocese of Jackson MS

From Ireland. Ordained in Techny IL in 1967, worked in England then in the order's US Southern Province 1968-1988. Named publicly as accused by the Jackson diocese on its list 3/19/2019. Alleged abuse in 1988 in Vicksburg was reported the same year to the Diocese. Removed from ministry. Returned to Ireland where he died in 4/2020. Included on the Divine Word Missionaries Southern Province list of credibly accused.

Br. William Leimbach

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Order: SC
Status: Sued

Diocese: Diocese of Jackson MS

Civil suit filed in 7/07 in federal court alleged abuse of a 15-year-old boy in 1983-84 at Saint Stanislaus College/Saint Stanislaus High School by a "Brother William." School was run by the Sacred Heart Order. Leimbach was removed from ministry with students in 1991 after complaints by two students; he was allowed to continue work with adults and within the order. Was living since 2005 in Burrillville, RI

Br. Donald Lucas

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Order: OFM
Status: Settled

Diocese: Diocese of Jackson MS

Named publicly as accused by the Jackson diocese on its list 3/19/2019. Died by suicide in 1999. Abuse alleged in 1998 in at St. Francis School in Greenwood, reported in 2018. Accused, along with Br. Paul West OFM, of abuse of a boy, beginning when he was ages 9 and 10 and a student at St. Francis in the mid- to late 1990s. The Franciscans settled with Lucas' accuser for $15K. He and his cousin, also alleging abuse by West, filed a federal suit in 11/2019 claiming the Order pressured them into a small settlement which required their silence. Included on the Franciscans' Our Lady of Guadalupe Province's list as of 1/2024. (Member of the Assumption Province.)

Fr. Paul Madden

Ordained: 1970
Status: Settled

Diocese: Diocese of Jackson MS

From Ireland. Ordained for the Diocese of Jackson, MS. Accused in 1993 of abuse, including rape, of 13-year-old boy on a trip to Ireland in 1973. Plaintiff settled for $50K. In a separate 2002 lawsuit plaintiff alleged church lied, telling him there was no previous knowledge of abuse by priests. Attached to the petition was a letter signed by a Paul Madden who said he "feels remorse and guilt for the molestation." Judge ruled in favor of the defense in in 9/2003 and the case was dismissed. Faculties in Jackson were suspended in 7/2002. Madden was 'on duty outside the diocese' in the Diocese of Saltillo, Mexico 1977-1979. Worked as a missionary of the Society of St. James the Apostle in Peru 1991-1993 and 1994-2002. Incardinated into the Chimbota diocese in Peru in 2003, despite warnings to the diocese by Diocese of Jackson officials. Still active there in 8/2015. Retired and living in Peru in 3/2019. Included on the Jackson diocese's list of credibly accused 3/19/2019.

Fr. Jose Morales Vazquez

Ordained: 2008
Status: Indicted

Diocese: Diocese of Biloxi MS

From Mexico. Attended St. Meinrad Seminary in Indiana. Pastor since 1/15/2014 of St. Francis Xavier in Wiggins and St. Lucy Mission in Lucedale MS. Associate pastor 2009-2011 Immaculate Conception in Laurel and Sacred Heart in Hattiesburg 2011-2014. Arrested 9/9/2015 at the home of a 12-year-old boy whose father called police after walking in on Morales Vazquez engaged in a sex act with the boy. Charged with two counts sexual battery against a minor. Admitted behavior and to abuse of other children. Pleaded guilty. Sentenced in 5/2016 to 10 years in prison and ordered deported upon his release. On the diocese's list 1/24/2019. Laicized.

Fr. Vincent The Quang Nguyen

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Ordained: 1975
Status: Accused

Diocese: Diocese of Biloxi MS

Named publicly as accused by the diocese, along with two other priests, on its list in 1/19. Extern priest from the Archdiocese of Saigon, Vietnam. Worked in the Biloxi diocese 1986-89. Ministry prohibited in 1989 after the diocese received reports that he had sexually abused adolescent girls.The girls' parents first reported the abuse to the police. Added to the Richmond diocese's list 2/27/19.

Fr. Robert Olivier

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Ordained: 1957
Status: Accused

Diocese: Diocese of Jackson MS

Removed from active ministry in 12/06 after Diocese completed investigation of complaint that he had "sexual contact, but not intercourse, with a female teen over four years" in the 1950s. Woman wrote to the Diocese in 12/06. Olivier admitted the relationship. Abuse took place during his first assignment. On diocese's list 3/19/19.

Fr. Peter Raymond Richardson

Order: GHM
Ordained: 1986
Status: Accused

Died: 03/26/2014
Diocese: Diocese of Jackson MS

Named publicly as accused by the Jackson diocese on its list 3/19/2019. Removed from ministry in 2010, died 3/26/2014. Per the list, abuse occurred 1987-1990 in Aberdeen, reported in 2014. Also accused of abuse of a minor in 2005 in West Liberty, KY. On Glenmary's list 10/11/2019. It notes that Richardson left the order in 2007. On the Charlotte diocese's list 12/29/2019. On the Lexington diocese's list in 8/2020. On Cincinnati's list in 1/2020. Included in 11/2021 on the Nashville diocese's list.

Fr. John M. Scanlon

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Ordained: 1951
Status: Sued

Diocese: Diocese of Biloxi MS

Monsignor. Accused in a lawsuit in 10/19 of molesting a 12-year-old boy in 1984-85 at Sacred Heart Church in Hattiesburg. Scanlon died in 1995. The suit was dismissed due to the statute of limitations. Plaintiff appealed to the MS Supreme Court, which overturned the lower court's ruling in 6/21, sending it back to the county.

Br. Paul West

Order: OFM
Status: Convicted

Diocese: Diocese of Jackson MS

On 7/29/2018 the Jackson diocese announced a credible allegation that West had sexually abused a minor while working at St. Francis of Assisi in Greenwood, where he was teacher and principal 6/1993-11/1998. Included on the diocese's list 3/19/2019. Abuse reported in 1998 and 2018. Accused of abusing two brothers and their cousins starting when they were ages 9 and 10 and St. Francis students in the mid- to late- 1990s. The abuse reportedly included rapes and beatings. One of the three also alleged abuse by Bro. Donald Lucas, OFM. One boy told church and police in 1998; West was sent for a psych evaluation. He taught 4th and 5th grades at St. John's in Little Chute, WI 1999-2010. Left the Order in 2002. The Franciscans settled with two accusers for $15K. The alleged victims filed a federal suit in 11/2019 claiming the Order pressured them into a small settlement requiring their silence. Indicted in 8/2020 in MS. Pleaded not guilty. Charged also in WI. Suit in 6/2021 claims racial discrimination. Convicted 4/13/2022. Sentenced to 30 years on one count and an additional 15 years on a second count. Included as of 1/2024 on the Our Lady of Guadalupe Province Franciscans list of credibly accused. (West was a member of the Assumption Province.) The MS Supreme Court denied an appeal by West in 1/2024.