Fr. David Connell
Named publicly as accused in the 8/14/18 PA Grand Jury Report. Report to diocese 5/76 Connell made a sexual advance on a male high school student. In 10/07 a man told the Carmelites that when he was a Nativity High student, Connell abused him at least twice. He said he and his brother, whom he said was also abused, were living at the Order’s priory after their house burned down, and that Connell drugged him and he woke up with a bleeding rectum. He said he told Bro. Timothy Johnson who then beat him, warning that he would beat him worse if he told police. The man said he had also been sexually abused in sixth grade in the 1970s by a basketball coach, Jim Gross, at St. Patrick’s in Pottsville. Connell reportedly left the Order and became a diocesan priest in San Antonio TX in 1976. He worked at Antonian College Prep until 1988 as teacher, vice-principal, principal. Pastored St. Thomas More parish. Died in 1995. Two San Antonio accusers came forward after publicity in 2018. On San Antonio’s list 1/31/19.
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