Fr. Michael P. O’Brien

Pastor of a number of archdiocesan parishes; started ‘Pilgrimage for Vocations’ in 1973, which were week-long walks for youth through northern NM, with sleepovers at parishes along the way. O’Brien died in 1/1993 at age 48 (possibly of AIDS, per plaintiff’s attorney). In 2012 a man told the Archdiocese that he had been sexually abused by O’Brien at age 10-11 in the mid-1980s, when O’Brien was assigned to St. Anthony in Questa. The Archdiocese provided the man counseling for several months but it ceased when he retained an attorney. He filed a civil lawsuit 4/2/2013. Three more men filed suits a few weeks later, and six more shortly thereafter. By 12/2015 O’Brien was named as a perpetrator of sexual abuse of NM boys in the 1970s-1980s in 17 lawsuits, at least 9 of which had been settled. Included on the Santa Fe archdiocese’s list 9/12/2017. In a 5/2019 proof of claim form in the Archdiocese’s bankruptcy, a man wrote that he was sexually abused by O’Brien 1983-1985, beginning when he was age 8 and a St. Gertrude’s altar boy in Mora NM, and that O’Brien passed him on to Fr. Gregory Tipton and a Deacon Karl, who abused him 1985-1987. Another alleged abuse, including rape, as an altar boy by O’Brien 1982-1984, at ages 8-10. A woman claimed in 6/2019 that O’Brien and another priests abused her older brothers who, in turn, abused her. Another man in 6/2019 claimed abuse, including rape, 1975-1978, ages 12-15. He was a Taos altar boy involved with the pilgrimages. Another claimed abuse as a boy 1976-1977, ages 14-15. A 11/2019 claim alleges the sexual abuse of a boy ages 11-16, 1971-1977. The claimant says he was one of the “elite altar boys” who traveled with O’Brien and that Archbishop Sanchez knew of the abuse. He said his brother and cousins were also abused by O’Brien, and that there were many suicides among the altar boys from the 1970s.