Fr. Michael P. O’Brien

Ordained: 1970
Status: Settled

Died: 01/14/1993
Diocese: Archdiocese of Santa Fe NM

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 archdiocese that he had been sexually abused by O’Brien at age 10-11 in mid-1980s when O’Brien was assigned to St. Anthony in Questa. The archdiocese provided counseling for several months but it ceased when plaintiff retained attorney. He filed civil suit 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 vs NM boys in the 1970s-1980s in 17 lawsuits, at least 9 of which had been settled. Included on Santa Fe archdiocese list 9/12/2017.

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