Fr. Frank Sierra

Ordained in 1946. Was teaching high school in Buenos Aires by 1951. Arrived in the Pueblo CO diocese in 1951 to replace his brother, John Sierra. Worked in El Paso and several parishes in the 1950s and 1960s, later part of the Las Cruces NM diocese. Working by 1970 in the San Diego CA diocese. Retired in 1988. Accused in a 1994 civil suit of abuse of girls in Santa Cruz NM; settled. Included on the San Diego diocese’s list of credibly accused in 3/2007. Status was ‘removed.’ Personnel file released 10/25/2010. Included on the Santa Fe archdiocese’s list of credibly accused on 9/12/2017. On the Las Cruces diocese’s list 11/8/2018. Per a 5/2019 proof of claim in the Santa Fe archdiocese’s bankruptcy, Sierra sexually abused a girl 1957-1962, beginning when the girl was age 9 at at Holy Cross Parish. He allegedly would take the girl from class at the parish school, give her wine and tell her to clean the choir area, confessional, pews and/or sacristy of the church. Sometimes he would select other girls to join them in the wine-drinking and cleaning. The abuse included anal penetration, vaginal penetration, and oral copulation. In another 5/2019 proof of claim, a woman alleges Sierra sexually abused her as an 11-year-old girl on several occasions in summer 1960. Sierra was a friend of her parents. The abuse allegedly took place when he would visit their home and she had to shake his hand; he would then pull her into his lap and penetrate her vagina with his finger. Sierra’s name was included on El Paso’s list 1/31/2019. Per Santa Fe’s list 9/20/2021, Sierra is deceased.