Assignment Record– Rev. Richard P. McGann

Summary of Case: Richard P. McGann was ordained for the Hartford archdiocese in 1970. He assisted throughout the 1970s at St. Gregory's in Bristol CT, then served several years as chaplain at Hartford Hospital. During this time he was in residence at a local parish. Through most of the 1980s McGann was Director of Pastoral Ministry at St. Paul's Catholic High School in Bristol while living at St. Gregory's. In 1989 he was named pastor of Our Lady of Mercy in Plainville. He was still there in 2005 when quietly placed on Administrative Leave. In 2011 it was revealed that, in 2009, a man had received a settlement from the archdiocese. The man had accused McGann of sexually abusing him over a two-year period in the 1970s at St. Gregory's in Bristol and on out-of-town trips, beginning when he was 12-years-old. The man was convicted in 1986 of murdering his grandfather at age 23 and was serving a 60-year sentence.

Ordained: 1970

1970

Archdiocese of Hartford

Archbishop was John Francis Whealon (1968-1991).

Bristol

• Accused of sexually abusing a boy 1975-77 at St. Gregory's and on out-of-town trips, beginning when the boy was age 12.

McGann's accuser was convicted in 1986 of drowning his grandfather. He was sentenced to 60 years in prison.

1989

Whealon was succeeded by Daniel Anthony Cronin (1991-2003), followed by Henry Joseph Mansell (2003-2013).

Our Lady of Mercy had a religious education program with 251-202 students.

McGann is not indexed beyond the 2005 Directory.

2005

Leonard Paul Blair followed Mansell as Hartford archbishop (2013-).

Per an archdiocesan spokesperson in 2011, McGann was placed on Administrative Leave in 2005. She would not give a reason for his leave. In 2009 the archdiocese quietly settled with a man who alleged abuse as a boy by McGann in the 1970s. The man was convicted in 1986 of drowning his grandfather.

Priests in a Parish: We use the following convention to show a priest's place among the clergy of a parish: 1/2 means that he is the first priest listed in the Official Catholic Directory (usually the pastor) and that there is a total of two priests at the parish. The shorthand 3/4 means that the priest is listed third on a four-priest roster. See our sample page from the Directory.

Sources: Official Catholic Directory (Kenedy & Sons, 1971-2005).

• Catholic Church Settles Suit, Bristol Press, March 29, 2011
• Settlement in Priest Abuse Case Revealed, By Dave Altimari, The Hartford Courant, March 29, 2011|
• SNAP Calls on 2 Conn. Bishops to 'Come Clean' and Reveal Identities of Predators, By Ed Stannard, New Haven Register,
March 29, 2011
• Priest's Past Revealed, By Lisa Backus, Bristol Press, March 31, 2011
• Predator Lives at Day Care Center, Groups Say, SNAP, April 25, 2011
• Day Care Owner Denies Disgraced Priest Lived There, By Lisa Backus, Bristol Press, May 24, 2011
• Htfd Priest Investigated for Sex Abuse, By Jamie Muro, WTNH, May 25, 2011
• Survivors' Network Wants Accused Priests' Names Revealed, By Jackie Majerus, The Bristol Press, May 26, 2011
• Church Admits Priest Ousted Because of Abuse Allegations, Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests, May 26, 2011

Note: The Official Catholic Directory aims to report the whereabouts of Catholic priests in the United States on January 1 of the Directory's publication year. Our working assumption is that a priest listed in the Directory for a given year was at the same assignment for part of the previous year as well. However, Kenedy and Sons will sometimes accept updates well into the year of publication. Diocesan clergy records are rarely available to correct this information. The Directory is also sometimes misleading or wrong. We have tried to create an accurate assignment record, given the source materials and their limitations. Assignment records are a work in progress and we are always improving the records that we post. Please email us with new information and corrections.

This assignment record collates McGann's career history as it is represented in the Official Catholic Directory with the allegations against him, as reported in the media. We make no representation regarding the truth of the allegations we report, and we remind our readers that the U.S. legal system presumes that a person accused of or charged with a crime is innocent until proven guilty. Similarly, individuals who may be defendants in civil actions are presumed not to be liable for such claims unless a plaintiff proves otherwise. Admissions of guilt or liability are not typically a part of civil or private settlements. For more information, see our posting policy.

This assignment record was last updated on July 24, 2016.