Assignment Record– Rev. Alfred M. Murphy, o.s.a. (or Alfred E.)

Summary of Case: A priest of the Augustinina Order ordained in 1956, Murphy worked in Washington DC, New York, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania. In a lawsuit settled by the Augustinians in 1992, Murphy was accused of having sexually abused a 17-year-old boy for 21 consecutive nights during a 1983 cross-country trip. Murphy was subsequently removed from active ministry, according to the Order, and sent to live at the at their provincial headquarters in Villanova, Pennsylvania.

Ordained: 1956

     

Start Stop Assignment Town/Accusations State Position Notes

1956

Washington archbishop was John Michael McNamara (1947-1960).

1957 Augustinian College Washington D.C.

This was an Augustinian seminary with 60 students.

Murphy's middle initial is sometimes E and sometimes M in the Directories throughout his career.

1957

New York archbishop was Francis Joseph Spellman (1939-1967).

1959 Augustinian Preparatory Seminary Staten Island NY  

1959

Brooklyn bishop was Bryan Joseph McEntegart (1957-1968).

1961 St. Nicholas of Tolentine Brooklyn (Jamaica) NY 4/5, 5/6 Parish had a school with 462-453 boys and 448-439 girls.

1961

Boston archbishop was Richard James Cushing (1944-1970).

1962 St. Augustine's Andover MA 4/5 Parish had a school with 234 boys and 276 girls.
1961 1962 St. Joseph's Ballardvale MA   This was a mission of St. Augustine's in Andover.
1962 1968 St. Mary's Lawrence MA 8/10, 8/9, 9/9, 9/10 Parish had an elementary school with 162-107 boys and 181-123 girls, until 1967. It had a high school with 670-578 girls. Also listed is St. Rita's School with 230-164 boys and 277-146 girls.
1962 1968 Immaculate Conception Lawrence MA   This was a mission of St. Mary's in Lawrence.
1962 1968 SS. Peter and Paul (Portuguese) Lawrence MA   This was a mission of St. Mary's in Lawrence.

1968

Philadelphia archbishop was John Joseph Krol (1961-1988).

1972? St. Mary's Hall Villanova PA vocations director

This was a study house for the Augustinian Fathers.

Murphy is indexed as at St. Mary's Hall in the 1972 Directory, but he is not listed there in the Philadelphia archdiocesan pages.

1972

Boston archbishop was Humberto Sousa Medeiros (1970-1983), followed by Bernard Francis Law (1984-2002).

1984 Assumption B.M.V.

Lawrence

• Accused of repeatedly molesting a 17 year old boy in 1983. The two were on a cross-country trip in Murphy's camper, and the priest is said to have assaulted the boy for 21 consecutive nights. The boy tried to stay awake for as long as possible each night to prevent the abuse. The same boy is said to have been also sexually abused by Rev. George J. Callaghan, o.s.a. Callaghan and Murphy's assignments overlapped at times during their careers. (Boston Globe
December 12, 2002)

MA 1/2, 1/3

Murphy is referred to as "Very Rev." in the 1978 and 1979 Directories.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Callaghan and Murphy's assignments overlapped at times during their careers

1984

1987

1986

1992

 Austin Preparatory School Reading MA  

Austin Prep. had 600-415 students.

Murphy is not indexed or listed at Austin Prep. in the 1987 Directory.

1986 1992 Merrimack College North Andover MA    
1992 1993        

Murphy is not indexed in the 1993 Directory, nor is he listed in the Boston archdiocesan pages at his previous assignment.

The Augustinian order settled in 1992 with the man who accused Murphy of molesting him during a1983 camping trip. (Boston Globe
December 12, 2002)

1993 1997 Merrimack College North Andover MA   Although the Directories continue to list Murphy at Merrimack College through 1997, he is said to have been removed from active ministry"as soon as the allegations became known". (Boston Globe
December 12, 2002)

1996

Philadelphia archbishop was Anthony Joseph Bevilacqua (1987-2003).

1999 Provincial Offices of the Order of St. Augustine, Province of St. Thomas of Villanova Villanova PA provincial archivist  
1999 2000 St. Augustine Friary Villanova PA    

2000

Bevilacqua was succeeded by Justin Francis Regali (2003- ).

2005 St. Thomas Monastery Villanova PA    
2005 2009 St. Augustine Friary Villanova PA    


Source: Official Catholic Directory (New York: P.J. Kenedy and Sons, 1957-2009)

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.

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 Murphy's career history as it is represented in the Official Catholic Directory with allegations as reported in the media. We make no representation regarding the truth of the allegation 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 June 9, 2010.