Assignment Record– Msgr. Francis S. Shea

Summary of Case: Francis S. Shea was ordained for the Archdiocese of Boston in 1932. He assisted briefly at St. Mary's in Dedham and, for twenty-two years, was pastor of St. Ann's in West Bridgewater. He taught theology and music at St. John's Seminary for many years and he was a member of the Tribunal and the Archdiocesan Music Commission. He died in 1972. Shea's name was included on a list of accused priests posted by the Law Offices of Mitchell Garabedian on January 19, 2011.

Born: 1904
Ordained: 1932
Died: October 13, 1972

Source: Official Catholic Directory (New York: P.J. Kenedy and Sons, 1935-1973); Shea Assignment History, Archdiocese of Boston

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 Shea'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 November 2, 2015.