Assignment Record– Rev. John J. Walsh, O.M.I.

Summary of Case: John J. Walsh was a priest of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate, ordained in 1940. He was moved often during his career, working in dioceses and archdioceses including Ogdensburg NY, New York NY, Fort Wayne IN, Boston MA, Lincoln NE, Indianapolis IN, Columbus OH, Gary IN, Washington DC and Raleigh NC. Walsh died in 1981. In 2003 a woman reported to the Archdiocese that Walsh had sexually abused her at a Lowell MA parish in 1973 or 1974, when she was 13 or 14 years-old. Walsh's Order the and Archdiocese settled with the woman in 2007.

Ordained: 1940
Died: April 24, 1981

     

Start Stop Assignment Town/Accusations State Position Notes

1940

Ogdensburg bishop was Francis Joseph Monaghan (1939-1942).

1941 Dontenwill Novitiate Essex NY Missionary This was a summer school and camp for Oblate Scholastics of Washington D.C.

1941

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

1947 Oblates of Mary Immaculate House of Studies Newburgh NY Missionary 1941-1946, Bursar 1946-1947. This was "for students aspiring to the priesthood in the Congregation of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate".

1947

Fort Wayne bishop was John Francis Noll (1924-1956).

1951 St. Patrick's Ligonier IN 2/4, 2/3  
1947 1951 Sacred Heart Albion IN   This was a mission of St. Patrick's in Ligonier.
1947 1951 Little Flower Chapel Wawasee IN   This was a mission of St. Patrick's in Ligonier.

1951

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

1960? Sacred Heart Lowell MA 3/9, 3/10

Parish had a school with 431-367 boys and 498-392 girls.

Walsh is indexed in the 1960 Directory as at this parish, but is not listed there in the Boston archdiocesan pages.

1951 1960? Farris Memorial Hospital Lowell MA    

1959

Lincoln bishop was James Vincent Casey (1957-1967).

1960 St. Patrick's McCook NE 3/4

Parish had a grammar school with 210 students and a ninth grade with 13 students.

A John Walsh, o.m.i. is indexed and listed at this parish in the 1960 Directory.

1959

 

 1960 Sacred Heart Hayes Co. NE   This was a mission of St. Patrick's in McCook.
1959 1960 St. Anne's Frontier Co. NE   This was a mission of St. Patrick's in McCook

1960

Indianapolis archbishop was Paul Clarence Schulte (1946-1970).

 1961 St. Jude's Spencer IN 1/2  

1961

Columbus bishop was Clarence George Issenman (1957-1964).

1962 Ss. Simon and Jude Columbus OH In residence.  

1962

Gary bishop was Andrew Gregory Grutka (1956-1984).

1963 St. Monica's Gary IN 3/3 Parish had a school with 269 students.

1963

Washington D.C. archbishop was Patrick Aloysius O'Boyle (1947-1973).

1968 Oblate College Washington D.C.    

1968

Raleigh bishop was Vincent Stanislaus Waters (1945-1974).

1969 St. Patrick's Fayetteville N.C. 3/3 Parish had a school with 372 students.

1969

Humberto Sousa Medeiros replaced Cushing as Boston archbishop (1970-1983).

1980 Sacred Heart

Lowell

• In 2003 a woman reported to the archdiocese that she had been sexually abused at age 13 or 14 by Walsh in 1973 or 1974 at Sacred Heart. (Report to Boston archdiocese and MA A.G. 12-18-03)

MA 6/7, 4/8, 4/10, 6/9, 5/8 Parish had a school with 563-410 students.
1980 1981        

Walsh is not indexed in the 1981 Directory, nor is he listed at previous assignment.

Walsh died April 24, 1981.


Source: Official Catholic Directory (New York: P.J. Kenedy and Sons, 1941-1982 )

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 Walsh'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 5, 2015.