BishopAccountability.org has launched a
project to gather and post the assignment records of every U.S. Catholic priest who has been
accused of sexual abuse since 1940, so that vulnerable communities can be identified and
bishops' transfer policies can be determined.
See below for a brief description of assignment records and their importance, easy ways that you can help with this project, and our initial list of assignment records. For a more detailed account of assignment record research and how you can volunteer, see our guide.
Assignment Records: Why They Are Important
An assignment record lists all the
diocesan and parish appointments of a priest, including telltale periods of sick leave. A detailed
assignment record, like this assignment
record of John Geoghan created by the Boston Globe, identifies populations that have
been placed at risk, and is also cross-referenced with a list of accusations, so that the transfer
policies of the priest's bishops can be evaluated. By identifying a priests' seminary class and the
colleagues with whom he has worked, an assigment record can also begin to identify the circle of
colleagues who kept the priest's activities secret and who might even have been involved in the
abuse themselves.
Assignment records are all around us:
* Newspaper
accounts of the crisis
* Diocesan
records
* Investigative
files
* Obituaries and
other old newspaper reports
But these records are dispersed and difficult to find, and
complete assignment records for most accused priests are not publicly available. We urge the U.S.
bishops to publish detailed assignment records with treatment episodes and accusation dates for
every abuser. In the meantime, we are undertaking this work of research and collection ourselves.
See our initial
collection of assignment records below.
Volunteering
for the Assignment Record Project
Please send us any assignment records that
know about or come across:
* In your daily newspaper reading
* In your personal experience, if
you are a survivor of abuse
* In the research that you've done, if you are a lawyer or a reporter
working in this area
If you would like to join the Service Record Project as a volunteer --
for a few hours, or a few hours per week, or anything in between -- please read our guide to
service record research, and email us
to let us know you're interested. This is work that you can do at a local Catholic college library
or at most central city libraries, and you can email, snail mail, or even phone us the
results.
List of Assignment Records
The staff at
BishopAccountability.org has begun to assemble a library of assignment records for accused priests
and others who figure in the crisis.Some we have developed ourselves from the Official
Catholic Directory, diocesan documents, and investigative reports. Others were created by
lawyers and investigative reporters. Others were created by the dioceses themselves and relinquished
under subpoena, or were prepared by the dioceses in response to investigation by law enforcement.
Viewed by Last Name:
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Total Individuals: 243
Return to main database page. See abbreviations and posting policy. Send corrections.
Diocese: Archdiocese of Newark NJ
Diocese: Archdiocese of Boston MA
Pastor of St. Thomas the Apostle 1977-2002. Retired in 2002. Taught previously at Catholic Central High School. Was also an instructor at Mater Christi Seminary and diocesan vocations director. Accused in a lawsuit filed 7/26/21 under the NY Child Victims Act of sexually abusing a 15-year-old in 1974. Per the diocese, Daley maintained his innocence.
Diocese: Archdiocese of Detroit MI
Retired and living at Holy Trinity in Whitestone when accused in a lawsuit filed in summer 2021 under the NY Child Victims Act of sexually abusing a child, age 8, over 30 years previously, while assigned to Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Long Island City.
Ordained for the SVD's Chicago Province. Pittsburgh PA native. At Catholic U. in Washington DC and hospital chaplain at Fort Belvoir VA 1964-66. Went to Timor, Indonesia in 1966 where he spent the next five-plus decades. Accused in early 2018 of sexually abusing at least two dozen girls at Topu Honis Shelter Home, which he founded in 1993. Child pornography also involved. Admitted the allegations to police. Laicized 11/06/18. Refused to leave the orphanage and still saying mass, per SVD Superior General in 2/19. Arrested 4/26/19. Released on house arrest. Trial started in 3/21, postponed to 5/21 due to covid-19, then to 6/7/21. Reportedly threatened the life of the human rights lawyer representing the victims in 7/21, at the district court. Indicted by a federal grand jury in Washington D.C. 8/26/21, charged with 7 counts of illicit sexual conduct in a foreign place.
Diocese: Diocese of St. Petersburg FL
Diocese: Diocese of Dodge City KS
Diocese: Diocese of Fall River MA
Diocese: Archdiocese of Washington DC and MD
Accused in a lawsuit filed by a man 5/24/21 under the NY Child Victims Act of encouraging him 1994-98 as an elementary school boy to engage in sexual acts with four girls "provided" by Dobson and two other priests, Revs. Adolph Kowalczyk and Mieczyslaw "Matt" Nycz. Per the suit, the man feared the priests secretly filmed them. He was a student at Our Lady of the Sacred Heart in Orchard park. Dobson was retired and assisting in parishes when placed on leave due to the allegations.The three priests denied "ever committing any acts of abuse." In 10/21 the diocese's review board determined that the allegations against Dobson, Kowalczyk and Nycz were unsubstantiated. All three were reinstated to ministry.Â
Diocese: Archdiocese of Boston MA
Diocese: Archdiocese of Baltimore MD
Diocese: Archdiocese of Philadelphia PA
Suspended 3/15/18 after diocese was contacted by someone claiming sexual abuse as a minor by Dombrowski. In 7/21 the diocese announced Dombrowski's permanent removal from ministry, and that two additional alleged victims had come forward after the initial allegation, dating to early in his priesthood. Dombrowski was to live a life of prayer and penance. He was added to the diocese's list of credibly accused.
Donachie's name is included in 10/21 on the Franciscans' Holy Name Province's list of those with substantiated allegations against them of child sexual abuse. No details provided as to when or where the abuse occurred. He died in 1979. (Placing him for now in the New York archdiocese, where the Province is based.)
Diocese: Archdiocese of Seattle WA
Accused in a lawsuit filed in 8/21 under the NY Child Victims Act of sexually abusing an altar boy, age 14, in 1987 while assigned to Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Lakeview. Kept in ministry until suspended in 9/21 pending the investigation of accusation(s) of abuse reportedly discovered in documents filed in the diocese's bankruptcy case. Donohue denied the allegations.
Diocese: Archdiocese of New York NY
Diocese: Diocese of Manchester NH
Duffy's name is included in 10/21 on the Franciscans' Holy Name Province's list of those with substantiated allegations against them of child sexual abuse. No details provided as to when or where the abuse occurred. He died in 2000. (Placing him for now in the New York archdiocese, where the Province is based.)
Diocese: Diocese of Gallup NM
Accused in a 2019 lawsuit(s) under the NY Child Victims Act of child sexual abuse. Duggan died in 1975. In 8/21 the Diocese announced that its Review Board had determined that the allegations against Duggan were substantiated.
Diocese: Diocese of Rockville Centre NY
