Paulist Fathers – CSP - BishopAccountability.org

14 Accused in This Religious Order

Fr. Ronald Francis Burt

Order: CSP
Ordained: 1951
Status: Accused

Died: 10/24/1994
Diocese: Archdiocese of Los Angeles CA

Named publicly as accused by the Paulist order on its list 3/8/2019. It notes allegations reported in in 1986 and 2018 of abuse at Good Shepherd Parish in New York 1973-1979. Burt died 10/24/1994.

Assignments:

Paulist Fathers List 03.08.19

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Paulist Fathers List 03.08.19

Fr. David Paul Chandler

Donate Photo

Order: CSP
Ordained: 1975
Status: Accused

Diocese: Archdiocese of Los Angeles CA

Named as accused by the Los Angeles archdiocese in its "Final Addendum to the Report to the People of God" in 10/2008. Included on the Paulists' list 3/8/2019. It notes allegations received in 1986 and 2004 of abuse in 1982 at St. Paul the Apostle in Los Angeles. Chandler went on leave of absence 1981-1982, then left the Paulists. Included on the Diocese of Tucson's list of credibly accused.

Assignments:

Paulist Fathers List 03.08.19

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Fr. Thomas J. Dove

Order: CSP
Ordained: 1961
Status: Accused

Died: 10/2/2020
Diocese: Archdiocese of Los Angeles CA

Named publicly as accused by the Los Angeles archdiocese on its list updated 12/6/2018. It notes an allegation received in 2014 of incidents 1972-1977. Allegations were reportedly of the sexual abuse of a minor female at the Catholic Information Center in L.A. He worked in L.A. 1965-1974. Assigned to the Paulist Center in Boston 1961-1962. Removed from ministry in 2014, living at a Paulist residence in San Francisco; still there in 2019. On the Paulists' list 3/8/2019. Included in the Memphis diocese's report 2/28/2020. Dove died in 10/2020. Included in 10/2022 on the Chicago archdiocese's list, where he was assigned 1985-1992. Included in the IL Attorney General's Report 5/23/2023.

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Fr. Vincent Francis Holden

Order: CSP
Ordained: 1937
Status: Accused

Died: 08/23/1972
Diocese: Archdiocese of New York NY

Named publicly as accused by the Paulists on their list updated 10/7/19. Allegation reported in 2010 and 2019 of abuse in 1943 at St. Paul the Apostle in New York City. Died 8/23/1972.

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Paulist Fathers List updated 10.07.19

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Paulist Fathers List updated 10.07.19

Fr. Stephan Leslie Johnson

Donate Photo

Order: CSP
Ordained: 1981
Status: Accused

Diocese: Diocese of Norwich CT

Named publicly as accused by the Paulists and the Diocese of Norwich on their lists 3/8/2019. Worked in the L.A. archdiocese, and the dioceses of Norwich and Columbus. Leave of Absence 1995-1996, left the order in 7/1996. Allegations reported in 2018, stemming from his time in CT 1985-1987. Added to the Columbus diocese's list 5/23/2019.

Assignments:

Paulist Fathers List 03.08.19

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Fr. Thomas Reon Paul Marshall, Jr.

Order: CSP
Ordained: 1959
Status: Indicted

Died: 12/24/2012
Diocese: Archdiocese of Los Angeles CA

Transferred to Canada in 1966 from Chicago. Charged in 2003 with 20 counts of lewd acts upon child under age 14 1959-1963, while working in Los Angeles. At least three accusers there. The District Attorney was attempting to extradite as of 2003. Named in a 12/2003 civil suit. In residence at the Paulist Centre for Catholic Evangelization in Toronto, ON, Canada, per the Paulist website accessed 9/19/2009. Included on the Buffalo diocese's list updated 11/5/2018. On the Paulists' list 3/8/2019. It notes allegations reported 2002, 2003, 2008 and 2018, of abuse in Los Angeles 1959-1960, 1960-1962, 1961-1962; 1956 and 1959 in Lake George NY, and in Buffalo NY in 1982. The list shows that Marshall died 12/24/2012. Included in 10/2022 on the Chicago archdiocese's list. Included in the 5/23/2023 IL Attorney General's Report. Buffalo's list in 9/2025 notes that Marshall was removed from ministry and living in a nursing home outside the U.S., despite the Paulists noting his death in 2012.

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Fr. Robert Michele

Order: CSP
Ordained: 1955
Status: Sued

Died: 09/23/2020
Diocese: Archdiocese of Portland OR

Worked in Austin TX, Portland OR, and in missions throughout the US. Accused of sexually assaulting a girl in OR beginning in 1964. The 'relationship' continued beyond her 18th birthday in 1965, until 1969. She filed suit in federal court. Michele retired in 2004. The Paulists announced in 11/2018 that it had received a "credible and substantiated allegation" of abuse of a minor female, occurring when he was assigned to St. Philip Neri parish in Portland 1964-1968, and 1972-1973. The Order said, too, that there was a previous allegation, in 2002, of sexual misconduct with another minor female, found at the time to be inconclusive. Michele, age 90 in 11/2018, was living in a skilled nursing facility and prohibited from ministering as a priest. Name included on the Mobile archdiocese's list 12/6/2018. On Baltimore's list 12/14/2018. On Paulists' list 3/08/2019. Died 9/23/2020. Mentioned in the 4/5/2023 MD Attorney General's Report.

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Fr. John Dennis Mitchell

Order: CSP
Ordained: 1938
Status: Accused

Died: 12/18/1996
Diocese: Archdiocese of Los Angeles CA

Died 12/18/1996. Accused of abuse of a minor in 1968, per the Errata to the Los Angeles Archdiocesan Report. Included on the Diocese of Charleston's list 3/29/2019. On the Paulists' list 3/8/2019, which notes the one allegation received in 1994 of abuse in Los Angeles in 1968. Included in 11/2021 on the Diocese of Nashville's list, where he is noted to have been assigned briefly in 1938 and to have given missions in 1942.

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Fr. Rocco Francis Perone

Order: CSP
Ordained: 1949
Status: Settled

Died: 05/5/1992
Diocese: Archdiocese of Portland OR

Accused of molesting more than a dozen boys 1951-1956 in OR. Accused in 1956 of molesting a boy in Casper, WY. Died 5/5/1992. Accused in lawsuits filed in 2001 and 2002. Also accused of abuse in Austin, TX where he worked 1957-1988. Sent to treatment. Worked in other dioceses across the country. The Portland OR archdiocese paid more than $2.8M in 2003-2004 to settle most claims. Included on the Beaumont diocese's list updated 4/24/2019. On the Cheyenne diocese's list 6/12/2019. On the Paulists' list 3/8/2019. It notes multiple cases 1950-1956 in OR, reported in 2002, a report in 2018 of alleged abuse in OK 1958-1962 and a report in 2019 of alleged abuse in TX 1968-1970. On the Oklahoma City archdiocese's list 10/3/2019. Included in the 5/23/2023 IL Attorney General's Report.

Fr. Edward Augustine Sheehy

Order: CSP
Ordained: 1940
Status: Accused

Died: 10/3/1988
Diocese: Diocese of San Diego CA

Ordained for the Diocese of Portland, ME in 1940. Joined the Paulists in 1950. Died in 1988. Named publicly as accused by the Paulist Order on its list 3/19/2019. Allegation received in 2003 of abuse in San Diego 1955-1957. Worked in Boston, San Francisco, Johannesburg, S.A., Los Angeles, New York and Baltimore. On the Baltimore archdiocese's list 5/7/2019. The Paulists' updated list in 10/2020 shows an allegation of abuse occurring at St. Peter's Minor Seminary in Baltimore in 1968, reported in 2020. Mentioned in the 4/5/2023 MD Attorney General's Report.

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Fr. Francis Michael Sweeney

Order: CSP
Ordained: 1961
Status: Accused

Died: 08/31/2013
Diocese: Archdiocese of Baltimore MD

Assigned in MA, MN, CA, MD, DC, OH, NY. The Baltimore archdiocese announced in 12/1993 that it had removed Sweeney from the chaplaincy of Charlestown Retirement Community in Catonsville because of 'inappropriate sexual contact with minors.' The Community was informed on 12/5/1993. Cardinal Keeler's 9/25/2002 list stated that in 1993 Sweeney had 'disclosed that he had sexually abused two individuals during the late 1970s and early 1980s.' Keeler provides a partial assignment history for Sweeney, failing to include his position as adjunct faculty 1986-1994 at St. Mary Seminary, where Keeler was Chancellor. Sweeney underwent evaluation and treatment in 1993, then was transferred to Boston, where the Directory lists him as working at the Paulist Center 1997-2002. In the 2003-2004 Directories, after Keeler released his list, Sweeney's name is adjusted from Francis M. to Frank M., and he is listed as residing at the Paulist Generalate in the NY archdiocese. He died in the NY archdiocese on 8/31/2013. Included on the Archdiocese of Los Angeles list in 1/2013. Per the Paulists in 12/2018, Sweeney was accused of abuse while at the University of MD Base Community of Relay. Included in the 4/5/2023 MD Attorney General's Report. In 4/2019 a man told the A.G.'s Office that Sweeney anally raped him at age 6 in 1991.

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Fr. Thomas Fergus Tierney

Order: CSP
Ordained: 1924
Status: Accused

Died: 12/24/1972
Diocese: Diocese of Austin TX

Named publicly as accused by the Paulist order on its list 3/8/2019. The list notes an a report in 1993 of alleged abuse in in Austin TX in 1943. Tierney died 12/24/1972. Included on the Diocese of Tucson's list of credibly accused. Included on the Diocese of Charleston's 8/20/2021 list of credibly accused.

Assignments:

Paulist Fathers List 03.08.19

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Fr. Rudolph T. Vorisek

Order: CSP
Ordained: 1956
Status: Accused

Died: 05/18/2011
Diocese: Archdiocese of Los Angeles CA

Named publicly as accused on the Los Angeles archdiocese's updated list 12/6/2018, which notes a report in 2013 of incidents 1966-1970. Per his obituary, Vorisek was a campus minister at U.C. Santa Barbara (Isla Vista) 1968-1976. He died 5/18/2011. Included on the Baltimore archdiocese's list 4/24/2019, where he was assigned to St. Peter's Minor Seminary 1957-1968. On the Paulists' list 3/8/2019. Mentioned in the 4/5/2023 MD Attorney General's Report.

Assignments:

Paulist Fathers List 03.08.19

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Fr. Anthony Joseph Wilhelm

Order: CSP
Ordained: 1954
Status: Accused

Died: 07/7/1999
Diocese: Archdiocese of St. Paul & Minneapolis, MN

Named publicly as accused by the Paulist order on its list 3/8/19. It notes an allegation reported in 2017 of abuse in Minneapolis in 1964, and that the report was part of the MN Child Victims Act. Wilhelm left the Paulists 8/20/75 and died 7/7/99.

Assignments:

Paulist Fathers List 03.08.19

Sources:

Paulist Fathers List 03.08.19