8 Accused in This Religious Order
- Boston Faculties Record
- Letter Documenting Ahern’s Work with Shanley
- BA.org Assignment History
- Stigmatine Biography
- Diocese of Springfield MA List updated 06.02.21
- Restricted from Springfield MA & Difficulties in Lynn
- Description of 1959-61 Abuse
- Letter re allegations of abuse by Ahern and others 08.18.93
- Boston Globe 08.10.02
- Boston Globe 12.12.02
- Boston Herald 12.12.02
- Michael Moe et al v The Trustees of the Stigmatine Fathers, Inc aka Congregation of the Sacred Stigmata et al, Cause No 05-0059, 06.04.08
- CBS 3 12.09.08
- WWLP 12.09.08
- Boston Globe 11.20.11
- Telegram & Gazette 03.21.12
- Berkshire Eagle 01.13.19
- Berkshire Eagle 01.19.19
- Diocese of Springfield MA List updated 06.02.21
- The Berkshire Eagle 06.02.21
- Union Leader 07.30.02
- Boston Globe 08.10.02
- Union Leader 09.06.02
- Union Leader 11.27.02
- Boston Globe 12.17.02
- Documents from Manchester Report 03.03.03
- NH Dist Atty Report on Manchester Diocese 03.03.03
- Union Leader 03.04.03
- Union Leader 03.04.03
- Union Leader 03.04.03
- WMUR 08.05.04
- Springfield Republican 01.07.05
- Michael Moe et al v The Trustees of the Stigmatine Fathers, Inc aka Congregation of the Sacred Stigmata et al, Cause No 05-0059, 06.04.08
- Press Release by The Office of Stobierski & Stobierski, 12.03.08
- Boston Globe 11.20.11
- Diocese of Manchester List 07.31.19
Fr. Richard J. Ahern
Parish priest. Worked in the Archdioceses of Boston and NYC and Dioceses of Richmond VA and Springfield MA. Director of a summer camp for boys in the 1960s in Wellesley, MA. Several lawsuits. At least four men have come forward alleging abuse by Ahern as children, three of them at the camp. Also accused of abusing a Richmond VA altar boy 1959-1961. The Stigmatines knew of allegations as early as 1979. Ministry restricted by 1988. Ahern died 2/1/2001. Omitted from the 2011 Boston AD database because he was an order priest. Settlement of $75K from the Springfield diocese to one man in 2008. Added to the Springfield diocese's list 6/2/2021, which notes more than one credible allegation, of abuse 1968-1969 and 1980.
Assignments:
Sources:
Fr. Ronald Dorsey
Accused in a 2004 lawsuit of sex abuse in the early 1950s of a 12-year-old boy at Camp Wyoma in Hinsdale MA, in the Springfield diocese, while a Stigmatine seminarian in the Boston area. Left the Stigmatines in 1969, moved to Ajijic, Jalisco, México. Involved in local parish in the Diocese of San Juan de los Lagos, and started Niños de Chapala for needy children and adults. He died on 7/19/2008.
Assignments:
Sources:
Fr. Joseph E. Flood
Died in 1996. Accused in 8/2002 of having abused two or more students at Elm Bank minor seminary in Wellesley in the late 1950s. Added to the Springfield MA diocese's list 6/2/2021. Worked in the diocese 1971-1985. Noted to have multiple credible allegations of abuse against him, occurring 1971-1984.
Br. John E. Fowler
Joined the Stigmatines in 1948, made first vows in 1950 and final vows in 1956. Assistant infirmarian for the Order and secretary to the provincial in Waltham MA 1957-1965, and in Springfield MA. Was later administrator of the Waltham retirement residence. Died in 10/2000. Fowler's name was turned over to authorities for investigation of possible abuse charges in 2002. A 7/2004 news report noted that a man sued the Boston archdiocese and Albany diocese alleging abuse by Fowler when he attended Elm Bank Minor Seminary in MA and by an Albany priest as an adult. When he told another priest about the abuse, the priest tried to have the abusers punished. Instead, the priest bringing the complaints was punished by being transferred at least twice. Omitted from the 2011 Boston AD Database.
Fr. Leo P. Landry
Pleaded guilty in 8/2004 to sexual abuse charges in MA. Sentenced to lifetime probation. Allegations against Landry also in Springfield MA and Manchester NH. Multiple victims in the 1950s,1960s and 1970s. Multiple civil suits. Also worked in Canada. Laicized in 1972. One claim was settled in Springfield MA in 2004 and two in 2008. Omitted from the Boston archdiocese's 2011 database.
Assignments:
Sources:
Fr. Leo Thomas Riley
A man said in 2002 he was sexually abused by Riley over a four-year period in the late 1950s at the Elm Bank Minor Seminary. The alleged victim told the Stigmatine's head at the time of the abuse; Riley was transferred. When the man brought the matter to the order's attention again in 2002, they admitted knowledge of the original complaint and said the information was not shared with anyone and was not entered into Riley's records. Riley died in 1995.
Assignments:
Sources:
Fr. Charles J. Ring
Named publicly as accused by Attorney Mitchell Garabedian on 5/7/2019. Ring died 6/14/1986.
Fr. Nicholas J. Spagnolo
Personnel files released in 2/2003 show that Spagnolo was accused of molesting teenage girls in the 1960s. One accuser went to the Archdiocese and Order in 1993 and he admitted he "violated boundaries" while counseling females in the 1960s. He was ordered not to minister without supervision. He continued to try to organize retreats for lay and religious women. In 2002 he was working in Lexington MA. Spagnolo died 12/25/2013. His name is included in 1/2021 on the Diocese of Fall River's list of accused. Noted to have had "limited faculties to assist in charitable work on Cape Cod."