Marist Brothers / Marist Brothers of the Schools – FMS

15 Accused in This Religious Order

Br. Xavier Leonard Boulanger

Order: FMS
Status: Settled

Died: 08/26/1987
Diocese: Archdiocese of Boston MA

In a 2005 civil lawsuit a man alleged that he was abused as a minor by Br. Leonard Xavier, a teacher at Central Catholic High School in Lawrence, in 1967-1968. The suit involved multiple plaintiffs and named multiple priests as defendants. Attorney Durso said that almost all claims were settled. Br. Leonard died in 1987. His obituary gave his name as "Xavier Leonard Boulanger." Omitted from 2011 Boston AD database. A man in his 60s sued in 5/2017, alleging abuse at Central Catholic as a boy by Boulanger and three other Marist brothers. He said he told the principal, but no action.

Assignments:

Marists All – Obituary 08.26.87

Sources:

Br. Timothy Brady

Order: FMS
Status: Convicted

Diocese: Archdiocese of New York NY

Joined the Marists in 1964. Acting principal in 1987 of Mount St. Michael Academy, a boys' high school in the Bronx, when accused of sexually abusing three students. Arrested and charged in 1988. Sentenced to prison. Records were sealed. Assigned to Marist High School in Chicago at least 1995-2003, where he was, among other roles, hockey club moderator. Brady remained a Marist brother in 6/2010, per the order's website. Living as of 12/2024 in Arizona, said to be teaching at Wayland Baptist University.

Sources:

Br. Brendan Brennan

Order: FMS
Status: Sued

Died: 10/19/2020
Diocese: Archdiocese of Boston MA

Joined the order in 1955, made final vows in 1962. Taught at Marist schools in the Bronx, Poughkeepsie, and Lincolnville NY, Lawrence MA, Eugene OR, and Chicago IL. Accused in a 2023 lawsuit of sexually abusing a boy, age 16, in 1980. Brennan's alleged victim was a student and athlete at Central Catholic High School in Lawrence MA; Brennan was a teacher and the head athletic trainer. Brennan died 10/19/2020 at age 84 in the Bronx, NY.

Sources:

Brother Albert

Donate Photo

Order: FMS
Status: Sued

Diocese: Archdiocese of Boston MA

Named in a 2005 civil lawsuit as having sexually abused a boy at Central Catholic High School, Lawrence, 1969-1971. Br. Albert was a teacher the school and the boy was a student. The suit involved multiple plaintiffs and named multiple priests as defendants. Per Attorney Durso, almost all claims were settled.

Sources:

Br. Damian Galligan

Order: FMS
Status: Settled

Diocese: Archdiocese of New York NY

Marist brother working in the NY archdiocese. In 2013 was retired and living in a MO facility. Accused in a 2009 suit of abusing a boy in NJ for a period of 5 years, 1977-83. Suit filed in federal court in DE since two incidences occurred in 1981 in DE during a trip to Washington DC. Galligan testified in a video deposition that he did abuse the plaintiff and others. Trial held in 11/13. Jury awarded $2.4M against Galligan. Plaintiff did not expect to collect but wanted suit against NY and Order reinstated.

Sources:

Br. Lawrence Gordon

Donate Photo

Order: FMS
Status: Convicted

Diocese: Archdiocese of New York NY

Assistant principal of the all-boys Mount St. Michael Academy in Bronx. Found to be in possession of child pornography on a USB drive in 2/2011. The was D.A. not notified until 3/2011. Gordon was arrested, pleaded guilty and was sentenced, all on the same day in 11/2011. Sentenced to treatment for one year at St. Luke's Institute and deferred adjudication. The public was not notified of the charges until after sentencing.

Sources:

Br. Lawrence M. Halsey

Donate Photo

Order: FMS
Status: Sued

Diocese: Archdiocese of Portland OR

Known as Brother Cronin, Halsey is accused in a 2002 civil suit of abusing a teenage girl 1968-72 at Marist high school in Eugene. Another woman also alleged molestation when she was in high school but later withdrew her claim. Halsey left the order, married, and was living in Oregon as of 2002.

Sources:

Br. James Barron Holsenbach

Donate Photo

Order: FMS
Status: Accused

Diocese: Archdiocese of Boston MA

Holsenbach, also known as Brother Stanislaus, is accused in complaints made in 2002 of abuse in 1958 and 1960 at Central Catholic High. He was forced to leave the Marist order in 1961, possibly as the result of a disciplinary action involving sexual misconduct. Name is spelled Holsenback in some news reports. Died in 5/2006. Omitted from the 2011 Boston Archdiocese's database.

Sources:

Br. Vincent Jerome

Order: FMS
Status: Settled

Diocese: Archdiocese of Newark NJ

Associated with Marist Brothers' High School and Roselle Catholic High School. Taught in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Japan. Last known to be living in 2008 at Marist Retirement Residence in Miami, FL. In 4/12 Attorney Mitchell Garabedian announced a recent settlement of at least one claim involving Jerome.

Sources:

Garabedian List via BishopAccountability 04.11.12

Br. Edward Michael Lavigne

Donate Photo

Order: FMS
Status: Accused

Died: 04/19/1992
Diocese: Archdiocese of Boston MA

Entered the order in 1921, made final vows in 1927. Died in 1992. Per his obituary, Lavigne was assigned to schools in MA, NY, GA, FL, IL Montreal, Quebec and Guam. Accused in 2001 of sexual abuse in 1967 when while teaching at Central Catholic High in Lawrence MA. He worked at the school 1964-1972 and again as a part-time volunteer 1985-1986. He was removed in 1986 following a complaint by a student of "inappropriate behavior." There is no record of complaints in his files but Marist officials acknowledged "it is possible that complaints lodged during those years were not recorded." His name was omitted from the Boston Archdiocese's 2011 database. In 5/2017 a man in his 60s alleged abuse at age 14-15 by Lavigne and three other Marist brothers at Central Catholic, including Xavier Leonard Boulanger. The man said he told the principal, who did nothing but move him out of the Lavigne's algebra class.

Assignments:

BA.org Assignment Record

Sources:

Br. Peter Louis

Donate Photo

Order: FMS
Status: Sued

Diocese: Archdiocese of Newark NJ

Named publicly in 11/21 by Attorney Jeff Anderson as accused in a lawsuit filed under the NJ Victims’ Rights Bill.

Sources:

Jeff Anderson and Associates 11.18.21

Br. Howard Murphy

Order: FMS
Status: Sued

Diocese: Diocese of Rockville Centre NY

Murphy, a teacher and guidance counselor at St. Mary's High School in Manhasset in 1984, was named as a defendant in one of two civil suits filed in 4/03. Suits contain allegations for the first time against 9 priests and brothers. Abuse by Murphy is alleged to have occurred in 1984 during a retreat in upstate New York. Sexual and psychological abuse alleged. Included in 3/21 on the diocese's list of accused.

Assignments:

Sources:

Br. Robert Ryan

Order: FMS
Status: Settled

Died: 04/19/2017
Diocese: Archdiocese of Portland OR

Died in 4/17. Accused in a lawsuit filed in 10/27/20 of sexually abusing a boy 1975-77. The boy was a student at Marist High in Eugene OR and Ryan was a vice-principal. His accuser said Ryan also abused other students. Transferred around 1978, per another suit, to Marist High in Chicago IL. This suit was filed in 3/21 by a man alleging abuse as a student in the early 1980s at St. Mary's College Prep in Manhasset, NY, where Ryan was assigned around 1979. The abuse allegedly began when the man was age 13, went on for two years, and included sodomy and plying the boy with drugs and alcohol. Numerous other students were also allegedly abused. Abuse is said to have included sadomasochism. Per the plaintiff, he told the order in the early 1990s, yet Ryan was allowed to continue to work at Camp Marist in NH. The plaintiff received settlements from the school in 1993 and in 2006. The suit seeks to void the earlier settlements, and claims fraud.

Sources:

Br. Gregory J. Sutton

Order: FMS
Status: Guilty plea

Diocese: Archdiocese of St. Louis MO

From Australia. Sent to Southdown in Toronto, Canada in 1987 for treatment. Met and married a former nun at Southdown and the two married in 1992. Lived in Chicago in 1992 where he earned a master's degree from Loyola University. Moved to Missouri. Was principal of St. Dismas Catholic School in Florissant for two years when arrested in 8/1995, charged with sexually abusing students - boys and girls- in Australia in the 1980s. One victim said Sutton threatened to kill her family if she told. No known allegations in MO. Extradited at the request of Australian officials in 5/1996 after several court battles. U.S. officials knew he was wanted in Australia for almost a year but did not know he was a school principal. Pleaded guilty In Australia in 5/1996 to numerous charges of abuse. Sentenced to 18 years in jail on 67 charges against 15 children. Released from jain in 2008. As of 5/2014, he had been ranked as one of Australia's most-publicized child sex offenders. In 2017 Sutton was given a suspended sentence for the sexual assault of two boys in the 1980s. In 3/2025 he received another suspended sentence after pleading guilty to sexually abusing a boy, ages 9-12, from 1973-1975.

Sources:

Br. Kenneth Ward

Order: FMS
Status: Sued

Diocese: Archdiocese of Miami FL

Former dean of students at Msgr. Edward Pace High School. Allegations reported to police in 2006; the Archdiocese says it did not learn of them until Fall, 2012. In an 8/2013 civil suit, three men in their mid-20s alleged that Ward abused them in the early 2000s. He worked at Pace 2000-2006. Spent two more years at Christopher Columbus High School in Westchester. A fourth man sued in 9/2013. Left the order in 2008. Got a state license as a registered nurse in 2012. Worked in a psychiatric hospital.

BishopAccountability.org

Please Donate to BishopAccountability.org

Marist Brothers / Marist Brothers of the Schools – FMS

15 Accused in This Religious Order

Br. Xavier Leonard Boulanger

Assignments:

Sources:

Br. Timothy Brady

Sources:

Br. Brendan Brennan

Sources:

Brother Albert

Sources:

Br. Damian Galligan

Sources:

Br. Lawrence Gordon

Sources:

Br. Lawrence M. Halsey

Sources:

Br. James Barron Holsenbach

Sources:

Br. Vincent Jerome

Sources:

Br. Edward Michael Lavigne

Assignments:

Sources:

Br. Peter Louis

Sources:

Br. Howard Murphy

Assignments:

Sources:

Br. Robert Ryan

Sources:

Br. Gregory J. Sutton

Sources:

Br. Kenneth Ward

Sources: