Society of African Missions – SMA

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Terry McKiernan February 27, 2021

7 Accused in This Religious Order

Fr. Cyril J. Donnelly

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Order: SMA
Ordained: 1933
Status: Accused

Died: 01/8/1994
Diocese: Diocese of Orlando FL

Born in England, ordained in Belgium. Member of the Society for African Missions. Spent early priesthood in West Africa. British Colonial Service military chaplain during WWII, resumed work in West Africa afterward. Arrived in Port Orange, FL in 1964, assigned to Church of the Epiphany. Assigned 1969 until his death in 1994 to Our Lady of Lourdes in Melborne, FL. Named publicly as credibly accused by the Orlando diocese on its list 10/6/2021. List spells name 'Donnelley.' The Official Catholic Directory shows 'Donnelly.' Died 1/8/1994. Name spelled in the Necrology section of the 1995 Directory 'Donnoly.'

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Fr. James A. Harrold

Order: SMA
Ordained: 1942
Status: Accused

Died: 08/30/2009
Diocese: Diocese of Savannah GA

From Ireland, where he was ordained. Assigned in GA in 1947. Named publicly as accused on the Savannah diocese's list 11/8/2018, his surname misspelled 'Harold.' Middle initial A is given in the Official Catholic Directory. Noted on the list to have worked in the Savannah diocese 1948-1956. Assigned in Atlanta and then to an African-American parish and high school in Savannah. Subsequently he was a fundraiser based in Tenafly NJ, Doylestown PA, and Dedham MA, with two stints as a West African missionary in Liberia. He was also treasurer of the American province 1958-1962 and superior in Dedham 1974-1976. In 1982 he returned to Ireland, where he died 8/30/2009. Included in the 3/24/2023 GA PAC Report. Allegedly raped a minor in 1957, resulting in the birth of a boy.

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Fr. Bartholomew Keohane

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Order: SMA
Ordained: 1929
Status: Accused

Died: 12/5/1989
Diocese: Diocese of Savannah GA

Assigned in West Africa, GA and CA. Named publicly as accused on the Savannah diocese's list 11/8/2018. Noted to have worked in the diocese 1947-1961. Died December 5, 1989, age 85. Had been living in Tenafly, NJ. Included in the 3/24/2023 GA PAC Report. Report to the Savannah diocese in 2002 that Keohane sexually abused two girls in the 1950s.

Assignments:

GA PAC Report 03.24.23

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Fr. Bernard J. Lynch

Order: SMA
Ordained: 1971
Status: Sued

Diocese: Archdiocese of New York NY

Lynch and Marist Bro.Timothy Brady were accused in 1987 of abuse of boys at Mount St. Michael Academy in the Bronx. Lynch was the school's chaplain, Brady was acting principal. Lynch returned to Ireland when the investigation began. Indicted in 1988. Brady was convicted. Lynch was tried in 1989 on charges he fondled one former Mount St. Michael's student; Lynch's lawyer said it was the boy who made a pass at the priest. Lynch claimed he was subject of witch-hunt because of his AIDS ministry. Found not guilty. Moved to London in 1992; started ministry for closeted gay priests. Order expelled him in 11/11. Not laicized. Lynch announced in 2012 memoir he married a man 14 years earlier. In 2017 working as counselor and spiritual director in London. Lawsuit 11/19 claiming abuse of another boy, age 16, in the Bronx 1978-79. Reportedly in 9/21 the lawsuit was dropped.

Assignments:

BA.org Assignment Record

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Fr. S. John Murray

Order: SMA
Ordained: 1956
Status: Accused

Died: 05/17/1996
Diocese: Diocese of Savannah GA

Named publicly on the Savannah diocese's list 11/8/2018. Noted to have worked in the diocese 1959-1960. Included in the 3/24/2023 GA PAC Report, which notes that he was assigned in the diocese 1957-1960. Murray died in 1996. In 2004 a woman disclosed that she was sexually abused 1956-1958 at ages 7-9 by Murray and Fr. Adophe Gall, at Immaculate Conception in Augusta, GA.

Assignments:

GA PAC Report 03.24.23

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Fr. Denis O’Driscoll

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Order: SMA
Ordained: 1956
Status: Settled

Died: 10/15/1994
Diocese: Archdiocese of Boston MA

From Ireland, where he was ordained in 1956. Priest of the Society of African Missions until 1982, when he was possibly incardinated into the Boston archdiocese. He appears to have begun work in the archdiocese in 1977. He died in 1994 in Ireland, age 64. Accused in a lawsuit that settled in 4/2020 in the mid-five figures of sexually abusing a boy, ages 8-9, in 1979-1980 while assigned to St. Paul's in Hingham. The abuse allegedly occurred in the parish school, where the boy was a student.

Assignments:

Garabedian Law Offices Assignment Record

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Fr. Eugene Riordan

Order: SMA
Ordained: 1953
Status: Settled

Diocese: Archdiocese of Boston MA

From Ireland. Worked in MA, Liberia, NJ, MD. Retired in 2005, living until at least 2011 at his order's provincialate in Tenafly, NJ. Accused in a claim settled in 2020 in the mid-five figures of sexually abusing a girl, ages 13-14, in 1961-1962, while assigned to Queen of Apostles Seminary in Dedham, MA.

Assignments:

Garabedian Law Offices Assignment Record

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