ACCUSED PRIESTS WHO WORKED IN NEW HAMPSHIRE PARISHES AND SCHOOLS

In March 2005, NH Catholic activist Carolyn Disco and BishopAccountability.org announced this updated list of priests publicly accused of sexual abuse who have worked in the Manchester diocese. The list was compiled in response to a January 2005 written request from SNAP that has not been acknowledged by the diocese to date. For additional information, see our notes to the table.

McCORMACK’S SUPERVISION OF ACCUSED BOSTON PRIESTS

* Robert M. Burns – When an alleged victim finally files a lawsuit against this known pedophile in 1991, McCormack immediately acts to withhold information from the alleged victim’s lawyer and from the press. See Burns Article 1.

* Joseph K. Coleman – Even though Coleman admits to McCormack that he has sexually abused two teenage boys from his Boston parish, McCormack does not call police or inform parishioners. He instead follows a familiar protocol: he sends Coleman to treatment and then assigns him to be a hospital chaplain. See Coleman Article 1.

* Richard T. Coughlin – The former bishop of the diocese of Orange County, California, says that McCormack never warned him that boys’ choir founder Coughlin, facing multiple allegations of child molestation in Orange, had been credibly accused of sexually abusing boys in Boston many years earlier. See Coughlin Article 1 and 2.

* James D. Foley – In 1993, Foley reveals to McCormack and Cardinal Law that when he was a young priest in the 1960s, he had left the scene of the fatal drug overdose of the mother of his two children. The church leaders do not inform law enforcement officials. In fact, they decide that Foley is still fit for ministry. He continues serving in Boston parishes until 2001. See Foley Article 1.

* Thomas Forry – In 1992, McCormack keeps Forry in ministry after learning that the woman with whom the priest has had an 11-year affair is accusing him of making sexual advances towards her son. Forry reportedly goes on to abuse other children: he is finally removed from ministry in February 2002, a few months after another woman says that Forry molested her and her brother in 1997, when both alleged victims were minors. See Forry Article 1 and 2.

* Robert Gale – In 1994, McCormack adds to Gale’s brimming file of allegations the story of a 12-year-old boy who woke up bleeding rectally after Gale allegedly raped him in 1979. In 1999, McCormack, now bishop of NH, allows Gale to celebrate Mass at Camp Fatima, a boys’ summer camp, in Barnstead, NH. See Gale Article 1 and 2.

* John Geoghan – By 1984, when McCormack becomes secretary of ministerial personnel, Geoghan’s file already is crammed with numerous complaints of child molestation, including a report that he had abused seven boys in one family. McCormack does nothing to curb the priest’s access to children. He is part of the board that recommends Geoghan’s re-assignment to St. Julia’s in Weston, where for eight years, the priest supervises the altar boys and youth group, and reportedly molests at least 30 more children. See Geoghan Article 1, 2, 3, and 4.

* Edward Kelley – In 1992, a man who says he was molested by Kelley at age 11 asks McCormack to make sure that Kelley no longer has access to children. After two months, when McCormack tells the alleged victim that he still has not checked out Kelley, the man hunts down the priest himself. He finds Kelley supervising recess at a parish elementary school in Medford, where Kelley is in charge of the K-6 religious ed program. See Kelley Article 1.

* Bernard J. Lane – In 1993, McCormack advises that sexual abuse complaints against Lane not be brought before the archdiocesan review board because the alleged victim’s charges are mean-spirited and “not credible.” In the next nine years, ten more people report that they were molested as children by Lane. See Lane Article 1.

* Paul Mahan – In 1993, allegations from five alleged victims prompt McCormack to put Mahan on a leave that is poorly supervised: in 1994, the archdiocese learns that Mahan has spent the summer living in a house with his teenage nephew and his nephew’s young male friends. See Mahan Article 1. See also the Massachusetts Attorney General's Report, p. 70 (PDF p. 76).

* Richard Matte – McCormack’s treatment of alleged child molesters was typically patient and supportive, even when a priest faced multiple allegations. See Matte Article 1.

* Robert Morrissette – McCormack often responded in a leisurely way to charges of child molestation even when a priest admitted to the acts. In 1984, Morrissette confirms that he had "made advances" to a boy; McCormack does not recommend his suspension from ministry until 1993. See Morrissette Article 1.

* Ronald H. Paquin – In the early 1990s, McCormack responds to multiple complaints against Paquin by sending him for psychiatric treatment and then assigning him to a chaplaincy at a hospital in Methuen, where Paquin allegedly resumes molesting boys from his former parish in nearby Haverhill. See Paquin Article 1 and 2.

* George Rosenkranz – In 1988, a man tells McCormack that he was sexually abused at age 15 by Rosenkranz. McCormack replies that the alleged victim had misinterpreted the priest’s attempts at affection. See Rosenkranz Article 1 and 2.

* Paul Shanley – In 1989, Cardinal Law asks McCormack to be the handler of his seminary classmate, Shanley, who already has admitted to raping minors in Boston and has accrued a thick file of complaints stretching back to the early 1960s. By 1990, Shanley is working in the diocese of San Bernardino, California, where, he tells McCormack, he is supervising youth retreats. McCormack does not inform California church authorities of Shanley’s record until 1993. See Shanley Article 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5.

* Paul J. Tivnan – In 1988, McCormack persuades a public prosecutor not to pursue criminal charges of child molestation against Tivnan. Three years earlier, Tivnan had admitted to church officials that he had sexually abused another boy in 1978. See Tivnan Article 1.

* Ernest E. Tourigney – McCormack ignores advice from alleged victims of Tourigney that the archdiocese report allegations of child abuse to civil authorities and also take a “proactive role” to “surface victimized children.” See Tourigney Article 1.


RESOURCES

Calls by laity and clergy for McCormack's resignation, including NH VOTF's excellent response to McCormack's refusal to resign and a letter from the Rev. Tom Doyle calling for resignations of NH Bishops McCormack and Christian.

New Hampshire Attorney General’s Report. Also available in easy-to-download sections: 1. Table of Contents; 2. Overview and Legal Analysis; Essays on selected priests: 3. Paul Aube; 4. Albert Boulanger; 5. Gerald R. Chalifour; 6. Robert Densmore; 7. Roger Fortier; 8. Raymond Laferriere; 9. Leo Landry; 10. Gordon MacRae. See also our hypertext version of the MacRae chapter, with links to over 100 MacRae documents.


* Plaintiffs' Memorandum of Law in Support of Motion in Limine to Admit Evidence of Practices and Policies of the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Boston, a Corporation Sole, Concerning Sexually Abusive Priests Other Than Paul R. Shanley [Gregory Ford, et al. v. Bernard Cardinal Law, et al.] {1} {2} {3}- Cites evidence of negligent management of 25 sexually abusive priests by top officials of the Boston archdiocese, including McCormack. Filed in July 2003, it has been largely overlooked by the news media.


Manchester Archives 9,000 pages of AG investigative results and diocesan files, released with the AG's report

Agreement between the NH AG and the Diocese of Manchester.

Attorney General's Audit: The agreement between the attorney general and the diocese of Manchester (see previous item) stipulated that the attorney general would audit the diocese to assure better policies and practices with regard to sexual abuse by priests. Here are some informative news reports:
- Church Files Lawsuit over Audit Delay: Diocese, State Disagree on How Inquiry , by Daniel Barrick and AnnMarie Timmins (May 28, 2004)
- Church, State Meet before Judge: Sides Look for Intervention in Audit, by Eric Moscowitz (January 21, 2005)
- Unrepentant Catholic Church Should Stop Stalling and Agree to an Audit, editorial in the Concord Monitor
(January 23, 2005)


Diocese of Manchester, Restoring Trust: A Report to the People of Manchester, March 3, 2003.

Diocesan Task Force on Sexual Misconduct Policy, Report to the Bishop of Manchester, January 16, 2003.

The Sexual Abuse of Children in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston, released by Massachusetts Attorney General Thomas F. Reilly. Executive Summary and Full Report.


MEDIA REPORTS AND OTHER DOCUMENTS

A comprehensive collection of informative newspaper accounts, arranged chronologically, that describe McCormack's roles in the clergy sex abuse crisis in both the Boston archdiocese and the Manchester diocese.

* Pre-2002
* January 2002
* February 2002
* March 2002
* April 1-9, 2002
* April 10-14, 2002
* April 15-30, 2002
* May 2002
* June 1-8, 2002
* June 9-30, 2002
* July 2002
* August 2002
* September 2002
* October 2002
* November 2002
* December 1-8, 2002
* December 9-11, 2002
* December 12-14, 2002
* December 15-22, 2002
* December 23-31, 2002

* January 1-12, 2003
* January 13-24, 2003
* January 25-31, 2003
* February 1-14, 2003
* February 15-28, 2003
* March 1-4, 2003
* March 4-31, 2003
* April 2003
* May 2003
* June 2003
* July 1-22, 2003
* July 23-31, 2003
* August 2003
* September 2003
* October 2003
* November 2003
* Editorials


WEB SITES

* Diocese of Manchester
* NH Catholics for Moral Leadership
* NH Attorney General, and separate pages on the Agreement and the Report.
* Manchester (NH) Union Leader Web Site on the Crisis
* Nashua (NH) Telegraph Web Site on the Crisis
* Concord (NH) Monitor Articles on Bishop McCormack and the Crisis
* Boston Globe Web Site on the Crisis


HIGHLY RECOMMENDED MEDIA REPORTS AND OTHER READING

Overviews of McCormack’s Role
* Timmins and McConnell, “Complaints Didn't Dim Bishop's Faith in Priests,” Concord Monitor 6/6/02.
* “Bishop John B. McCormack: Role in Sex Abuse Scandal Still Questioned,” Manchester Union Leader 7/9/02.
* Farragher and Carroll, “Bishop Often Sided with Priests in Abuse Cases,” Boston Globe 1/26/03.

McCormack's Overriding Policy Was to Keep Abuses Secret and Avoid Scandal
* Robinson and Kurkjian, “Records Show a Trail of Secrecy, Deception,” Boston Globe, 12/4/02.
* Rezendes and Carroll, “Files: Church Struck Deals with Accusers,” Boston Globe 12/20/02.

McCormack Treated Abusive Priests with Sympathy and Victims with Skepticism
* Mashberg, “Records Show Church Coddled Problem Priest,” Boston Herald 4/14/02.
* Hirsch, “Church Files Show N.H. Bishop McCormack's Role in Shanley Case,” Foster’s Online 4/9/02.
* Pfeiffer, “Law Aides Often Dismissed Complaints of Clergy Abuse,” Boston Globe 4/12/02.
* Associated Press, “Bishop Assured Parent Son Not Being Molested; Priest Was Undergoing Treatment at the Time,” Concord Monitor 12/19/02.
* Farragher and Carroll, “Bishop Often Sided with Priests in Abuse Cases,” Boston Globe 1/26/03.

McCormack Repeatedly Placed Known Abusers in Poorly Supervised "Restricted Ministries"
* Massachusetts Attorney General Thomas F. Reilly, The Sexual Abuse of Children in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston, Office of the Massachusetts Attorney General 7/23/03, especially pp. 39-45 of the Full Report.
* Timmons and McConnell, “Complaints Didn't Dim Bishop's Faith in Priests,” Concord Monitor 6/6/02.

Despite Recent Improvements in NH, McCormack Has Proved Willing to Place Known Abusers in Ministry
* Marchocki, “McCormack Admits Knowing Rev. Cote Paid Teen for Sex,” Manchester Union Leader 12/24/02.

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