Assignment Record– Rev. J. Garret "Gary" Thomson

Summary of Case: Garret Thomson was a priest of the Boston archdiocese, ordained in 1981. He worked at parishes in Randolph, Maynard, Marlboro, Medway, Tyngsboro and Plainville. There are a number of gaps in his assigments where he is shown on Priestly Renewal, Emergency Response Group, No Assignment, Graduate Studies and Health Leave. In January 2010 he was placed on administrative leave after a single allegation surfaced that he had sexually abused a minor 15 years earlier. Thomson died two days later of natural causes.

Ordained: June 30, 1981
Died: Jan. 6, 2010

   

Start Stop Assignment Town/Accusations State Position Notes

6/30/81

Boston archbishop was Humberto Sousa Medeiros (1970-1983), followed by Bernard Francis Law (1984-2002).

6/29/87 St. Mary's Randolph MA 2/4, 2/3  
    U.S. Airforce Reserves     chaplain  
6/30/87 1/02/94 St. Bridget's Maynard MA 2/2 Parish had a school until 1989 with 72-53 students.
1/03/94 6/20/94 Priestly Renewal        
5/19/94 8/15/98 Emergency Response Group     temp.  
6/21/94 8/31/94         Thomson was not assigned during this time.
9/01/94 5/18/98 Immaculate Conception

Marlboro

• An allegation surfaced in early 2010 that Thomson had sexually abused a minor " about 15 years ago."

 MA 2/2, 2/3  
5/19/98 8/15/98          
8/16/98 4/30/99 St. Joseph's Medway MA 2/2  
5/01/99 8/31/99 Emergency Response Group        

9/01/99

Law was replaced by Sean Patrick O'Malley, O.F.M. Cap. (2003-).

1/06/01 St. Elizabeth's Medical Center Boston (Brighton) MA assistant chaplain  
2000 2004 Graduate Studies        
1/07/01 7/10/08 St. Mary Magdalen Tyngsboro MA 2/2, 1/1 Parish had a religious education program with 750-650 students.
7/11/08 9/3008 Health Leave        
10/10/08 12/11/08 Emergency Response Group     temp.  
12/12/08 1/04/10 St. Martha's Plainville MA pastor

Parish had a religious education program.

Thomson was put on administrative leave Jan. 4, 2010 due to an allegation that he sexually abused a minor about 15 years previously.

Thomson died January 6, 2010.


Sources: Official Catholic Directory (New York: P.J. Kenedy and Sons, 1982-2009)

• Rev. J. Garret Thomson, Boston Globe, January 10, 2010
• Archdiocese of Boston Announces Status of Investigation into Abuse Allegation against Reverend J. Garret Thomson, Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston, January 15, 2010
• Plainville Parish Shocked by Death of Its Priest, By Brian MacQuarrie, Boston Globe, January 15, 2010
• Priest Dies after Allegation; Sex Abuse Victims Respond, SNAP, January 15, 2010
• Mystery Surrounds Death of Plainville Pastor, Sun Chronicle, January 15, 2010
• Questions in Death of Area Priest, By Rick Foster, The Sun Chronicle, January 16, 2010
• Questions Linger in Plainville, By Rick Foster, Sun Chronicle, January 21, 2010
• Boston Archdiocese Posts Sex-Abuse Database Online, By Joan Frawley Desmond, National Catholic Register, August 25, 2011
• J.Garret Thomson Assignment Record, Boston Archdiocese



Priests in a Parish: We use the following convention to show a priest's place among the clergy of a parish: 1/2 means that he is the first priest listed in the Official Catholic Directory (usually the pastor) and that there is a total of two priests at the parish. The shorthand 3/4 means that the priest is listed third on a four-priest roster. See our sample page from the Directory.

Note: The Official Catholic Directory aims to report the whereabouts of Catholic priests in the United States on January 1 of the Directory's publication year. Our working assumption is that a priest listed in the Directory for a given year was at the same assignment for part of the previous year as well. However, Kenedy and Sons will sometimes accept updates well into the year of publication. Diocesan clergy records are rarely available to correct this information. The Directory is also sometimes misleading or wrong. We have tried to create an accurate assignment record, given the source materials and their limitations. Assignment records are a work in progress and we are always improving the records that we post. Please email us with new information and corrections.

This assignment record collates Thomson's career history as it is represented in the Official Catholic Directory with allegations as reported in the media. We make no representation regarding the truth of the allegation we report, and we remind our readers that the U.S. legal system presumes that a person accused of or charged with a crime is innocent until proven guilty. Similarly, individuals who may be defendants in civil actions are presumed not to be liable for such claims unless a plaintiff proves otherwise. Admissions of guilt or liability are not typically a part of civil or private settlements. For more information, see our posting policy.

This assignment record was last updated on November 4, 2015.