Priest Who Died in 2004 Accused of Sexual Abuse at Central Catholic in 1960s

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
February 7, 2019

https://www.post-gazette.com/news/crime-courts/2019/02/07/clergy-sex-abuse-pittsburgh-diocese-central-catholic-john-o-brien-brother-firmilian/stories/201902070182

The Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh on Thursday said it received an accusation of sexual abuse of a minor against a lay brother teaching at Central Catholic High School who later became a priest.

The allegation against Father John O’Brien, who died in 2004, dates to the mid-1960s.

No details were released about the alleged abuse.

Father O’Brien was a Christian brother known as Brother Firmilian John at the time of the alleged abuse. He was ordained as a priest in 1975.

It’s the first accusation that the diocese or the Christian Brothers have received against Father O’Brien, according to the diocese.

He was not one of the Pittsburgh-area priests whose names were released in last year’s grand jury report about clergy sex abuse in six of Pennsylvania’s eight dioceses.

Posted on February 8, 2019 10:05 AM