Fr. Gerard D. Barry

Named publicly by Attorney Mitchell Garabedian 5/7/19 as one of eight priests whose survivors had been compensated in arbitration with the Archdiocese of Boston. As of 1/10/2025, Barry had not yet been included on the Boston archdiocese’s list of accused clergy, apparently because Barry was deceased at the time his survivor came forward, according to a “protocol” reflected in Cardinal Seán O’Malley’s 8/25/11 announcement of the original list. Barry died 9/4/2010. However, several aspects of Barry’s assignment history suggest that the archdiocese knew of his abuse of children by the mid-1960s or early 1970s.

Barry was educated at Boston College and St. John’s Seminary in Brighton MA. First assignment was as assistant at St. Augustine parish 1950-1966 (parochial school and girls’ high school) in South Boston. According to his obituary, “He mentored many young people from the parish including Boston’s one time mayor, Raymond Flynn.” Chaplain at Deer Island House of Correction 1966-1971 while in residence at Holy Rosary parish 1966-1969 (no school) in Winthrop; not listed in residence at Holy Rosary or elsewhere for the last two years of the Deer Island assignment. Assistant at St. Cecilia parish in Ashland 1971-1975 (no school) and episcopal vicar of the Brockton vicariate in the South Region. Pastor of St. Linus parish in Natick 1975-1981 (no school) and episcopal vicar of Natick vicariate. Then pastor of St. Bernard parish (no school) in Newton 1981-2001.

According to the Official Catholic Directory, at the time of Barry’s ordination, his uncle, Msgr. Robert P. Barry, was an archdiocesan consultor. With a relation in high places, Barry was selected two years after ordination by Cardinal Cushing to be the CYO district director for South Boston, Roxbury, and the South End. Obituaries in newspapers between 1999 and 2009 show that many deceased specified “Larry’s Children’s Fund, c/o Rev. Gerard D. Barry” for donations in lieu of flowers. Barry retired from St. Bernard’s in Newton 6/1/2001 and moved sometime thereafter to Regina Cleri, a home for retired priests.