| Assignment Record– Bishop Tod David Brown Summary of Case: Tod David Brown was ordained in 1963 in the Monterey-Fresno diocese. After the diocese split in 1967, Brown became a prominent priest of the diocese of Monterey. In December 1988 he was named bishop of Boise, ID. Brown served in Boise until 1998, when he was named bishop of Orange, CA. In a 1997 letter to the bishop of the Fresno diocese, a man claimed to have been molested by Brown in Bakersfield, CA in 1965, when the man was a 12-year-old boy. Brown denied the claim. Fresno bishop Steinbock told Brown's accuser that he had to be interviewed by a psychologist (of Stienbock's choosing) before there could be an investigation. No one interviewed Brown. The diocese deemed the accusation to be without merit. In 2004, Bishop Brown released the names of those accused in his diocese. He did not include his own name, explaining in 2007 that the omission was ..."because it was very embarrassing and very painful." Brown retired in 2012, at age 75. Ordained: May 1, 1963 Retired: September 21, 2012 |
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| Start | Stop | Parish/Assignment | Town/Accusations | State | Position | Notes |
1963 Monterey-Fresno bishop was Aloysius Joseph Willinger, C.SS.R. (1953-1967). |
1967 | Our Lady of Perpetual Help | Bakersfield • A man told the Fresno diocese in a 1997 letter that he was molested by Brown when he was a 12 year-old boy, in 1965. Brown denied the accusation. |
CA | 2/2 | Our Lady of Perpetual Help had a school with 240-165 boys and 235-143 girls.
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| 1963 | 1967 | San Clemente | Bakersfield | CA | This was a mission of Our Lady's. | |
1967 The diocese split in Dec. 1967. Monterey bishop was Harry Anselm Clinch (1967-1982). |
1968 | St. Francis Xavier | Seaside | CA | 2/2 | |
| 1968 | 1969 | On Duty Outside the Diocese | student | |||
| 1969 | 1972 | St. Jude's | Marina | CA | 2/2 In residence. | |
| 1972 | 1974 | Monterey Diocesan Headquarters | Monterey | CA | Brown is indexed at 580 Fremont Blvd. in the 1973 and 1974 Directories. | |
| 1974 | 1977 | St. Jude's | Marina | CA | 2/2 In residence. | Brown was named a Monsignor in 1975 |
1977 Thaddeus Anthony Shubsda succeeded Clinch (1982-1991). |
1988 | St. Francis Xavier | Seaside | CA | ||
| 1969 | 1988 | Diocesan Tribunal | Monterey | CA | Advocate 1969-1975; Defender of the Bond 1975-1981; Judge 1981-1988; Second Instance Judge 1983-1987 | |
| 1969 | 1977 | Diocesan Adult Religious Education | Monterey | CA | Director | |
| 1969 | 1987 | Building Commission | Monterey | CA | "Building and Finance Commission" 1978-1983. | |
| 1978 1985 |
1984 1988 |
Finance Commission | Monterey | CA | This was the "Building and Finance Commission" 1978-1983, then the "Finance Council"1983-1988. | |
| 1969 | 1972 | Diocesan C.C.D. | Monterey | CA | ||
| 1969 | 1974 | Liturgical Commission | Monterey | CA | Chair 1969-1971 | |
| 1969 | 1970 | Priestly Formation | Monterey | CA | ||
| 1970 1978 |
1977 1979 |
Vocation Commission | ||||
| 1969 | 1977 | Adult Religious Education | Monterey | Director | ||
| 1969 | 1976 | Diocesan Total Education Board (for Religious Education & Parochial Schools) |
Monterey | CA | ||
| 1969 | 1979 | Diocesan Religious Education System (Youth and Adult Education) | Monterey | CA | Superintendent/Director | |
| 1979 | 1981 | Office of Education | Monterey | CA | Consultant | |
| 1971 1977 |
1974 1982 |
Diocesan Senate and Consultors | Monterey | CA | ||
| 1980 | 1987 | Administrative Committee Priests' Pension Plan | Monterey | CA | Chair 1983-1984 | |
| 1983 | 1988 | Presbyteral Council | Monterey | CA | ||
| 1984 | 1988 | Catholic Charities Board of Directors | Monterey | CA | ||
| 1980 | 1988 | Vicar General for Clergy | Monterey | CA | ||
| 1981 | 1988 | Chancellor | Monterey | CA | ||
| 1984 | 1988 | Moderator of the Curia | Monterey | CA | Brown was appointed bishop of the Boise diocese Dec. 27, 1988. | |
1989 Tod David Brown was bishop of Boise (1988-1998). |
Sept. 1998 | Diocese of Boise | Boise | ID | Bishop | In his response to Brown's accuser in 1997 Fresno bishop Steinbock told the man that, in order to investigate, the man was required to be interviewed by a psychologist, whose contact information Steinbock provided. He added, "...the priest in question has been ordained 34 years, has lead an exemplary life, and has never had any such allegations against him in all those years. Brown's accuser said in 2007 that law enforcement did not interview him. Brown was not interviewed by church officials or law enforcement. An Orange diocesan spokesperson said in 2007 that the Fresno diocese and law enforcement investigated the claim and determined there was "no credible basis" for it. A Bakersfield police Sergeant stated in 2007 that the Department had no record of investigating the case. |
September 1998 Tod David Brown was bishop of Orange (1998-2012). |
September 2012 | Diocese of Orange | Orange | CA | In 2004, as Orange bishop, Brown posted on a church door his "Covenant with the Faithful", which promised honesty with the media and transparency with Catholics of the diocese. A month later Brown released the names of accused priests of the diocese, but he did not include his own name. Brown stated in a 2007 deposition related to another case that he didn't reveal the accusation against him because "it was very embarrassing, and very painful." Brown retired September 21, 2012. |
Sources: Official Catholic Directory (New York: P.J. Kenedy and Sons, 1964-1989) • Letter from Scott Hicks to Bishop John T. Steinbock, Accusing Bishop Tod D. Brown of Abuse, July 3, 1997
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