San Francisco

• Carter was accused in a 2002 lawsuit by a 33 year-old social worker of having fondled her in the late 1970s when she was an eight year- old student at this parish's elementary school.

This was a Marist order parish and school with a ministry to French Catholics.

This assignment is per news reports. The abuse is said to have occurred before Carter's ordination, when he was a Marist Brother.

1979

San Francisco archbishop was John Raphael Quinn (1977-1995)

Parish had a shcool with 288-192 students.

Carter was a Marist priest until 1989.

1995

Quinn was succeeded by William Joseph Levada (1995-2005)

Carter was placed on leave in Aug. 2002 due to an accusation that he had molested a girl in the 1970s. His accuser said she brought her complaint to the archdiocese four months before filing a lawsuit, but the archdiocese did not respond. Carter wasn't removed until just after the lawsuit was filed.

IHM was split with supporters who raised money for his defense and launched a petition drive on his behalf. There were home masses with Carter presiding as part of the campaign to have him reinstated. Other parishioners were appalled at Carter and his supporters' behavior.

Carter is not indexed in the 2003 or 2004 Directories.

Immaculate Heart of Mary

Carter was returned to active ministry in April 2003.

Levada's handling of the Carter case was controversial. Carter was reinstated despite a pending lawsuit (although it had been briefly retracted, then refiled). Also, the archdiocesan review board had deemed the case "inconclusive", but Levada told Carter the allegations were deemed "unfounded".

2005

George Hugh Niederauer replaced Levada (2005-)

Sources: Official Catholic Directory (New York: P.J. Kenedy and Sons, 1978-2010)

• Oakland, S.F. Dioceses Sued; Belmont Pastor Put on Leave, By Sandra Gonzales and Lisa Fernandez, San Jose Mercury News
• Suits Charge Two Bay Area Priests with Molestation, By Josh Richman, Tri-Valley Herald, August 9, 2002
• Woman Says S.F. Priest Molested Her in '70s, By Bill Wallace, San Francisco Chronicle, August 9, 2002
• S.F. Archdiocese Quietly Removing Accused Priests, By Jaxon Van Derbeken, San Francisco Chronicle, August 29, 2002
• Accused Priest Returns to Pulpit, By Tim Hay, San Mateo County Times (San Mateo, CA), April 8, 2003
• Archbishop to Move Belmont Priest Accused of Sex Crime, By Tim Hay, San Mateo County Times (San Mateo, CA), April 10, 2003
• See No Evil, By Ron Russell, San Francisco Weekly, May 21, 2003
• Abuse Victims Lament Pace of Reform, By Elizabeth Fernandez , San Francisco Chronicle , June 17, 2003
• Holy War on the Peninsula, By Ron Russell, SF Weekly (California), July 30, 2003
• Archbishop's Thorn, By Ron Russell, SF Weekly (California), August 27, 2003
• Deadline Looms for Molestation Lawsuits, By Michelle Durand, San Mateo Daily Journal [California], Downloaded December 30, 2003
• St. James' church bulletin.

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 Carter'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 Oct. 3, 2011