Assignment Record – Rev. Paul F. Corkery, s.j.

Summary of Case: Paul F. Corkery was a Jesuit priest of the Oregon Province, ordained in 1923. His early career was spent at St. Ignatius College in San Francisco CA, followed thereafter by school and parish assignments in Washington state. For many years he was assigned to Indian missions, where he was pastor and superior. He died in 1959. Corkery's name was included in 2011 on the Oregon Province's list of its members who have been identified as perpetrators of sexual abuse.

Ordained: 1923
Died: May 10, 1959

  

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Start Stop Assignment Town/Accusations State Position Notes

1923

San Francisco archbishop was Edward Joseph Hannah (1915-1935).

 1930 St. Ignatius College San Francisco CA   The 1928 and 1929 Directories index Corkery as at St. Ignatius College, but do not list him as there in the San Francisco pages.

1930

Seattle bishop was Edward John O'Dea (1896-1932).

 1931 Manresa Hall Port Townsend WA tertian father  

1931

Spokane bishop was Charles Daniel White (1926-1955).

 1940 Gonzaga University and High School Spokane WA The 1935 Directory lists Corkery as "dean of men" in the college of arts and sciences.  

1940

Seattle bishop was Gerald Shaughnessy, s.m. (1933-1950).

 1943 Bellarmine High School Tacoma WA   Bellarmine High had 260-270 students, all boys.

1943

 

 1948 St. Joseph's Yakima WA 1/3 St. Joseph's had a school with 240-307 boys and 282-238 girls, and a girls' high school with 142-216 students.
1943 1948   White Swan WA   This was a mission of St. Joseph's in Yakima.
1943 1948 St. Mary's Indian Reservation, Yakima County WA   This was a mission of St. Joseph's in Yakima.

1948

White was succeed as Spokane bishop by Bernard Joseph Topel (1955-1978).

 1959 St. Mary's Indian Mission Omak WA 1/3, 1/5, 1/2, 1/1 Superior The 1949 Directory shows St. Mary's to have a school with 92 students (Colville Indian Tribe).
1948 1957 St. Anthony's Chapel

Desautel WA   This was a mission of St. Mary's Indian Mission.
1953 1958 St. Gertrude's Monse WA   This was a mission of St. Mary's Indian Mission.
1949 1958   Malott WA   This was a station of St. Mary's Indian Mission.
1948 1959 St. Joseph's East Omak WA  

This was a mission of St. Mary's Indian Mission.

Corkery died May 10, 1959.

 

Sources: Official Catholic Directory (New York: P.J. Kenedy and Sons, 1924-1960)

• Non Monetary Committments, Jesuits' Oregon Province website, accessed Dec. 7, 2012

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 Corkery'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 10, 2014.