Assignment Record– Deacon Joseph I. Crowley, Jr.

Summary of Case: Crowley pleaded guilty in February 1999 to six counts of rape and seven counts of indecent assault and battery on a child younger than 14. His victims were two family members. Further details have not been released. He was sentenced to three successive 2 1/2-year terms and 10 years probation. His laicization was announced in 2006.

Born: 1940
Ordained Permanent Deacon: 1980
Laicized: 2006

Sources: Official Catholic Directory (New York: Kenedy & Sons, 1981-2006).

• Dedham Deacon Jailed for Sex Assault, By J.M. Lawrence and Scott Farmelant, The Boston Herald,
February 22, 1999
• 8 Clergymen Are Dismissed by the Vatican, Boston-Area Clerics Accused of Sexually Abusing Children, By Michael Levenson and Charles A. Radin, Boston Globe, March 18, 2006
• Former Local Priests Defrocked over Sexual Allegations, By Nicole Simmons, Metro West Daily News,
March 18, 2006
• Abuse Suspects, Vatican Defrocks Seven Area Priests; Five of Them Had Served on the South Shore, By Sue Reinert, Patriot Ledger, March 18, 2006
• Boston Archdiocese Posts Sex-Abuse Database Online, By Joan Frawley Desmond, National Catholic Register, August 25, 2011
• Publication With Respect to Archdiocesan Clergy Accused of Sexual Abuse of a Child, bostoncatholic.org

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 & 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 Crowley'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 September 22, 2015.