Assignment Record– Bro. Richard Kerressey (Bro. Ricardo), C.F.X.

Summary of Case: Richard "Bro. Ricardo" Kerressey entered the Xaverian Brothers just after high school graduation in 1931. He spent his career as an educator and administrator, working at St. John's Preparatory School in the Archdiocese of Boston and St. John's High School in the Diocese of Worcester MA. In 1971 he was named assistant director of the National Center for Religious Education in Washington DC and later was the USCCB's national director of adult education. In the 1980s he served as executive director of the Boston archdiocese's family counseling and guidance centers. In 1994 Kerressey was accused of having orally sodomized a boy at in 1966 St. John's Prep. His accuser said the incident happened in the school's infirmary and that Bro. Ricardo threatened him to keep quiet about the incident or he would prevent him from graduating. Kerressey died in 1997.

Born: Approximately 1914
Entered Xaverians: 1931
Education: Catholic University, Washington DC (Bachelor's and Master's degrees)
Retired: 1986
Died: September 19, 1997

Danvers

• Kerressey was accused in 1994 of orally sodomizing a male high school senior in 1966 in the school infirmary. Kerressey is said to have threatened to keep the boy from graduating if he reported the incident. See letter.

Boston archdiocese. Listed as "Brother Ricardo", C.F.X. St. John's Prep was a Catholic high school for boarders and day students, with 557-739 students, all male.

Kerressey died September 19, 1997.

Sources: Official Catholic Directory (New York: Kenedy & Sons, 1966-1971)

• Letter to Br. William Drinan, September 22, 1994
• Obituary: Richard Kerressey, 83; Xaverian brother, educator, Boston Globe, September 21, 1997
Crisis in Church
• Sordid Tales Emerge As More Priest Files Opened, By Robin Washington, Boston Herald, December 12, 2002
• St. John's Prep: A Brief History, by Br. Arcadius Alkonis CFX, St. John's Preparatory School Website, downloaded March 3, 2011.
• The Missing Names From Cardinal O'Malley's List of Accused Clerics, Boston Globe, November 20, 2011

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This assignment record collates Br. Ricardo's career history as it is represented in the Official Catholic Directory and other sources with the allegation against him as it is described in a letter preserved in the files of the Archdiocese of Boston. 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 October 4, 2015.