Assignment Record – Rev. Alfonso Madrid, s.j.

Summary of Case: A Jesuit priest of the New Orleans Province ordained in 1950, Madrid worked in El Paso, Mexico, New Orleans, Albuquerque and San Antonio. He died in 1982. Madrid was accused in a 2011 lawsuit of the sexual abuse of an 8- to 12-year-old altar boy in El Paso in the 1970s, and in a 2013 lawsuit of sexually abusing another 8-year-old boy at the same parish during 1974-1975. Further, Madrid is said to have "petted and kissed" a 9-year-old in San Antonio prior to his transfer to El Paso; the Jesuits are said to have known this and that Madrid was having hallucinations and a "nervous breakdown." At least 8 alleged known alleged victims.

Ordained: 1950
Died: 1982

1954

El Paso bishop was Sidney Mattehw Metzger (1942-1978).

1960

New Orleans archbishop was Joseph Francis Rummel (1935-1964).

1961

Santa Fe archbishop was Edwin Vincent Byrne (1943-1963), followed by James Peter Davis (1964-1974).

1966

San Antonio archbishop was was Robert Emmet Lucey (1941-1969), followed by Francis James Furey (1969-1979).

San Antonio

• Madrid is said to have "kissed and petted" a 9-year-old child while at Our Lady of Guadalupe. The Jesuits are said to have known about the Madrid's behavior at the time, and that he was having hallucinations and "a nervous breakdown."

• Between 2014 and 2019 six more people alleged abuse by Madrid as children.

Our Lady of Guadalupe had a school with 276-284 students.

1970

Metzger was succeeded as El Paso bishop by Patrick Fernandez Flores (1978-1979), followed by Raymundo Joseph Pena (1980-1994).

El Paso

• Madrid was accused in a 2011 lawsuit of sexually abusing a Sacred Heart altar boy in the 1970s, when the boy was 8- to 12-years old. His accuser said Madrid convinced his parents to allow him to be an altar boy and that the abuse would happen at the church, in the priest's car, and in the boy's home.

• In 2013 a man accused Madrid of sexually abusing him as an 8-year-old boy altar boy at Sacred Heart during 1974-1975. He said the abuse occurred before and after mass and other church functions, as well as at the boy's home.

Sacred Heart had a school until 1973 with 75-110 boys and 68-92 girls.

Madrid died in 1982.

Sources: Official Catholic Directory (New York: P.J. Kenedy and Sons, 1955-1982)

• Man Sues Catholic Diocese in Texas on Abuse Claims, The Star-Telegram, June 24, 2011
• El Paso Priest Sued for Child Sex Abuse, Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests, June 26, 2011
• Ex-Priest at El Paso's Sacred Heart Catholic Church Accused of Molestation, By Diana Washington Valdez, El Paso Times, June 28, 2011
• New Orleans Jesuits Sued in Abuse Case; SNAP Responds, SNAP, June 28, 2011
• Child Sexual Abuse Case Involving Now-deceased El Paso Priest Settled, By Merritt & Watson Pllc, Jesse Martinez, July 12, 2013
• Settlement Reached for Boy Sexually Abused by Former Priest, KTSM, July 12, 2013
• Lawsuit over Former El Paso Priest Abuse Settled, By Diana Washington Valdez, El Paso Times, July 14, 2013
• Second Victim Comes Forward in Alleged Sexual Assault Case against Priest, By Jesse Martinez, KFOX, August 22, 2013
• Another Alleged Victim of Sex Abuse by El Paso Priest Files Lawsuit, By Diana Washington Valdez, El Paso Times, August 24, 2013
• Diocese of El Paso List, January 31, 2019
• Archdiocese of San Antonio List, January 31, 2019

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 Madrid'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 June 19, 2019.