Rev. James P. McSorley, O.M.I.

Assignment History– Rev. James P. McSorley, O.M.I.

Summary of Case: James P. McSorley was a priest of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate, ordained in 1946. His first fifteen years of priesthood were spent in the Philippines, where he worked in parishes and helped establish a school. He returned to the United States in the early 1960s, and was moved often thereafter. McSorley went from the diocese of Oakland CA to the archdioceses of Los Angeles CA and Portland OR, then to Germany as a military chaplain. In 1971 he was assigned briefly to a Diocese of Boise ID parish, then as sole priest at another. By 1977 he was back in the Diocese of Oakland, at Bishop O'Dowd High School and then a parish in Pinole. From there he moved through the Diocese of Monterey CA, the Archdiocese of Seattle WA, the Diocese of Great Falls-Billings MT, the Archdiocese of Miami FL, and back to Seattle. His last stop was the Oblate's Mission House in Oakland CA, where he was based from 1985 until his death in 2005.

McSorley's Order knew of concerns about his behavior with children at least as early as 1965, when the pastor of St. Alice's in Springfield OR alerted them and asked that he not be returned to the parish. In a 2001 lawsuit McSorley was accused of having sexually abused a boy at St. Alice's in 1964. In 1993 a man reported to the diocese that McSorley molested him and other boys at Sacred Heart in Boise during 1971-72. This accuser went to the diocese again in the early 2000s. The diocese never contacted police. McSorley has also been the subject of allegations stemming from his time in Germany and Washington.

Born: April 3, 1921
Ordained: March 6, 1946
Died: May 27, 2005

Start	Stop	Assignments	Town/Accusations	State/ Country	Position	Notes
1946 Diocese of Zamboanga Bishop was Luis Valdesco Del Roasario, S.J. (1933-1966).	1948			Philippines		Although it's unclear, McSorley was likely in Kidapawan City, North Cotabato during these years.
1948 The Territorial Prelature of Cotabato and Sulu was erected in 1950, and the Territorial Prelature of Cotabato was established in 1953. Bishop was Gerard Mongeau, O.M.I. was (1951-1980).	1955		Kidapawan City, North Cotabato	Mindanao, Philippines		McSorley founded St. Mary's Academyin 1948. He was the first Kidapawan parish priest.
1955 Territorial Prelature of Cotabato Bishop was Gerard Mongeau, O.M.I. was (1951-1980).	1961	Oblate Mission	Lagao, Cotabato	Mindanao, Philippines
1961 Archdiocese of San Francisco Archbishop was John Joseph Mitty (1935-1961), followed by Joseph Thomas McGucken (1962-1977). The Diocese of Oakland was erected in January 1962. Its bishop was Floyd Lawrence Begin (1962-1977).	1963	Oblate Mission House and Procure	Oakland	CA	Very Revs. Joseph McDonald, OMI, Prov.; Daniel J. Connors, OMI, Dir.; Revs Andrew Harris, OMI, Daniel Miller, OMI, Bernard Quinn, OMI, James McSorley, OMI	This was the Provincial Headquarters of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate, Western Province.
1963 Archdiocese of Los Angeles Archbishop was James Francis Aloysius McIntyre (1948-1970).	1967	St. Ferdinand's	San Fernando	CA	6/7 1963-1966: Very Rev. Edward J. Collins, OMI, Supr., pastor. Revs. Philip M. Kennedy, OMI, Henry B. Conrad, OMI. In res., Revs Andres DeAnta, OMI, Andrew Harris, OMI, James McSorley, OMI, William O'Brien, OMI 1966-1967: Very Rev. William McHugh, OMI, Supr., Pastor. Revs. Henry B. Conrad, OMI, Donald Bernard, OMI. In res., Revs Andres DeAnta, OMI, Andrew Harris, OMI, James McSorley, OMI, William O'Brien, OMI	St. Ferdinand's had a school with 807-770 students.
1964 Archdiocese of Portland OR Archbishop was Edward Daniel Howard 1926-1966).	1965	St. Alice	Springfield • McSorley was accused in a 2001 lawsuit of the sexual abuse of a boy at St. Alice's in 1964. The suit was dismissed in 2004 after the archdiocese filed for bankruptcy. The plaintiff later received a settlement.	OR		News articles locate McSorley at St. Alice's in 1964. It is unclear if he was assigned here or visiting. St. Alice pastor, Rev. Louis Sohler, asked McSorley's order in 1965 not to return the priest to the parish. This was after an incident whereby McSorely tickled children while playing cards with them.
		U.S. Military	• McSorley was accused of sexual abuse while stationed in Germany in the 1960s.	Germany	chaplain	This assignment is per news articles.
1967 Diocese of Oakland Bishop was Floyd Lawrence Begin (1962-1977).	1969	Oblate Mission House and Procure	Oakland	CA	Very Rev. Edward J. Collins, OMI, Prov.; Revs. Joseph L. Murphy, OMI.; James McSorley, OMI	Murphy was accused of abuse of a mnor at St. Ferdinand's in Los Angeles 1957-1960.
1969	1971					McSorley is indexed in the 1970 and 1971 Directories as at his previous assignment, but he is not listed as there in the Oakland pages. Neither is he listed in the Military Ordinate pages.
1971 Diocese of Boise City Bishop was Sylvester William Treinen (1962-1988).	1972	Sacred Heart	Boise • McSorley was accused publicly in 2018 of molesting a 12-year-old Sacred Heart altar boy repeatedly during 1971-1972. His accuser said the priest rewarded him with alcohol and cigars, and that he abused at least one other boy. He also said he reported the abuse to the diocese in the 1990s and early 2000s; the police reportedly were not contacted by the diocese.	ID	3/3 Revs. John F. Donoghue; Richard Cody; James McSorley, OMI.	Sacred Heart had a school with 250 students.
1972 Diocese of Boise City Bishop was Sylvester William Treinen (1962-1988).	1975	Our Lady of the Lake	McCall	ID	1/1
1972 Diocese of Boise City Bishop was Sylvester William Treinen (1962-1988).	1975	St. John	Cascade	ID		This was a mission of Our Lady of the Lake in McCall.
1972 Diocese of Boise City Bishop was Sylvester William Treinen (1962-1988).	1975	St. Jerome	Riggins	ID		This was a mission of Our Lady of the Lake in McCall.
1972 Diocese of Boise City Bishop was Sylvester William Treinen (1962-1988).	1975	St. Jude	Council	ID		This was a mission of Our Lady of the Lake in McCall.
1975	1977					McSorley is indexed in the 1976 and 1977 Directories as at his previous assignment, but he is not listed as there in the Boise pages. Nor is he listed at his next assignment.
1977 Diocese of Oakland Bishop was John Stephen Cummins (1977-2003).	1978	Bishop O'Dowd High School	Oakland	CA	Rev. Paul Waldie, OMI, Principal; Revs. Leo Dummer, OMI; James McSorley, OMI; Manuel Mesa, OMI; Richard Wagner, OMI.	O'Dowd High had 477 boys and 529 girls.
1978 Diocese of Oakland Bishop was John Stephen Cummins (1977-2003).	1979	St. Joseph's	Pinole	CA	3/3 Revs. John C. Crumlish; Patrick J. Bishop, SM ; James McSorley, OMI.	St. Joseph's had a school with 266 students.
1979 Diocese of Monterey Bishop was Harry Anselm Clinch (1967-1982).	1981	Holy Cross	Santa Cruz	CA	4/4, 3/4 1979-1980: Rev. Msgr. Michael Buckley, Pastor; Rev. Msgr. William MacLoughlin, Pastor Emeritus; Revs. Gerald McCormick; James McSorley, OMI; Cornelius McCarthy. 1980-1981: Rev. Msgr. Michael Buckley, Pastor; Rev. Msgr. William MacLoughlin, Pastor Emeritus; Revs. James McSorley, OMI	Holy Cross had a school with 264-259 students.
1981 Archdiocese of Seattle Archbishop was Raymond Gerhardt Hunthausen (1975-1991).	1982	St. Mary's	Aberdeen • McSorley reportedly abused at least one child in Washington.	WA	2/2 Revs. Andrew Horgan, OMI.; James McSorley, OMI.	St. Mary's had a school with 191 students.
1982 Diocese of Great Falls-Billings Bishop was Thomas Joseph Murphy (1978-1987).	1983	Little Flower	Billings	MT	2/2 Revs. Gerard Gottenbos, O.M.I.; James McSorley, O.M.I.	Little Flower had a school with 106 students.
1983 Archdiocese of Miami Archbishop was Edward Anthony McCarthy (1977-1994).	1985	Nativity	Hollywood	FL	4/4 1983-1984: Very Rev. James E. Quinn; Revs. David Punch; Robert Tywoniak; James McSorley, O.M.I. 1984-1985: Very Rev. James E. Quinn; Revs. David Punch; Juan Luis Sanchez; James McSorley, O.M.I.	Nativity had a school with 709-713 students.
1984 Archdiocese of Seattle Archbishop was Raymond Gerhardt Hunthausen (1975-1991).	1986	St. Thomas Center	Bothell	WA		This assignment is per news reports.
1985 Diocese of Oakland Bishop was John Stephen Cummins (1977-2003), followed by Salvatore Joseph Cordileone (2009-2012).	2005	Oblate Mission House and Procure	Oakland	CA	Link to names of priests of the Oblate Mission House and Procure during these years.	In 2003 McSorley was moved to the Mercy Retirement and Care Center in Oakland, where he died May 27, 2005.

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.

Source: Official Catholic Directory (Kenedy & Sons, 1950-2006).

• Necrology May, Oblate Communications, accessed June 3, 2018
• St.Mary's Academy of Kidapawan, Wikipedia, accessed June 3, 2018
• Oregon's Accused Clergy, Sunday Oregonian, July 7, 2002
• Father James P. McSorlely,[sic] O.M.I., Catholic Voice, June 20, 2005
• Table: The Oregonian, November 12, 2006
• Accused Clerics, Contra Costa Times, April 1, 2008
• Archdiocese of Seattle List, January 15, 2016
• Clergy Who Sexually Abused Children Incude 16 Who Served in County, by Kari Bray, Herald Net, January 15, 2016
• Here Are All the Seattle Catholic Priests Who Have Been Accused of Sexually Assaulting Children, by Sydney Brownstone, The Stranger, January 15, 2016
• Clergy members accused of abuse, Edmonds Beacon, January 16, 2016
• After Oregon abuse, problem priest was sent to Boise. This was his next victim., by Ruth Brown, Idaho Statesman, May 24, 2018

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 McSorley's career history as it is represented in the Official Catholic Directory with the allegations against him, as reported in the media. We make no representation regarding the truth of the allegations 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 28, 2018.