| Rev. Raymond P. Messier Summary of Case: Messier was removed from his parish in June 2002 due to allegations that he had sexually abused a 9 year-old boy in the early 1980s. Two more men came forward several months later with accusations that Messier had molested them as 12 year-olds in the 1970s. Messier was investigated in Oct. 2003 for another accusation child sexual abuse, which was said to have occurred recently. He was not indicted. Ordained: 1968 Incardinated: Worcester diocese |
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| Start | Stop | Parish | Town/Accusations | State | Position | Notes |
1968 Worcester bishop was John Joseph Wright (1950-1959), followed by Bernard Joseph Flanagan (1959-1983) |
1969 | St. Paul's Cathedral | Worcester | MA | 4/8 | The Cathedral had a school with 146 boys and 147 girls. |
| 1969 | 1970 | St. Joseph's | Worcester | MA | 2/3 | St. Joseph's had a school with 165 boys and 153 girls. |
| 1970 | 1971 | Our Lady of the Rosary | Gardner | MA | 3/4 | Our Lady of the Rosary had a school with 329 boys and 378 girls. |
| 1971 | 1974 | St. James | South Grafton | MA | 2/2 | |
| 1974 | 1976 | Our Lady Immaculate | Athol | MA | 3/3 | |
| 1975 | 2002 | Athol Police Dept. | Athol | MA | chaplain | |
| 1976 | 1978 | St. Joan of Arc | Worcester • Messier was accused in a Sept. 2002 lawsuit of having sexually assaulted two twelve year-old boys during his time at this parish. The boys were members of the parish Boy Scout troop. The accusers said the abuse occurred at Messier's family's camp in Charlton and at St. Joan of Arc. |
MA | 2/4 | |
| 1973 | 1977 | Boy Scouts | diocesan chaplain | Bishop Flanagan relieved Messier of his duties as scouting chaplain in 1977. | ||
1978 Flanagan was succeeded by Timothy Joseph Harrington (1983-1994) |
1984 | Sacred Heart | Worcester • Messier was accused in a 2002 lawsuit of having sexually abused a 9 year-old boy in the early 1980s, while at this parish. Per the boy's mother, Messier was caught abusing her son at a camp in Charlton owned by Messier's family. |
MA | 2/3 | The boy's mother said she reported the abuse to Worcester police at the time, but they did nothing. She also stated she went to Bishop Harrington, who told her and the boy's therapist that Messier would no longer have contact with children, and that he would be sent to the House of Affirmation for treatment. In 2002, the therapist confirmed the mother's version of events. |
| 1984 | 1985 | St. Roch's | Oxford | MA | 2/2 | |
1985 Harrington was replaced by Timothy Joseph Reilly (1994-2004) |
2002 | St. Peter's | Petersham | MA | 1/1 | St. Peter's had a religious education program with 30 students, per the 2001-2003 Directories. Messier replaced Rev. Brendan O'Donoghue, who has been accused of molesting boys. |
| 1991 | 2002 | St. Francis | Athol | MA | 1/1 | St. Francis had a religious education program with 30 students, per the 2001-2003 Directories. Messier was removed from St. Francis and St. Peter's in June 2002, due to allegations of child sexual abuse. Messier denied the allegations, and filed for bankruptcy in Nov. 2002. |
| 2002 | 2003 | Charlton • Messier was investigated in Oct. 2003 by the State Dept. of Social Services (DSS) for an additional accusation of child sexual abuse. The accusation was "contemporary", per the accuser's attorney. The grand jury did not issue an indictment. |
MA | A criminal investigation was closed in May 2003 due to the statute of limitations. Messier, along with four other Worcester priests accused of child sexual abuse, officially resigned from his positions as pastor in June 2003, after being asked to by Bishop Reilly. |
Sources: Official Catholic Directory (New York: P.J. Kenedy and Sons, 1969-2003) • Lawyer Says Rev. Messier Abused Boy, By Kathleen A. Shaw, Telegram & Gazette (Massachusetts), May 16, 2002
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