Assignment Record– Rev. Thomas F. Motherway
Summary of Case: Ordained for the Archdiocese of Boston in 1969, Motherway worked in Boston, Peabody, Lynn, Monponsett and in the Fall River diocese in Centerville MA. He went on an extended sick leave in 1985 after a serious car accident and on permanent disability in 1998. Motherway was named in March 2003 as having been accused at some point of child sexual abuse. No details were given. He died in April 2003.
Born: 1942
Ordained: 1969
Died: April 21, 2003
| Start | Stop | Assignment | Town/Accusations | State | Position | Notes |
6/04/69 Boston archbishop was Richard James Cushing (1944-1970), followed by Humberto Sousa Medeiros (1970-1983). |
9/28/73 | St. Ambrose's | Boston (Fields Corner) | MA | 3/3, 4/4 | School had 217-175 boys and 241-195 girls. |
| 9/29/73 | 4/15/74 | St. Ann's | Peabody | MA | 2/3 | |
| 4/16/74 | 5/10/82 | St. Mary's | Lynn | MA | 5/5, 3/6, 4/6, 3/7, 3/5, 2/5 | Parish had a high school with 768-309 students. The 1975 Directory lists, in addition to the high school, a "school with 571 students." |
| 5/11/82 | 7/14/83 | St. Bernadette's | Randolph | MA | 3/4 | |
| 7/15/83 | 10/10/83 | Our Lady of the Lake | Monponsett | MA | temporary associate pastor | |
10/11/83 Medeiros was succeeded by Bernard Francis Law (1984-2002). |
6/30/85 | St. Margaret's | Boston (Dorchester) | MA | 4/4 | Parish had a school with 404-379 students, and a high school with 358-333 girls. Motherway was seriously injured in a February 1985 car accident. (Associated Press |
| 7/01/85 | 9/30/98 | Absent on Sick Leave | MA | A phone number is listed for him in the 1993 Directory. A 2010 google search shows the number to be for the rectory of Our Lady of the Assumption in Chelsea MA. Motherway's 83 year old mother was arrested in 1995 for physically abusing him. He was confined to a wheelchair and was living with her in her Cape Cod home. Per news reports, he was assigned to Our Lady of Victory in Centerville MA at the time. (Boston Herald |
||
Fall River diocese bishop was Sean Patrick O'Malley, O.F.M. Cap. (1992-2002). |
Our Lady of Victory | Centerville | MA | |||
| 10/01/98 | 4/21/03 | Permanent Disability |
• Motherway was named among 48 archdiocesan priests in March 2003 as having been accused at some point of child sexual abuse. (Boston Globe |
MA | Motherway died April 21, 2003. |
Sources: Official Catholic Directory (New York: P.J. Kenedy and Sons, 1970-2004); Motherway Assignment Record, Archdiocese of Boston
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This assignment record was last updated on June 3, 2010.