Rev. Bede Parry, O.S.B.

Summary of Case: A former Benedictine priest, Parry was accused in a June 2011 lawsuit of having sexually abused a boy in 1987. The boy was a member of a choir Parry directed at Conception Abbey in MO. The boy told his parents the following day, and the parents confronted Parry's superiors, to whom Parry had previously admitted to "inappropriate sexual relationships". In a July 2011 lawsuit Parry was accused of sexually abusing a 14-15 year old boy in 1982. This accuser said he was a piano student of Parry's and member of Parry's boys choir. Parry acknowledged in 2011 that "most of the allegations are true". Parry was sent to New Mexico for sex offender treatment for three months in 1987. He went on to work in the Southwest for Lutheran and Catholic churches. He was not allowed to return to the Benedictine Abbey, after which he left the Catholic priesthood. A psychological test administered to Parry in 2000 during his efforts to become a minister determined that Parry was a "sexual abuser with the proclivity to reoffend with minors." Parry nonetheless became an Episcopal priest. He served as an organist, choir master and assistant priest at a Las Vegas church from 2000-June 2011, stepping down after the first lawsuit was filed and publicized.

Ordained: 1983

1973

Kansas City-St. Joseph bishop was Charles Herman Helsing (1962-1977), followed by John Joseph Sullivan (1977-1993)

Conception

• Parry is said to have told abbey officials that he had "inappropriate sexual relationships" between 1973-1979. He admitted in 2011 that most of the allegations are true, and that he had sexual contact with five or six of the choir members.

Parry joined the monastic community in 1973, prior to his ordination as a priest.

St. John's

• Parry admitted to an inappropriate sexual relationship with a St. John's student.

Conception

• Parry was accused in a June 2011 lawsuit of having sexually abused a boy who was attending a choir camp at the abbey in the summer of 1987. The boy is said to have told his parents about the abuse the next day over the phone.

• In a July 2011 lawsuit Parry was accused of sexually abusing a boy beginning in 1982, over an 18 month period. The accuser said he was 14 or 15 years-old at the time, and a piano student of Parry's, as well as a boys choir member.

Oct. 1987

1990

Santa Fe archbishop was Robert Fortune Sanchez (1974-1993)

1990s

Sanchez was succeeded as Santa Fe archbishop by Michael Jarboe Sheehan (1993-)

2000

Episcopal bishop was Katharine Jefferts Schori

Parry became an Episcopal priest in 2004.

Parry is said to have taken a psychological test in 2000 that showed him to be “sexual abuser who had the proclivity to reoffend with minors”, and that this was known to his employers. Parry acknowledged the test results.

Bede resigned from All Saints Episcopal in June 2011, after being publicly accused of past child sexual abuse.

Source: Official Catholic Directory (New York: P.J. Kenedy and Sons, 1984-1992)

• John Doe 181 v. Conception Abbey; Kansas City Star 6.23.11
• Lawsuit Alleges Abuse of Boys by Monk at Conception Abbey, By Judy L. Thomas, The Kansas City Star, June 23, 2011
• Lawsuit Alleges Abuse at Conception Abbey, By Kim Norvell, St. Joseph News-Press, June 23, 2011
• Conception, Missouri Abbey Faces Lawsuit, Jeff Anderson & Associates, June 23, 2011
• Lawsuit against Missouri Monastery Involves Las Vegas Episcopal Priest, By Jeff German, Las Vegas Review-Journal, June 23, 2011
• Missouri Lawsuit Accuses Abbey of Covering up Sexual Abuse by Monk, Daily Journal , June 23, 2011
• Former Leader of Boys Choir at Missouri Abbey Admits Sexual Misconduct, By Judy L. Thomas, Kansas City Star, June 24, 2011
• Priest Resigns in Vegas Amid Sex Abuse Suit, CT Post, June 24, 2011
• Predator Priest Quits, " Not Enough" Victims Say, Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests, June 24, 2011
• Former Monk Tells Mo. Newspaper He Had Inappropriate Sexual Contact with Members of Boys Choir, Daily Journal , June 25, 2011
• Archbishop of Dubuque Involved in Sexual Abuse Lawsuit, By Jillian Petrus, KCRG, June 26, 2011
• Critic Slams Archbishop over Abuse Suit, By Pat Kinney, The Courier, June 26, 2011
• Suit Alleges Abuse by Priest, By Tony Brown, Maryville Daily Forum, June 27, 2011
• Allegations Made That Tec Presiding Bishop Knew Former Benedictine Monk Was a Pedophile When He Joined Tec, By David W.
• Virtue, Virtue Online, June 27, 2011, We Want Answers, The Friends of Jake, June 27, 2011
• Statement Regarding Resignation of Fr. Bede Parry, Episcopal Diocese of Nevada, June 30, 2011
• Nevada Bishop Says Diocese Acted Properly in Receiving Roman Catholic Priest, By Mary Frances Schjonberg, Episcopal News Service, July 7, 2011
• Second Lawsuit Filed against Conception Abbey Alleging Cover-up over Former Monk, By Judy L. Thomas, Kansas City Star
July 22, 2011

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 Parry'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 March 10, 2012