Assignment Record – Rev. Stephen Emmett Speciale, s.j.

Summary of Case: Ordained a Jesuit priest of the California Province in 1985, Speciale's post-ordination ministry was short-lived. He was accused in a 2004 lawsuit of having sexually abused an 11 year-old boy in 1985, at a Santa Barbara parish. Another lawsuit with accusations against him was settled in 1993. Speciale appears to have left the priesthood after 1989.

Ordained: 1985

     

Start Stop Parish/Assignment Town/Accusations State Position Notes

 

Los Angeles archbishop was Timothy Manning (1970-1985), followed by Roger Michael Mahoney (1985-2011).

1985 Our Lady of Sorrows

Santa Barbara

• Speciale was accused in a 2004 lawsuit of sexually abusing an 11 year-old boy on the grounds of Our Lady of Sorrows on at least two different occasions.

CA   This assignment is per a legal complaint.

1985

San Jose bishop was Roland Pierre DuMaine (1981-1999).

1988 Bellarmine College Prep.

San Jose

 

 CA Bellarmine had 1,229-1,240 students, all male.  
1988 1989 St. Joseph's San Jose CA 6/6 In residence

Speciale is not indexed beyond the 1989 Directory.

Prior accusations against Speciale were settled in 1993.

 

Sources: Official Catholic Directory (New York: P.J. Kenedy and Sons, 1986-1989)

• Case # 185 561 c/w 167 938; Superiot Ct.; Santa Barbara County
• LA Archdiocesan Report, page 6, Feb. 17, 2004

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 Speciale'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 May 1, 2013.