Assignment Record– Rev. Jose F. Superiaso

Summary of Case: A native of the Philippines, where he was ordained in 1985, Superiaso went to the U.S. to study at the Franciscan School of Theology in Berkeley, CA in 1989 or 1990. He worked in several San Francisco parishes before being transferred to the Santa Fe archdiocese in 1998. There he worked there with Pueblo Indians. In 2003 a young woman reported to San Francisco police that Superiaso had molested her at a Daly City parish many times in 1994 and 1995, when she was 12 and 13 years old. Superiaso was a family friend who often babysat at the family's home. They were recent immigrants from the Philippines. Superiaso threatened to send the girl back to the Philippines if she told. In July 2003, at the request of the police, the young woman invited Superiaso to meet her in San Francisco. The police arrested him on his arrival. He pleaded innocent, and an ensuing trial ended in a hung jury. Superiaso pleaded guilty in June 2005 after investigators uncovered more evidence. He was sentenced to ten years in prison. In 2009, with the help of the Philippines' Chief Public Attorney, Superiaso appealed to President Obama and CA Governor Schwarzenegger for a pardon. The public attorney expressed doubt about Superiaso's guilt and said that, if released, he would be returned to ministry in the Philippines. Superiaso was eligible for parole by the end of 2013, but was released from jail in January 2012 due to time served prior to his conviction. After his release, Superiaso's victim's elder sister alleged publicly that Superiaso had taken advantage of her sexually in the 1990s, when she was in her 20s, after she confided in him that she had been molested as a child in the Philippines. Deportation proceedings were pending in February 2012.

Ordained: 1985

1991

San Francisco archbishop was John Raphael Quinn (1977-1995), followed by William Joseph Levada (1995-2005)

Daly City

• Superiaso was arrested in 2003 after a 20 year-old woman accused him of molesting her in the St. Andrew's rectory many times between July 18, 1994 and Nov. 30, 1995, when the woman was a 12 to 13 year-old girl. Superiaso was a family friend who often babysat for them. The girl was a recent immigrant from the Philippines. She said she didn't disclose the abuse because she thought no one would believe her and because Superiaso threatened to send her back to the Philippines.

2/2

In residence 1991-1995

St. Andrew's had a religious education program with 257-400 students.

Superiaso arrived in the San Francisco Bay Area in 1989 or 1990 to attend graduate school at the Franciscan School of Theology in Berkeley.

Immaculate Heart of Mary had a school with 305 students, and a religious education program with 356 students.

Superiaso is he 1999 Directory-as at IHM in Belmont, CA, and at St. Anne's in Santa Fe, NM.

mid-1998

Santa Fe archbishop was Michael Jarboe Sheehan (1993-)

2/4

Superiaso was a musician who often directed the parish school's childrens' choir and the cathedral's youth choir.

This was a mission of the Cathedral of San Francisco de Asis in Santa Fe.

Superiaso is not indexed in the Directories beyond 2003. He was placed on Administrative Leave by the Santa Fe archdiocese in July 2003 after a 20 year-old woman reported having been molested at St. Andrew's in Daly City by Superiaso in 1994 and 1995. Police asked her to phone Superiaso and invite him to come to San Francisco to meet her. He traveled to meet her and police, rather than the woman, were there to meet him. He was arrested in on charges of 25 counts of child molestation. Superiaso pleaded innocent.

Superiaso was released from prison January 24, 2012. After his release, his victim's elder sister alleged publicly that Superiaso took advantage of her sexually when she was in her 20s in the 1990s and was working as a parish youth coordinator. She said his advances toward her started after she confided in him that another priest had molested her when she was a child in the Philippines. She said she was horrified when she later found out he was molesting her little sister. It was then that the family reported to the police the girl's abuse by Superiaso.

When it was announced that Superiaso was to be deported back to the Philippines, the elder sister reportedly wrote to the Manila archbishop, "I beg you to ensure the safety of children and vulnerable adults by preventing Superiaso from continuing to minister in Manila or any other part of the country."

A retired Philippines archbishop who was a Tribunal official said Superiaso would face charges before the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) upon his arrival in the country.

Sources: Official Catholic Directory (New York: P.J. Kenedy and Sons, 1992-2003)

• Priest Arrested in Molest Case, By Jim Herron Zamora, San Francisco Chronicle , June 11, 2003
• Priest Faces 25 Counts of Child Molestation, The Mercury News [California], Downloaded June 11, 2003
• Former St. Francis Priest Arrested, By Erika Davila, Santa Fe New Mexican, June 12, 2003
• Priest Denies Abuse Charges, Pleads Innocent in Calif. Court, Albuquerque Journal [New Mexico], August 1, 2003
• Deadline Looms for Molestation Lawsuits, By Michelle Durand , San Mateo Daily Journal [California], Downloaded December 30, 2003
• Priest's Molest Case Waits for a Trial Date, By Amy Yarbrough, San Mateo County Times, San Mateo [County CA], August 24, 2004
• Priest's Trial Set to Go, By Sabrina Crawford, San Francisco Examiner, August 24, 2004
• Jury Hung in Daly City Priest's Molestation Trial, By Tim Hay, San Mateo County Times, September 18, 2004
• Ex-Priest Will Be Tried on Additional Molestation Counts, By Amy Yarbrough, San Mateo County Times, October 7, 2004
• Priest Convicted of Sex Abuse Won't Return to Santa Fe, By Erika Dávila, New Mexican [New Mexico], March 12, 2006
• Ex Nm & CA Pedophile Priest Wants Pardon from Obama, By Barbara Dorris, SNAP, January 28 2009
• Filipino Public Defender Helps San Mateo County Priest Seek Pardon for Molesting Girl, By Elizabeth Pfeffer, San Mateo County Times, February 13, 2009
• Priest Convicted of Child Molestation May Be Deported, By Henni Espinosa, ABS-CBN, February 14, 2012
• Convicted Predator Priest to Be Deported; SNAP Responds, By Barbara Dorris, Network of Those Abused by Priests, February 14, 2012
• Pinoy Ex-priest Faces Deportation after Imprisonment for Molesting Girl in US, GMA News, February 16, 2012
• Priest in US Child Sex Case to Face CBCP Court, ABS-CBNnews.com, February 16, 2012

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 Superiaso'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 January 13, 2015.