Documenting the Catholic Sexual Abuse and Financial Crisis – Data on bishops, priests, brothers, nuns, Pope Francis, Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith
Thursday, March 13, 2025
The Assignment Record Project
BishopAccountability.org has launched a
project to gather and post the assignment records of every U.S. Catholic priest who has been
accused of sexual abuse since 1940, so that vulnerable communities can be identified and
bishops' transfer policies can be determined.
See below for a brief description of
assignment records and their importance, easy ways
that you can help with this project, and our initial list
of assignment records. For a more detailed account of assignment record research and
how you can volunteer, see our guide.
Assignment Records: Why They Are Important
An assignment record lists all the
diocesan and parish appointments of a priest, including telltale periods of sick leave. A detailed
assignment record, like this assignment
record of John Geoghan created by the Boston Globe, identifies populations that have
been placed at risk, and is also cross-referenced with a list of accusations, so that the transfer
policies of the priest's bishops can be evaluated. By identifying a priests' seminary class and the
colleagues with whom he has worked, an assigment record can also begin to identify the circle of
colleagues who kept the priest's activities secret and who might even have been involved in the
abuse themselves.
But these records are dispersed and difficult to find, and
complete assignment records for most accused priests are not publicly available. We urge the U.S.
bishops to publish detailed assignment records with treatment episodes and accusation dates for
every abuser. In the meantime, we are undertaking this work of research and collection ourselves.
See our initial
collection of assignment records below. Volunteering
for the Assignment Record Project
Please send us any assignment records that
know about or come across: * In your daily newspaper reading * In your personal experience, if
you are a survivor of abuse * In the research that you've done, if you are a lawyer or a reporter
working in this area
If you would like to join the Service Record Project as a volunteer --
for a few hours, or a few hours per week, or anything in between -- please read our guide to
service record research, and email us
to let us know you're interested. This is work that you can do at a local Catholic college library
or at most central city libraries, and you can email, snail mail, or even phone us the
results.
List of Assignment Records
The staff at
BishopAccountability.org has begun to assemble a library of assignment records for accused priests
and others who figure in the crisis.Some we have developed ourselves from the Official
Catholic Directory, diocesan documents, and investigative reports. Others were created by
lawyers and investigative reporters. Others were created by the dioceses themselves and relinquished
under subpoena, or were prepared by the dioceses in response to investigation by law enforcement.
Accused in a 1/15 lawsuit of sexually abusing an 8-year-old girl in 2003 while assigned to St. Francis of Assisi in Greenlawn, NY. The girl's family reported the alleged abuse to the Diocese and law enforcement; the Diocese did not inform the parish or public and kept Yacyshyn in ministry. The Diocese deemed the allegations unsubstantiated and called the claim an "unfortunate publicity stunt." A New York Supreme Court judge ruled in 12/15 that the lawsuit could proceed. A second accuser filed suit in 4/25/16, alleging sexual abuse when he was 5- to 7-years-old in 2001-2003 at St. Francis of Assisi in Greenlawn. Yacyshyn denied the allegations. Working at St. Jude's in Mastic Beach in 4/16.
Accused of an abusive relationship with an 18-year-old student at Niles College in the early 1990s over a one-year period. Victim complained to officials two years later. Yakaitis admitted the relationship and was sent for therapy. In 2002, the victim discovered that Yakaitis was still an active priest at the University of Chicago and went public with his allegations. Yakaitis resigned from his position. Died in FL in 5/10.
Arrested in 2004 on charges of possession of an "enormous amount" of child pornography. Removed from assignment. Sent to St. John Vianney Hospital for evaluation and treatment. Diocese knew Yarrosh had "personality problems." Also accused of embezzlement. Agreed to plead guilty in 2005 in return for sentence of 3 to 23 months in prison, 20 months' parole, 10 years' probation, and paying $24,000 in restitution. Violated probation - had gone to NYC with a 7-year-old child and found with porn. Sentenced in 11/2006 to 4-10 years in prison. Sentenced upheld in 1/2008. PA registered sex offender. Dismissed from the priesthood in 6/2007. Named in the 8/14/2018 PA Grand Jury Report and on the diocese's list 8/19/2018.
Reportedly in 2004, attorneys for the diocese reached a settlement with one person alleging abuse. Yeager continued as a major fund-raiser for the diocese. Not placed on leave until 5/2006 when the Diocese's investigation was completed and allegations were deemed credible. At least one other alleged victim also came forward. Retired in 2005. Teaching certificate revoked in 11/2006. Permanently removed from public ministry. Included on the Diocese's list in 2008.
Named publicly as accused by the Archdiocese on its list 4/24/2019, which notes two allegations of abuse of minors by Yeakle in the 1960s. Another allegation was received in 2018. Worked in archdiocesan parishes 1951-1971. Left the priesthood in 1972. Married. Died in 1988. Included in the 4/5/2023 MD Attorney General's Report. Files show that a woman reported in 1997 that Yeakle sexually abused her three brothers while assigned to St. Brigid sometime during 1961-1969. No apparent action. She again called in 2002 and said that after their father died, Yeakle became a father figure to the family. Another man told the Archdiocese in 2002 that Yeakle sexually abused him in the early 1960s, having become a father figure because his own father was "distant." The 2018 report was of abuse of a boy in 1970 or 1971; the accuser said Yeakle touched his penis once in a locker room.
Also known as J. Charles Yetmar. Named publicly as accused by the diocese on its 2/22/2019 list. Two allegations noted, of the sexual abuse of boys 1968-1974. Retired in 2002. Faculties removed in 2004. The diocese's updated list 9/24/2019 shows three allegations of the abuse of boys, same time-period.
Accused in two lawsuits filed in 9/21 under the NY Child Victims Act. One of the suits claimed abuse of a child ages 13-15, starting in 1970 when Yetter was a seminarian and assigned to a Hamburg parish. Accused in a lawsuit filed in 3/22 of sexually abusing a boy, ages 13-15, 2015-2017 while assigned to St. Mary's in Swormville. Yetter resigned from the parish in 8/18 and was placed on leave after accusations surfaced that he had made unwanted sexual advances toward young men, one who said Yetter had groomed him since second grade. Yetter died 7/5/21 at age 73.
First named publicly as accused in the 8/14/2018 PA Grand Jury Report. In 1991 a 25-year-old man told the diocese that when he was age 16 in 10/1981 Yockey sexually assaulted him and that the same thing happened to his friend in 1983, as an 18-year-old high schooler. He said Yockey would take the boys to his cabin to go fishing, and that the two had known the priest since they were in 6th or 7th grade. He said Yockey would always give them beer. Yockey acknowledged the incident with the 16-year-old, but didn't remember yet didn't deny an incident with the other youth. Removed from public ministry in 7/1991. Applied to work at a V.A. in 2006 - diocese did not divlulge his history. Another allegation to the diocese 12/17/2013 of abuse by Yockey of a young boy while attending St. Bernadette in Monroeville, where Yockey worked 1978-1983. Found in 9/2018 by a news outlet to be working as a clinical social worker at a counseling center in Ashtabula OH. Suit filed 12/17/2018. Included on the diocese's list of credibly accused.
Named publicly as accused in the 4/5/2023 MD Attorney General's Report. Taught voice lessons, directed the glee club and a cappella choir at Catholic High School in Baltimore in the 1950s. Died in 1994. Allegation received by the Archdiocese in 2/2012 that Yocum sexually abused a girl, age 16 or 17, in 1954. Yocum's accuser said the abuse occurred during weekly private voice lessons.
Worked in Ontario Canada, PA, DC, MA, IL. Died in 2004. Named publicly as credibly accused by the Order on its list 1/20/2021. Included in the 5/23/2023 IL Attorney General's Report. No information as to when or where the abuse occurred. (Placing Yore in the Joliet diocese for now, where the Province is based.)
Accused in 2005 of inappropriate physical contact on one occasion with a boy, about age 12, in the early 1960s. The alleged victim received a settlement. No other victims were found by a private investigator. Yost, who in 2005 was elderly, in poor health, and unable to drive, was judged not to be a danger to children by a clinical professor of psychiatry. Included on the Dominicans Holy Name Province list in 10/2021. Noted to have been removed from public ministry in 2003, and to have died in 2018.
Named publicly by the Dodge City diocese on its list 10/1/19, with substantiated allegations of abuse, occurring in the late 1950s-early 1960s. Worked in the diocese until 8/70. Incardinated into the Diocese of Sioux City in 1974. Deceased.
Accused in a lawsuit filed in 9/2022 of sexually abusing a boy, age 6-7, in the mid-1980s at St. Raymond's in Dublin CA. Kept in ministry as pastor of St. Patrick's in Rodeo. Young stated that the allegations were "absolutely false." The Diocese determined that the allegations were not credible.
Arrested in 4/08. Charged with sex abuse of a 14-year-old boy in 1999 at St. Matthew's in Charlotte, where he was assigned 1997-99. Transferred out of diocese in 10/99. At time of arrest, was chaplain at St. Mary's in Passaic, NJ. Extradited to Charlotte and released on bail. Victim filed civil suit vs diocese and Capuchins 10/08, saying diocese knew before transfer to NJ and case covered-up. Pled guilty to 1 count 2/09; sentenced to 7 years 8 months to 10 years prison. Suit settled 5/10 for $1.23M ($1M from Diocese and $230K from the Order). Released from prison 8/16. Moved from NC to NJ in 11/16. Per Capuchins, defrocked in 2010. Suit in 12/20 claimed abuse of a boy ages 5-7, at St. Matthew's, beginning in 1997.
On 1/03/14 the Diocese of St. Cloud released the names of 33 clergy, including Yzermans, involved in incidents of likely claims of sexual abuse of minors. No information as to where or when the abuse occurred. He worked at multiple parishes within the diocese. Also served as editor of Our Sunday Visitor and wrote several religious books. Admitted to long battle with alcoholism and 12 stints in treatment. Died 5/4/95 in NM. On Santa Rosa diocese's list 1/12/19. It notes he was listed as "On Duty" in the diocese 1975-76, but no record of an assignment there.
We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.OKPrivacy policy
