Calamari Carley Clarahan Cornely DeLuca Dempster Dreyer Dudzinski Gardiner Harney Heckel Irwin Lind Mackiewicz Martin O'Brien Power Richardson Rogers Sarro Vignola Walker Weaver Wiggins

CATHOLIC DIOCESE OF WILMINGTON PARISHES
WITH THE MOST PUBLICLY ACCUSED PRIESTS ASSIGNED

See also the spreadsheets Diocese of Wilmington Parishes with Publicly Accused Priests and Accused Priests in Wilmington Parishes: Overview of the Data.

For background, see The Hidden Abuse, by Steven Church, Beth Miller, David F. Ledford, and Gary Soulsman, News Journal (11/20/05); and Wilmington Diocese Names 20 Alleged Pedophile Priests, by Beth Miller, News Journal (11/16/06). See also our resources on the Diocese of Wilmington's filing for bankruptcy protection.

The situation in the Diocese of Wilmington appears to be even worse than in some other dioceses that have been studied. See for example: Study Reveals Vast Scope of Priest Abuse: Clerics Accused of Molestation Worked in Three-Fourths of the 288 Parishes in the L.A. Archdiocese, a Times Analysis Finds, by Jean Guccione and Doug Smith, Los Angeles Times (10/13/05); and Clergy Sex Abuse Tracking Group Adds Details to Diocese's List of Credibly Accused, by Ann McGlynn, Quad-City Times (7/23/08). See also Parishes, Schools, and Facilities in the Rockville Centre Diocese Where Priests and Brothers Accused of Sex Crimes Have Worked.

Nine (9) accused perpetrator priests assigned to parish:

St. Francis de Sales (Salisbury, Md.):

1. Cornely, Francis P. (1949-1950)
2. Power, Walter D. (1952-1954)
3. DeLuca, Francis G. (1958-1961)
4. Lind, Alfred J. (1960-1962)
5. Mackiewicz, Leonard J. (1970-1971)
6. Irwin, William E. (1976-1986)
7. McGovern, Joseph A. (deacon, 1978-1979)
8. Dudzinski, Edward F. (1983-1985)
9. Wiggins, Charles W. (1987-1991)

In addition, Rev. Harry D. Walker is accused of abusing
a boy in this parish, though the priest was not assigned here.

Eight (8) accused perpetrator priests assigned to parish:

Holy Cross (Dover, Del.):

1. Irwin, William E. (1966-1968)
2. Gardiner, Richard F. (11/1968-1972)
3. Vignola, Carmen D. (deacon, 1972; 1987-1989)
4. Mackiewicz, Leonard J. (1975-1976)
5. Clarahan, Eugene F. (1978-1983)
6. Weaver, Harry (1984-1985)
7. Martin, Kenneth J. (1989-1990)
8. Calamari, Paul D. (1999-2000) (from Archdiocese of New Orleans)

Six (6) accused perpetrator priests assigned to parish:

St. Mary Refuge of Sinners (Cambridge, Md.):

1. Carley, Edward B. (1948-1954)
2. Power, Walter D. (1957-1960; 1969-1979)
3. Cornely, Francis P. (1964-1969)
4. Dempster, Douglas W. (1967-1969)
5. Mackiewicz, Leonard J. (1972-1975)
6. McGovern, Joseph A. (1979-1980)

Five (5) accused perpetrator priests assigned to parish:

St. Ann (Wilmington, Del.)

1. Dreyer, Henry J. (1933-1937; 1967-1969 in res.)
2. Carley, Edward B. (1954-1962)
3. Walker, Harry D. (1967-1968)
4 . O’Brien, John F. (1969-1972)
5 . Vignola, Carmen D. (1972-1978)

Good Shepherd (Perryville, Md.)

1. Walker, Harry D. (1961-1963)
2 . Carley, Edward B. (1967-1970)
3 . Dempster, Douglas W. (1970-1971)
4 . Power, Walter D. (1983-1998 in res.)
5 . Clarahan, Eugene F. (1983-1987)

St. John the Baptist/Holy Angels (Newark, Del.)

1. Cornely, Francis P. (1950-1958)
2. Dempster, Douglas W. (1969-1970)
3. McGovern, Joseph A. (1983-1986)
4. Weaver, Harry (1987-1990)
5. Wiggins, Charles W. (1992-1993)

St. Mary Magdalen (North Wilmington, Del.)

1. Dudzinski, Edward F. (1978-1983)
2. Martin, Kenneth J. (1991-1997)
3. Rogers, Francis J. (1992-1995)
4. O’Brien, John F. (1997-2003)
5. Irwin, William E. (2001-2002)

Our Lady of Fatima (New Castle, Del.)

1. Irwin, William (1972-1976)
2. O’Brien, John F. (1972-1982)
3. Weaver, Harry (1982-1983)
4. Vignola, Carmen (1983-1984)
5. Wiggins, Charles (1985-1986)

St. Paul (Wilmington, Del.)

1. Dreyer, Henry J. (1930-1931)
2. Carley, Edward B. (1962-1964)
3. O’Brien, John F. (1962-1964)
4. Walker, Harry D. (1969-1970)
5 . Martin, Kenneth J. (1991)

 

Four (4) accused perpetrator priests assigned to parish:

St. Edmond (Rehoboth Beach, Del.)

1. Mackiewicz, Leonard J. (1957; 1972)
2. Cornely, Francis P. (1958-1962; 1974-1975)
3. Irwin, William E. (1964)
4. Gardiner, Richard F. (5/1968-11/1968)

Immaculate Conception (Elkton, Md.)

1. Irwin, William E. (1964-1966)
2. Dempster, Douglas W. (1966-1967)
3. Power, Walter D. (1979-1983)
4. Smit, Gerard C. (1987-1996) (from Diocese of Lake Charles, La.)

St. Elizabeth (Wilmington, Del.)

1. Lind, Alfred J. (1965-1966)
2. DeLuca, Francis G. (1966-1969)
3. Vignola, Carmen D. (1978-1983)
4. O’Brien, John F. (1982-1997)

Immaculate Heart of Mary (Liftwood, Del.)

1. Irwin, William E. (1970-1972 in res.)
2. Richardson, James E. (1971-1977)
3. Rogers, Francis J. (1981-1986)
4. Martin, Kenneth J. (1990-1991)

St. Matthew (Wilmington, Del.)

1. Harney, Peter P. (1959-1961)
2. Richardson, James E. (1965-1971)
3. DeLuca, Francis G. (1976-1989)
4. Rogers, Francis J. (1986-1989)

St. Michael the Archangel (Georgetown, Del.)

1. Dempster, Douglas W. (1962)
2. Walker, Harry D. (1963-1964)
3 . Mackiewicz, Leonard (1971-1972)
4 . Gardiner, Richard F. (1972-1974)

St. Helena (Bellefonte, Del.)

1. Power, Walter D. (1954-1957)
2. Harney, Peter P. (1959)
3. O’Brien, John F. (1964-1969)
4. Sarro, John A. (1990-1998)

Three (3) accused perpetrator priests assigned to parish:

Holy Spirit (New Castle, Del.)

1. Clarahan, Eugene F. (1967-1968 in residence)
2. DeLuca, Francis G. (1969-1976)
3. Wiggins, Charles W. (1997-2003)

Holy Family (Newark, Del.)

1. Irwin, William E. (1990-2001)
2. Wiggins, Charles W. (1994-1997)
3. Martin, Kenneth J. (1997-1998, in residence)

Immaculate Conception (Marydel, Md.)

1. Mackiewicz, Leonard J. (1958-1960)
2. Power, Walter D. (1960)
3. Dempster, Douglas W. (1979-1992)

St. Joseph on the Brandywine

1. Dreyer, Henry J. (1950-1966)
2. DeLuca, Francis G. (1989-1993)
3. Harney, Peter P. (1990-1993 in res.)

St. John the Beloved (Wilmington, Del.)

1. DeLuca, Francis G. (1961-1966)
2. Dempster, Douglas W. (1962-1966)
3. Gardiner, Richard F. (1974-1978)

Corpus Christi (Elsmere, Del.)

1. Clarahan, Eugene F. (1952-1960)
2. Harney, Peter P. (1961-1964)
3. Rogers, Francis J. (1980-1981 as deacon and 1995-2003)

Cathedral of St. Peter (Wilmington, Del.)

1. Carley, Edward B. (1964-1967 and 1970-1972)
2. Richardson, James E. (1977-1982)
3. Weaver, Harry (1983-1984)

St. Theresa of Avila (Port Deposit, Md.)
Mission of Good Shepherd

1. Dreyer, Henry J. (1931-1933)
2. Harney, Peter P. (1953-1956)
3. Walker, Harry D. (1961-1963)

 

Two (2) accused perpetrator priests assigned to parish:

St. Ann (Bethany Beach, Del.)

1. Walker, Harry D. (1963-1964)
2 . Gardiner, Richard F. (1972)

St. Benedict (Ridgely, Md.)

1. Harney, Peter P. (1968-1974)
2. Clarahan, Eugene F. (1987-1993)

St. Catherine of Siena (Wilmington, Del.)

1. Lind, Alfred J. (1962-1965)
2. McGovern, Joseph A. (1980-1983)

St. Thomas the Apostle (Wilmington, Del.)

1. Mackiewicz, Leonard J. (1960-1961 and 1967-1970)
2. Harney, Peter P. (1964-1968)

Our Lady of Good Counsel (Secretary, Md.)

1. Dempster, Douglas W. (1992-1993)
2. Wiggins, Charles W. (1993-1994)

Christ Our King (Wilmington, Del.)

1. Harney, Peter P. (1956-1958)
2. Cornely, Francis P. (1969-1974)

Holy Child (Wilmington, Del.)

1. Dempster, Douglas W. (1978-1979)
2. Martin, Kenneth J. (1998-2001 in res.)

Holy Name of Jesus (Pocomoke City, Md.)

1. Walker, Harry D. (1968)
2 . Power, Walter D. (1968-1969)

Holy Rosary (Claymont, Del.)

1. Mackiewicz, Leonard J. (1964-1967)
2. Rogers, Francis J. (1989-1992)

St. Elizabeth Ann Seton (Bear, Del.)

1. Gardiner, Richard F. (1978-1985)
2. Sarro, John A. (1983-1990)

St. Mary of the Assumption (Hockessin, Del.)

1. Irwin, William E. (1968-1970 and 1986-1990)
2. Calamari, Paul D. (1997-1999) (from Archdiocese of New Orleans)

St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception (Wilmington, Del.)

1. Clarahan, Eugene F. (1960-1966)
2. Walker, Harry D. (1968-1969)

St. Peter the Apostle (New Castle, Del.)

1. Clarahan, Eugene F. (1968-1978)
2. Calamari, Paul D. (2000-2003 in res.) (from Archdiocese of New Orleans)

One (1) accused perpetrator priest assigned to parish:

Parish of the Resurrection (Wilmington, Del.)

1. Wiggins, Charles W. (1986)

St. Luke-St. Andrew (Ocean City, Md.)

1. Gardiner, Richard F. (1985-1989)

St. John the Apostle (Milford, Del.)

1. Wiggins, Charles W. (1991-1992)

St. Hedwig

1. Mackiewicz, Leonard J. (1961-1964)

St. Anthony of Padua (Wilmington, Del.)ø
[Parish staffed by Oblates of St. Francis de Sales.]

1. Heckel, John, OSFS, assigned to St. Anthony of Padua (1960-1961)

St. Thomas More/University of Delaware campus chaplain (Newark, Del.)

1. Cornely, Francis P. (1962-1964)

St. Joseph (Middletown, Del.)

1. Vignola, Carmen D. (1984-1987)

St. Patrick (Wilmington, Del.)

1. Walker, Harry D. (1970-1972)

St. Polycarp (Smyrna, Del.)

1. Mackiewicz, Leonard J. (1985-1987)

Sacred Heart (Chestertown, Md.)

1. Power, Walter D. (1964-1968)

St. Dennis (Galena, Md.)

1. Carley, Edward B. (1982-1993)

Our Mother of Sorrows (Centreville, Md.)

1. Carley, Edward B. (1982-1993)

St. Christopher (Cape Charles, Va.)†

1. Dreyer, Henry J. (1937-1941)

No known accused perpetrator priests assigned to parish:

St. Joseph (Wilmington, Del.)p
St. Margaret of Scotland (Newark, Del.)
St. Paul (Delaware City, Del.)
Our Lady of Lourdes (Seaford, Del.)
St. Jude The Apostle (Lewes, Del.)
St. Christopher (Chester, Md.)
St. John Neumann (Berlin, Md.)
St. Mary Star of the Sea (Ocean City, Md.)
SS. Peter and Paul (Easton, Md.)

* Religious order priests serving at these CDOW parishes are generally not included.
† Parish is no longer part of Diocese of Wilmington.
p Parish staffed by Josephites until 1994, and then by Franciscans.
ø Parish staffed by Oblates of St. Francis de Sales.