Diocese of Las Cruces NM

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Terry McKiernan February 26, 2021

15 Accused in This Diocese

Fr. Joseph K. Anderson

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Order: OSB
Ordained: 1954
Status: Sued

Diocese: Diocese of Las Cruces NM

Sent to the Las Cruces diocese by his Order in Wisconsin, where he had been assigned. Suit filed 7/12/2018 against the Diocese of Las Cruces NM, Paracletes and Benedictines by a man claiming Anderson and Rev. David Bentley of Holy Family in Deming NM sexually abused him hundreds of times 1994-2001 when he was an altar boy. The abuse allegedly began when the plaintiff was age 9. Anderson was relieved of his duties in 1999. He died in 5/2002.

Sources:

Deming Headlight 07.20.18

Fr. Daniel Ramsey Barfield

Order: SJ
Ordained: 1967
Status: Sued

Died: 06/7/2003
Diocese: Diocese of Las Cruces NM

In a 5/2013 civil suit a man accused Barfield of abusing him as a minor at St. Jude's Parish in Alamogordo NM, beginning in 1990. The man also accused Fr. Wilfred J. Diamond of abuse in the suit. A separate federal suit alleged Barfield allowed Fr. David Holley to live at the rectory and this gave Holley access to plaintiff so he abused plaintiff as well. Died 6/7/2003 in Alamogordo. Buried in Jesuit Cemetery, Grand Coteau LA. Also worked in Dallas, NOLA and Houston at Jesuit schools. On Las Cruces diocese's list 11/8/2018.

Assignments:

BA.org Assignment Record

Sources:

Fr. Wilfred J. Diamond

Ordained: 1938
Status: Sued

Died: 03/15/1995
Diocese: Diocese of Las Cruces NM

In a 5/2013 civil suit a man accused Diamond of abusing him as an 8- or 9-year-old in 1987, at St. Jude's Parish in Alamogordo. The same man also accused D. Barfield of abuse in the same suit and David Holley of abuse in a separate federal suit. Diamond and Holley worked together in the 1970s at St. Jude, which was then part of the El Paso Diocese. Diamond retired in 1988 and died 3/15/1995. Buried in Immaculate Conception Catholic Cemetery in Almaogordo NM. Included on the Las Cruces diocese's list 11/8/2018. Named in a 4/9/2020 lawsuit.

Sources:

Fr. Damian Gamboa

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Order: OFM
Ordained: 1964
Status: Sued

Diocese: Diocese of Las Cruces NM

Accused in a lawsuit filed in 8/2020 of sexually abusing a girl, age 13 or 14, in the early 1980s while pastor of St. Francis de Paula in Tularosa. (The parish was part of the El Paso diocese at the time of the alleged abuse.) Included on the Las Cruces diocese's list of credibly accused.

Sources:

Fr. Bruce Hausfeld

Order: OFM
Ordained: 1962
Status: Reinstated

Died: 03/20/2024
Diocese: Diocese of Las Cruces NM

Placed on leave in 5/2002 while the Order was continuing an investigation of a single allegation against him of sexual misconduct with a minor. Allegation could not be corroborated when it was first reported in 4/2001; Hausfeld was allowed to continue in a parish at the time. Again cleared and reinstated by the Diocese as of 10/2002. Died 3/20/2024.

Sources:

Br. Augustine Hootka

Order: OFM
Status: Accused

Died: 01/15/2007
Diocese: Diocese of Las Cruces NM

Named publicly as accused by the Santa Barbara Province Franciscans on its list 5/31/2019. Allegation received in 2018 of the sexual abuse of a minor 1956-1957. Died in 2007. Included on the Las Cruces diocese's list 6/24/2019, where he worked 1955-1987; abuse noted to have occurred elsewhere.

Assignments:

Santa Barbara Province Franciscans List 05.31.19

Sources:

Fr. Rosario Lopez

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Order: OSB
Status: Settled

Diocese: Diocese of Las Cruces NM

From the Philippines. Worked in the Las Cruces diocese (then part of the El Paso Diocese) in the mid-1970s. A civll suit filed in NM in 4/2010 alleged he fondled and groped an altar boy before returning to the Philippines. Another priest from the Philippines, Manuel Perez Maramba, replaced him and allegedly abused the same youth. The case settled in 5/2011. Included on the Las Cruces diocese's list 11/8/2018.

Sources:

Fr. Richard P. Lynch

Ordained: 1941
Status: Accused

Died: 05/17/2017
Diocese: Diocese of Las Cruces NM

First named publicly as credibly accused by the Las Cruces diocese on its list 11/8/2018. It notes a report in 1992 of incidents in 1971 and 1982. Removed from ministry in 1992. Died in 2017 at age 97. Per his obituary, Lynch retired in 1992 and moved to Pensacola FL, where he helped out in local parishes. Referred to in his obituary as "monsignor."

Sources:

Pensacola News-Journal Obituary via Legacy.com 06.05.17
Diocese of Las Cruces List 11.08.18
KVIA 11.08.18

Fr. Forest McAllister

Order: OFM
Ordained: 1967
Status: Accused

Died: 07/26/1997
Diocese: Diocese of Las Cruces NM

Named publicly as credibly accused by the Las Cruces diocese on its revised list 1/14/2020. It notes a complaint received in 2019 of abuse in 1982. McAllister was assigned 1978-1983 to St. John the Baptist in Roswell, and 1984-1986 to St. Peter's in Roswell. He died in 1997.

Sources:

Diocese of Las Cruces List updated 01.14.20

Fr. Juan Montoya

Order: OFM
Ordained: 1980
Status: Sued

Died: 01/31/2013
Diocese: Diocese of Las Cruces NM

Accused in a lawsuit filed in 9/2019 of sexually abusing an 11-year-old girl in 2001, while pastor of St. John the Baptist in Roswell. Included on the Diocese of Las Cruces' list of credibly accused in 11/2020. Worked in the diocese 1996-2012. Died 1/31/2013.

Sources:

Fr. Arthur C. Morgan

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Order: CM
Ordained: 1959
Status: Accused

Diocese: Diocese of Las Cruces NM

First named publicly as accused on the Las Cruces diocese's list 11/8/2018. It notes a report was received in 2013 of an incident in 1973. Assignments in the diocese were Our Lord of Mercy in Hatch 1968-1971 and San Isidro in Garfield 1971-1991.

Sources:

Fr. Roderick Nichols

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Ordained: 1989
Status: Sued

Diocese: Diocese of Las Cruces NM

Retired in 2015. Accused in a lawsuit filed in 8/2020 of sexually abusing a boy, age 13 or 14 in the early 1990s, while pastor of St. Vincent De Paul in Silver City. Faculties revoked.

Sources:

Fr. Frank Sierra

Order: SF
Ordained: 1946
Status: Settled

Diocese: Diocese of Las Cruces NM

Ordained in 1946. Teaching high school in Buenos Aires by 1951. Arrived in Pueblo CO diocese in 1951 to replace his brother, John Sierra. Worked in El Paso and several parishes in the 1950s and 1960s, later part of the Las Cruces NM diocese. Working by 1970 in the San Diego CA diocese. Retired in 1988. Accused in a 1994 civil suit of abuse of girls in Santa Cruz NM; settled. Included on the San Diego diocese's list of credibly accused in 3/2007. Status was 'removed.' Personnel file released 10/25/2010. Included on the Santa Fe archdiocese's list of credibly accused on 9/12/2017. On Las Cruces diocese's list 11/8/2018. On El Paso's list 1/31/2019. Per Santa Fe's list 9/20/2021, Sierra is deceased.

Assignments:

Sources:

Fr. Benjamin Silva

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Status: Accused

Diocese: Diocese of Las Cruces NM

Named as accused by the Diocese of Las Cruces on its list 11/8/2018. It notes no claims in the diocese, and that Silva was assigned to parishes in Chaparral, Berino and Las Cruces 1983-1986. It also notes that Silva was on the Archdiocese of Santa Fe's list. (The Santa Fe archdiocese's 9/12/2017 list includes a George Silva, but not Benjamin.)

Sources:

Fr. John Tickle

Ordained: 1967
Status: Accused

Died: 11/21/2023
Diocese: Diocese of Las Cruces NM

First named publicly as credibly accused on the Las Cruces diocese's list 11/8/2018. It notes a report in 2004 of an alleged incident 1976-1977. Tickle was removed from active ministry in 2004. Included on the El Paso diocese's list 1/31/2019. (Las Cruces was established in 1982 from El Paso.) Died 11/21/2023.

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