Father James Collins – Diocese of Fresno (formerly known as the Diocese of Monterey-Fresno)

Assignment Record:

DatesAssignment
1948 – 1949 St. Peter’s Church, Lemoore, CA (Diocese of Monterey-Fresno)
1950 Not indexed
1951 – 1952 St. Joseph’s Church, Avenal, CA (Diocese of Monterey-Fresno)
1953 – 1969 St. Mary’s Church, Buttonwillow, CA (Diocese of Monterey-Fresno)
1970 – 1971 Retired - Residing in Merced, CA
1972 – 1977 Retired - Residing in Donegal, Ireland
Source:
  • The Official Catholic Directory, Kenedy & Sons

(The years listed above are the publication years of the Official Catholic Directory. According to the Directory, the assignments provided for a given year are effective as of January 1 of that year. This means that a priest listed in the Directory for a given year at a parish or school was likely at the same assignment for at least part of the previous year as well.)

Summary:
  • Father Collins died in 1977.
  • Father James Collins was accused of sexually abusing a female minor child on at least nine occasions from approximately 1958 to 1960 when the girl was approximately 8 to 10 years old. At the time of the sexual abuse, Father Collins was assigned to St. Mary’s Church in
    Buttonwillow, California. The sexual abuse occurred in multiple locations including inside St. Mary’s Church and in the rectory affiliated with St. Mary’s Church.
  • The sexual abuse by Father Collins included the following: Father Collins penetrated the girl’s vagina with his finger; Father Collins performed oral sex on the girl; and Father Collins forced the girl to touch Father Collins’ exposed penis with her hand.
  • The claim settled in 2020 in the low six figures.