Father William I. Shinnick - Archdiocese of Boston

Assignment Record:

DatesAssignment
1942 Ordained
1943 - 1945 St. Jerome's Church, Arlington, MA
1946 - 1949 St. Rose's Church, Chelsea, MA/td>
1950 - 1953 Most Precious Blood, Hyde Park, MA
1954 St. Gregory's Church, Dorchester, MA
1955 - 1958 St. John's Church, Roxbury, MA
1959 - 1960 St. Mary's Church, Charlestown, MA
1961 St. Patrick's Church (West), Lynn, MA
1962 - 1969 St. James' Church, Arlington, MA
1970 - 1981 St. Maria Goretti Church, Lynnfield Centre, MA
   Died May 10, 1981
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 William I. Shinnick was accused of sexually abusing a female minor child on approximately 60 occasions from approximately 1960 when the girl was approximately ten years old until approximately 1964 when the girl was approximately fourteen years old. During the sexual abuse, Father Shinnick was assigned to St. Mary's Church in Charlestown, MA, St. Patrick's Church (West) in Lynn, MA, and St. James' Church in Arlington, MA. The sexual abuse took place inside the girl’s childhood home.
  • The sexual abuse by Father Shinnick included the following: Father Shinnick kissing the girl on the mouth, putting his tongue in her mouth; Father Shinnick fondling the girl’s breasts, buttocks, and genitals.
  • The claim settled in 2023 in the low six figures.