Priest Assignment Records and Case Details Released

The Law Offices of Mitchell Garabedian has obtained settlements or arbitration awards for many victims and survivors who suffered sexual abuse by clergy or church personnel. The list can be found at at www.garabedianlaw.com/results-list. 

The firm added:

Detailed information on the assignment records and claim history of these abusers, together with sources, can be accessed by reading below as well as in the pdfs lnked above.

Please check back regularly as additional information is planned for release.

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.

Father Charles G. Collins – Diocese of Rockville Centre

Assignment Record:

DatesAssignment
Approx. 1968 Ordained in the Diocese of Trenton, New Jersey
1969 – 1970 St. Rose’s Church, Belmar, NJ
1971 St. Raphael’s Church, Trenton, NJ
Approx. 1971 Begins serving as a priest in the Diocese of Rockville Centre, New York
1972 – 1975 St. Joseph’s Church, Garden City, NY
1976 – 1977 St. Peter of Alcantara Church, Port Washington, NY
1978 – 1980 Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church, Lindenhurst, NY
1981 – 1983 St. Paul the Apostle Church, Glen Head, NY
1984 – 1987 St. Lawrence the Martyr Church, Sayville, NY
1988 Not indexed
1989 – 1992 “On sick leave”
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 1992.
  • Father Charles G. Collins was accused of sexually abusing a male minor child on at least fifteen occasions from approximately 1978 to 1979 when the male child was approximately fifteen to seventeen years old. At the time of the sexual abuse, Father Collins was assigned to Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church in Lindenhurst, New York. The sexual abuse took place in locations including the rectory affiliated with Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church; hotels on Long Island, New York; and on a boat apparently owned by Father Collins.
  • The sexual abuse by Father Collins included the following: Father Collins performed oral sex on the child and forced the child to perform oral sex on Father Collins. Father Collins repeatedly sodomized the child.
  • The claim settled in April 2020 in the low six figures.

Father Denis A. Conte -Archdiocese of Boston

Assignment Record:

DatesAssignment
1975 Ordained
1976-1978 St. Mary of the Assumption Church, Dracut, MA
1979-1989 St. Anthony’s Church, Revere, MA
1990-1992 Blessed Sacrament Church, Saugus, MA
1993 Our Lady of Lourdes, Revere, MA
1994 St. Francis de Sales Church, Boston, MA;
Our Lady of Lourdes Church, Revere, MA;
“Absent on Sick Leave”
1995-1997 “Absent on Sick Leave”
1998-1999 Health Leave
2000-2002 Unassigned
2003+ Unindexed
Source:
  • The Official Catholic Directory, Kenedy & Sons
Summary:
  • Father Denis A. Conte was accused of sexually abusing a male minor child on at least six occasions from approximately 1978 when the male child was approximately twelve years old until approximately 1981 when the male child was approximately fifteen years old. At the time of the sexual abuse, Father Conte was assigned to St. Anthony’s Church in Revere, Massachusetts and the male child attended religious services at St. Anthony’s Church. The sexual abuse took place in the rectory of St. Anthony’s Church in Revere, MA and in a house in New Hampshire.
  • The sexual abuse by Father Conte included the following: Father Conte fondled the boy’s penis and testicles skin on skin.
  • The claim settled in November 2022 in the high five figures.

Brother Edward C. Courtney – C.F.C.

Assignment Record:

According to published reports, apparently Brother Edward C. Courtney was assigned to the following locations at the following approximate dates:

DatesAssignment
1957 Joined the Christian Brothers of Ireland
1957 – 1960 Sacred Heart School in New York, NY (Archdiocese of New York)
1961 – 1968 Brother Rice High School in Chicago, IL (Archdiocese of Chicago)
1968 – 1969 Brother Rice High School in Birmingham, MI (Archdiocese of Detroit)
1969 – 1972 Leo High School in Chicago, IL (Archdiocese of Chicago)
1972 – 1974 St. Laurence High School in Burbank, IL (Archdiocese of Chicago)
1974 – 1978 O’Dea High School in Seattle, WA (Archdiocese of Seattle)
1978 – 1979 Our Lady of the Lake Church in Seattle, WA (Archdiocese of Seattle)
1979 – 1980 St. Alphonsus School in Seattle, WA (Archdiocese of Seattle)
1983 Removed from the Brotherhood
Source:
  • Published Reports
Summary:

  • Brother Courtney was accused of sexually abusing a male minor child on at least four occasions from approximately 1970 until approximately 1971 when the boy was approximately 14 to 15 years old. At the time of the sexual abuse, Brother Courtney was assigned to Leo High School in Chicago, IL.

  • The sexual abuse by Brother Courtney included the following: Brother Courtney having the boy remove all his clothing; Brother Courtney fondling the boy’s buttocks; Brother Courtney penetrating the boy’s anus with Brother Courtney’s fingers; Brother Courtney brushing his face and tongue against the boy’s penis; and Brother Courtney pressing his body against the boy’s body so the boy could feel Brother Courtney’s erect penis.

  • The Archdiocese of Chicago agreed to settle the claim in the low six figures in 2021.

  1. Father John H. Curley – Archdiocese of Boston
  2. Father Thomas J. Crum – Diocese of Youngstown
  3. Father Alphonse Dallinger – Diocese of Brooklyn
  4. Father Arthur Devlin, S.M. – Marist Fathers of Boston, a/k/a Society of Mary of the U.S.A.
  5. Father Leon Dicks, O.F.M.Conv. - Diocese of Trenton - Conventual Franciscans, Province of the Immaculate Conception
  6. Father Lawrence W. Donovan – Diocese of Trenton
  7. Father Robert Dunphy – Diocese of Camden
  8. Deacon William Emerson – Archdiocese of Boston
  9. Father Robert D. Fay - Archdiocese of Boston
  10. Monsignor J. Francis Feenan – Diocese of Paterson
  11. Father Romano J. Ferraro – Diocese of Brooklyn, Diocese of Methuen
  12. Father Merle Fisher - Marist Fathers
  13. Father Joseph L. Fitzharris – Archdiocese of Chicago
  14. Father Conran Free, C.P. - Congregation of the Passion (“Passionists”) - Diocese of Scranton
  15. Father Lawrence Gadek – Archdiocese of Newark
  16. Father Richard M. Galdon – Archdiocese of Newark
  17. Father Brian Gallagher, S.S.C.
  18. Father Vincent J. Gallo – Diocese of Brooklyn
  19. Father Michael Garry – Diocese of Trenton
  20. Father James M. Gibbons - Archdiocese of Boston
  21. Father Augustine M. Giella – Diocese of Harrisburg
  22. Father Denis Ginty – Archdiocese of Los Angeles
  23. Father J. Gerard Griffin– Diocese of Trenton, Diocese of Springfield
  24. Bishop Dinualdo Gutierrez
  25. Monsignor James J. Haddad - Archdiocese of Boston
  26. Father Michael H. Hansen – Archdiocese of Newark
  27. Father Patrick J. Healy – Diocese of Erie
  28. Monsignor Herman Heide – Archdiocese of New York
  29. Father Douglas U. Hermansen – Diocese of Trenton
  30. Father Charles Herr – Archdiocese of Newark
  31. Father Donald Hickey – Diocese of Trenton
  32. Father Daniel M. Holihan – Archdiocese of Chicago
  33. Father Ernest Karl Huller – Diocese of Springfield
  34. Monsignor Thomas M. Jordan – Diocese of Scranton
  35. Father Charles Kane – Archdiocese of Boston
  36. Father Thomas C. Kelley – Diocese of Erie
  37. Monsignor Joseph P. Kelly – Diocese of Scranton
  38. Father Robert J. Klem, C.S.B. – Congregation of St. Basil, a.k.a. the Basilians, and the Diocese of Rochester
  39. Father Eugene Kwapisz, O.F.M. Conv. - Order of Minors Friar Conventual, St. Anthony of Padua Province - Diocese of Trenton
  40. Serio “Charlie” La Penna - Archdiocese of Boston