A. Cases That Have Been Concluded Canonically, Either By Dismissal or Sentence to Life of Prayer and Penance, or Criminally, Either By Plea or Conviction.

This section contains the names of those members of the clergy of the Boston Archdiocese who have been found guilty of sexually abusing a child, either by the Church, the State, or both. In the case of criminal convictions, the cleric either has been convicted after a criminal trial or has pled guilty to a crime involving the sexual abuse of a child. In the case of canonical processes, the clerics whose names are included in this section either have been dismissed from the clerical state ("dismissed") at the end of a canonical process or have been assigned to a life of prayer and penance, with no ministry possible. The Church assigns priests to a life of prayer and penance where they are not suited to dismissal due to age or infirmity.
Name Year Of Ordination Status
Barrett, Robert E 1963 Assigned to Life of Prayer and Penance (2004); Deceased (2008)
Buchette, Anthony L 1957 Dismissed (2005)
Charest, Edmund P 1960 Dismissed (2015)
Coughlin, Richard T 1953; Excardinated to the Archdiocese of Los Angeles (now Diocese of Orange) in 1971 Permanently Restricted
Crowley, Jr., Joseph I (Permanent Deacon) 1980 Pled Guilty to Criminal Charges (1999); Laicized (2006)
Dempsey, Thomas F Ordained for the Diocese of La Crosse, Wisconsin in 1955; Incardinated into the Archdiocese of Boston in 1976 Pled Guilty to Criminal Charges in Wisconsin (1997); Deceased (1998)
Fay, Robert D 1967 Dismissed (2005)
Gale, Robert V 1968 Pled Guilty to Criminal Charges (2004); Laicized (2006)
Gaudreau, James E. 1969 Assigned to a Life of Prayer and Penance (2020)
Geoghan, John J 1962 Dismissed (1998); Convicted on Criminal Charges (2000); Deceased (2003)
Guthrie, Frederick L 1962 Pled Guilty to Criminal Charges (involving attempted solicitation of a minor over the Internet) (2004); Laicized (2010)
Hanlon, John R 1955 Convicted on Criminal Charges (1994); Laicized (2005); Deceased (2016)
Hurley, Paul W 1970 Convicted on Criminal Charges (2006); Dismissed (2006)
Iguabita-Rodriguez, Kelvin E 1999 Convicted on Criminal Charges (2003); Dismissed (2005)
Johnson, Harold J 1949 Assigned to Life of Prayer and Penance (2004); Deceased (2009)
Keane, John F 1969 Pled Guilty to Criminal Charges (2008); Dismissed (2009); Deceased (2021)
Kelley, Edward T 1968 Assigned to Life of Prayer and Penance (2005); Deceased (2011)
Lane, Bernard J 1960 Dismissed (2004)
Laurano, Anthony J 1950 Dismissed (2007); Deceased (2007)
Lyons, John P 1955 Dismissed (2020) ; Deceased (2020)
Maguire, Thomas H. 1976 Dismissed (2016)
Mahan, Paul J 1968 Dismissed (1998)
McLaughlin, Paul J 1955 Assigned to a Life of Prayer and Penance (2021); Deceased 2021
McMahon, Gerard T 1961 Pled Guilty to Criminal Charges (2006); Deceased (2013)
Menna, F. Dominic 1958 Assigned to a Life of Prayer and Penance (2016)
Murphy, Francis A 1957; Excardinated to the Archdiocese of Anchorage (1964) Permanently Restricted
Nyhan, W. James 1973 Pled Guilty to Criminal Charges (2006); Dismissed (2007)
O'Sullivan, Eugene M 1960 Pled Guilty to Criminal Charges (1984); Dismissed (2005); Deceased (2019)
Paquin, Ronald H 1973 Pled Guilty to Criminal Charges (2002); Laicized (2004)
Pelletier, Leonard E 1969 Dismissed (2019)
Plourde, Raymond C 1958 Assigned to Life of Prayer and Penance (2004); Deceased (2013)
Rosenkranz, George J 1962 Dismissed (2006)
Shanley, Paul R 1960 Dismissed (2004); Convicted on Criminal Charges (2005); Deceased (2020)
Surette, C. Melvin 1956 Dismissed (2012)
Tague, Patrick J 1963 Dismissed (2006)
Tivnan, Paul J 1963 Assigned to Life of Prayer and Penance (2004)
Welsh, Joseph L 1968 Assigned to Life of Prayer and Penance (2004) Deceased (2019)

B. Cases That Have Been Concluded Canonically By Laicization.

Laicization under Church law is a process whereby the cleric voluntarily requests that he be separated from the clerical state. The laicization process, because it is voluntary, does not involve a determination of guilt for crimes involving the sexual abuse of children. Included in this section are the names of priests who have sought laicization after being accused of sexually abusing a minor.
Name Year Of Ordination Status
Balcom, Gary E 1972 Laicized (1998); Deceased (2002)
Beale, Robert P 1970 Laicized (2010); Deceased (2019)
Cartier, Jr., Frederick J 1963 Laicized (2010); Deceased (2020)
Coleman, Joseph K 1981 Laicized (2005)
Connell, John K 1965 Laicized (2005); Deceased (2007)
Conte, Denis A 1975 Laicized (2004)
Daly, Robert F 1967 Laicized (2011)
Finegan, Paul J 1970 Laicized (2005)
Forry, Thomas P 1968 Laicized (2006)
Frost, Peter J 1970 Laicized (2005)
Govoni, Louis J 1972 Laicized (2010); Deceased (2020)
Keefe, Dennis A 1989 Laicized (2009)
Knapp, Robert J 1965 Laicized (2010)
Matte, Richard O 1964 Laicized (2005); Deceased (2017)
McDonald, Paul E 1964 Laicized (2005)
McMahon, Jr., Benjamin J 1968 Laicized (2010)
Meffan, Robert V 1953 Laicized (2004)
Morrissette, Robert H 1975 Laicized (2005)
Ryan, Frederick J 1964 Laicized (2005)
Tourigney, Ernest E 1961 Laicized (2006)
Walsh, William M 1971 Laicized (2011)
Ward, Robert A 1974 Laicized (2004)
White, Paul D 1961 Laicized (2005)
Wilson, James L 1990 Laicized (1998)

C. Cases Involving Living Archdiocesan Clergy That Already Have Been Publicized, But Where The Canonical Proceedings Against Those Clergy Have Not Yet Been Resolved.

Included in this section are the names of priests or deacons of the Boston Archdiocese who have been publicly accused of sexually abusing a child, but where there remain to be completed canonical proceedings involving those priests or deacons. In each case, the cleric involved has been removed from public ministry and remains on administrative leave. It must be emphasized that there has been no final determination of guilt or innocence in these cases.
Name Year Of Ordination Status
Fratic, Joseph P 1964 Administrative Leave; Case in Process
Graham, Daniel M 1970 Administrative Leave; Case in Process
Kanchong, Peter 1968, Diocese of Ratchburi, Thailand AWOL
Strahan, Francis V. 1959 Administrative Leave;Case in Progress

D. Cases Involving Priests Accused After Laicization On Other Grounds.

Laicization under Church law is a process whereby the cleric voluntarily requests that he be separated from the clerical state.  Included in this section are the names of priests who were already laicized (and therefore no longer in the clerical state) when they were publicly accused of sexual abuse of a minor. 
Name Year Of Ordination Status
Carew, Michael J 1949; Incardinated 1964 Laicized (1971); Deceased (2015)
Dunn, John A 1960 Laicized (1973)
Maloney, William F 1959 Laicized (1974)
McCarthy, Paul R 1980 AWOL (2005)
Towner, Robert K 1969 Laicized (1990)

E. Cases Involving Deceased Clergy for Whom Criminal or Canonical Proceedings Were Not Completed But The Existence of Allegations Has Been Publicized.

This section includes the names of deceased clergy accused of sexual abuse of a minor for whom criminal or canonical proceedings were not completed, but the existence of allegations has been publicized. In most cases, allegations were received only after the priest's death. In others, the priest died before the conclusion of the proceedings. There has been no formal determination of guilt in these cases. Rather, the Archdiocese has decided to list these names in the interest of transparency and healing.
Name Year Of Ordination Status
Atwater, John T 1963 Deceased (2006)
Aubut, Charles E 1941 Deceased (2002)
Bailot, Eugene J 1937 Deceased (1983)
Bayers, Sydney H 1937 Deceased (1979)
Beauvais, Leon F 1962 Deceased (1997)
Berthold, George C 1963 Deceased (2020)
Birmingham, Joseph E 1960 Deceased (1989)
Bolduc, Paul J 1960 Deceased (2009)
Boucher, Clarence R 1940 Deceased (2001)
Breton, Philippe C 1936 Deceased (1984)
Bullock, Myron F 1953 Deceased (2007)
Butler, Richard J. 1962 Deceased (2012)
Butler, William L 1961 Deceased (2017)
Byrne, Joseph F. 1969 Deceased (2014)
Collins, Jeremiah J 1939 Deceased (1982)
Connelly, James E 1943 Deceased (1985)
Cotter, John M 1960 Deceased (1989)
Creighton, Gerard E 1951 Deceased (2004)
Croke, Edmund W 1928 Deceased (1971)
Cummings, William J 1968 Deceased (1994)
Dever, Gerard V 1971 Deceased (1997)
Dewey, Charles F 1939 Deceased (1996)
Dewire, John J 1946 Deceased (1994)
Dwyer, Leo V 1932 Deceased (1989)
Fairbairn, Frank E 1969 Deceased (2000)
Foley, James J 1978 Deceased (2016)
Fusoni, Joseph A 1960 Deceased (1988)
Guiney, John E 1947 Deceased (1998)
Hagan, Arthur J 1933 Deceased (1963)
Hyder, Raymond L 1929 Deceased (1975)
Jansonis, Alphonse 1945 Deceased (2000)
Kane, Charles R 1953 Deceased (1986)
Keenan, Bernard J 1948 Deceased (1966)
Kenney, Joseph F 1931 Deceased (1992)
Lane, James H. 1962 Deceased (2007)
Lane, John J 1925 Deceased (1971)
LeBlanc, Kenneth 1976 Deceased (2010)
Lombard, Samuel J 1946 Deceased (1998)
Manning, Paul F 1967 Deceased (2020)
McAndrews, John K 1949 Deceased (1986)
McDonald, James T 1953 Deceased (1999)
McKeon, James T 1928 Deceased (1965)
Morgan, William H 1950 Deceased (1999)
Moriarty, Paul J 1948 Deceased (1982)
Motherway, Thomas F 1969 Deceased (2003)
Murphy, Kenneth B 1946 Deceased (1999)
O'Neill, William V 1931 Deceased (1960)
Ouellette, Lionel P 1957 Deceased (2000)
Papile, Joseph A (Deacon) 1988 Deceased (2009)
Rebeiro, Anthony J Ordained for Diocese of Nagpur, India in 1956; Incardinated into the Archdiocese of Boston in 1977 Deceased (2017)
Reilly, Joseph P 1943 Deceased (1992)
Roche, Allan E 1946 Deceased (1997)
Ryer, Robert L 1943 Deceased (1967)
Rynne, Paul P 1956 Deceased (2001)
Shaughnessey, James C 1937 Deceased (1989)
Shea, Francis S 1932 Deceased (1972)
Shea, William B 1946 Deceased (2005)
Spagnolia, D. George 1964 Deceased (2008)
St. Hilaire, Bernard 1951 Deceased (1977)
Sullivan, Michael D 1945 Deceased (2005)
Thomson, J. Garrett 1981 Deceased (2010)
Veneto, Joseph P 1946 Deceased (1998)
White, John J 1957 Deceased (2004)