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The Diocese of Sacramento Priest Abuse List
In 2019 the Diocese of Sacramento released a complete list of priests and clergy who have been credibly accused of sexual abuse. The list was reviewed and compiled by Dr. Kathleen McChesney, formerly of the FBI. By invitation of the Diocese and Bishop Jaime Soto, Dr. McChesney and her team of investigators reviewed personal records for nearly 1,500 bishops, priests, and deacons to create the 2019 official list of 44 priests and two permanent deacons for the Diocese of Sacramento.1
This step was taken in response to numerous complaints of Sacramento priest abuse, including 33 claims which were settled for $35 million in 2005. Since 2002 more than $50 million in sex abuse settlements have been paid by the Diocese of Sacramento.1
The Diocese of Sacramento Priest Abuse List
The current list of 50 credibly accused priests who served in the Sacramento Diocese is included below.2,3,4 There are 46 clergy named by the Diocese, and 4 others named by other Catholic religious orders. As you make use of this list, be aware that accused individuals are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Settlement agreements reached by the Diocese do not usually include an admission of guilt. The allegations included here are considered credible, but in most cases have not been proven and are still accusations.
Father Thomas G. Allender
Father Allender was ordained in 1971 and worked at Jesuit High School in Sacramento from 1970-1975. He was reported by Jesuits West Province list as credibly accused of sexually abusing a young man under the age of 18 during that time. Details of the alleged abuse are unknown. Father Allender was included in the Diocese of Sacramento’s list of accused priests in 2019.
Deacon Alejandro Arroyo
Ordained in 1991, Deacon Arroyo worked at St. Anthony’s in Winters, California, from 1991 to 2012. He was accused in 2012 of abusing two young girls under the age of 14 during the period of 1977 to 1983. One of these reports was in the hands of the parish in 2009, but not passed on to the Diocese. Deacon Arroyo was removed from the ministry in 2012 as a result of these accusations of abuse. He is included in the list released by the Diocese of Sacramento in 2019.
Father Gerardo Beltran Rico
Father Beltran Rico is one of the most well-known accused priests who served in the Diocese of Sacramento. He is accused of multiple accounts of sexual abuse from 1982 to 1991, possibly beginning as soon as he was ordained. A warrant was issued for his arrest following allegations of abuse in 1991. Beltran Rico fled to Mexico and continued to be active as a priest and to be accused of similar crimes. The Sacramento Bee reported that the bishops in Sacramento repeatedly urged Mexican church officials to return him to the United States to face legal charges.3
The Diocese list details the accusations of 14 females and 3 males who reported abuse, including rape by force that occurred while they were under the age of 14. The story was featured not only in the Bee, but on CBS news and in the Chicago Tribune. He was assigned to Saint Dominic Parish in Orland, the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament in Sacramento, St. Joseph Parish in Sacramento, and Saint Anthony in Winters, CA. Removed from the priesthood in 2008, as of 2019, Father Beltran Rico remained a fugitive.
Father Mario Blanco
Father Blanco came from Costa Rica and was accused in a 2002 lawsuit brought by 9 men who claimed Mario Blanco abused them as teenagers. One of these cases settled in 1991, and 16 more cases that were filed for similar allegations settled just before a civil trial set for 2005. He served in the Diocese of Sacramento and it is rumored he was removed in 1973 due to reports of abuse. He appears in the Archdiocese of Seattle’s list of credibly accused priests, and the story was reported in the Sacramento Bee, the News Tribune, and other Catholic news outlets.
Father Edward Boyle
Ordained in 1939, Father Boyle was accused of sexually abusing a female under the age of 18. The abuse allegedly occurred in 1967 and was reported to another priest in the Diocese. Father Boyle was then transferred to Reno and Hawaii before dying in 1998. The alleged abuse was reported by the woman to the Sacramento Diocese in 2002 and Boyle is included in the 2019 list of credibly accused priests. He was also named in a Sacramento Bee report in 2002. Father Boyle was assigned as a Chaplain at Mercy Hospital, St. Patrick’s in Placerville, St. Joseph’s in Clarksburg, St. Joseph’s in Auburn, Holy Rosary in Woodland, and St. Thomas More in Paradise, California.
Father Vincent Brady
Originally from Ireland, Father Brady was ordained in 1967. He is accused of abusing at least 3 young girls from 1971 to 1979. A lawsuit was filed in 2000 and settled for $350,000. Brady was reassigned. A second lawsuit was settled in 2004, and a third alleged victim also filed suit. Another suit was filed for defamation and intentional infliction of emotional distress when the settled lawsuit was allegedly revealed by Brady.
Father Brady had his faculties withdrawn in 2002 and retired from the priesthood in 2004. He is listed on the 2019 Diocese list, and was named in numerous reports in the Sacramento Bee and also on the Dallas Morning News. While an active priest, he was assigned to Sacred Heart in Gridley, Our Lady of Lourdes in Sacramento, St. Vincent Ferrer in Vallejo, Holy Spirit in Sacramento, Sacred Heart in Red Bluff, the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament in Sacramento, and St. Joseph’s in Lincoln.
Father David Brusky
Father Brusky was ordained in 1952 into the Salvatorian religious order. He left the Diocese in 1987 and died in 2014. He was assigned to Holy Cross in Bryte (West Sacramento) from 1985 to 1987. The Diocese received several anonymous allegations of sexual misconduct with young girls in 1986, and Father Brusky left the Diocese shortly thereafter.
Father James Casey
Father Casey was ordained in 1933 and was originally from Ireland. He retired in 1974 and passed away in 1992. He was accused in 2011 of abusing a young boy under the age of 14 in the 1950s, and he is named on the 2019 Diocese list of accused priests. He had many placements in the Diocese, including assignments in Angels Camp, Sacramento, lturas, Dunsmuir, Red Bluff, Mt. Shasta, and McCloud.
Father Robert Casper
Father Casper was ordained in 1944 and born under the name of Berthold Rudolph Caper. He was credibly accused in 1986 of abusing a boy in 1962. He worked in the Diocese of Sacramento from 1959 until 1986. He was assigned to St. Pius X Seminary in Sacramento and Galt, as well as Holy Cross in Bryte, and St. Thomas More in Paradise, CA. His faculties were withdrawn and he left the Diocese in 1986, then died in 1988. He was named in the Diocese list of 2019.
Father Andrew Coffey
Born in Ireland, Father Coffey was incardinated into the Sacramento Diocese in 1953. He was accused in 2002 of inappropriate contact with a 10-year-old girl in 1972. Father Coffey retired in 1994 and died in 2010. He is named in the Diocese of Sacramento list of credibly accused priests released in 2019 and was named in reports from the Yolo County News and the Sacramento Bee. He served at St. John the Baptist in Chico, St. Anthony’s in Winters, and St. James in Davis, as well as being the Coordinator of the Charismatic Movement within the Diocese.
Father Malachy Conway
Father Conway was originally from Ireland and was ordained in 1995. He was accused of abusing a young man in 1997. The incident was reported by a third party at the time and his faculties were withdrawn. Father Conway is included in the Diocese of Sacramento 2019 list of accused priests, and from 1995 until 1997 he served at Holy Rosary in Woodland, Sacred Heart in Red Bluff, and St. Peter’s in Sacramento, California.
Father Hector Coria Gonzales
Father Coria Gonzales was 42 years of age when he was ordained in 2011. In 2014 he was arrested while working at St. James in Davis, CA, accused of statutory rape and sexual abuse of a teenaged girl starting in 2013. He was arraigned in 2014 on three felony counts and one misdemeanor. The named victim stated that the contact was consensual.
He pled guilty in a plea agreement to one count of unlawful sexual intercourse with a person under the age of 18. Convicted and sentenced to 90 days in jail and 3 years probation, this felony was reduced to a misdemeanor charge and subsequently dismissed in 2017. He is included in the Diocese of Sacramento list, and the story was reported by many news outlets. Hector Coria Gonzales was assigned to Our Lady of the Assumption in Carmichael and St. James in Davis between 2011 and 2014.
Father Pablo Cortes
Born in El Salvador, Father Cortes was ordained in 1956. He worked in the Diocese of Sacramento from 1970 to 1973. Accusations were made in 1990 that he abused a girl under the age of 14 in 1970. He is named in the Diocese list of credibly accused priests, and during his time in the priesthood he worked as the Associate Director of Centro del Sancto Rosario in Woodland and Vacaville, and also at Holy Rosary in Woodland.
Father John Crowley
Coming from Ireland, Father Crowley was ordained for Sacramento in 1971 and worked in the Diocese from 1971 to 1988. He was accused in 1988 of abusing a girl under the age of 14, starting as early as 1965 and continuing as long as 1985. His faculties were removed in 1988 and he is named in the Diocese list of 2019. He worked in St. Joseph’s in Redding, St. John the Baptist in Chico, St. Thomas in Oroville, and Newman Center in Chico, CA.
Father Rodolfo Delgado
Father Delgado was ordained in 1982 and was assigned in the Diocese of Sacramento from 1982 until 2006. In 2006 he was credibly accused of sexually assaulting a 15-year-old boy during the period of 1983-1985. The incidents allegedly occurred at St. Joseph’s in Rio Vista and at the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament in Sacramento. A lawsuit was filed by the accuser in 2009. Father Delgado was removed from ministry in 2006.
He is listed in the Diocese list of 2019 and named in reports from WCRA, the Sacramento Bee, and the Oregonian in 2009. In addition to the locations named above, he was also assigned to Sacred Heart in Alturas, St. Peter’s in Sacramento, Holy Rosary in Woodland, St. Christopher in Galt, Our Lady of Guadalupe in Sacramento, Sacred Heart in Gridley, and St. Philomene in Sacramento.
Father Michael Dermody
Ordained in 1958, Father Dermody was accused in a 1992 lawsuit of having “affairs” with 3 young adult women he was counseling. These women received a $1.4 million judgment in 1992, against Father Dermody personally. They filed a second lawsuit to attempt to recover the damages from the church insurance policy in 1993 and were unsuccessful. Father Dermody is named in the 2019 Diocese of Sacramento list, and the story was reported in the LA Times and the San Francisco Chronicle. His faculties were withdrawn and he died in 2006. During his time with the Diocese, he was assigned to St. Joseph in Auburn, St. Anthony in Mt. Shasta, St. Lawrence in North Highlands, St. Joseph in McCloud, and St. Dominic in Orland.
Father Thomas Dermody
Father Dermody was ordained for Sacramento in 1962 and was originally from Ireland. In 1992 two seperate women reported to the Diocese that Dermody abused them as minors, alleging the incidents occurred between 1973 and 1985, when they were under the age of 18. Father Dermody left the Diocese after the accusations were made and was assigned to prison ministry away from the area.
From 1962 to 1990 he served at St. Monica in Willows, St. Peter in Sacramento, St. Patrick in Placerville, St. Anne and All Hallows in Sacramento, St. John the Baptist in Chico, Immaculate Conception in Downieville, and also was a part-time chaplain for the California Youth Authority. He has since retired, had his faculties withdrawn in 2002, and died in 2017. He is named in the Diocese list of credibly accused priests released in 2019.
Father John Dowling
Ordained in 1943 for the Diocese of Savannah-Atlanta in Georgia, Father Dowling worked in the Sacramento Diocese from 1947 to 1981. He was dismissed and had his faculties withdrawn in 1981 after an allegation of possessing child pornography. In 1983 the Diocese received a report that Dowling had allegedly assaulted a boy in 1983. Between 2002 and 2019, three seperate young men raised accusations of sexual abuse which occurred between 1954 and 1981 while the boys were under the age of 14.
Father Dowling is named in both the Diocese of Sacramento list of 2019 and the Archdiocese of Atlanta list of credibly accused priests, released in 2020. During his priesthood he served in Holy Rosary in Woodland, St. Mary in Arcata, St. Joseph in Yreka, St. Joseph in Redding, Holy Cross in Tulelake, as well as being chaplain for the California Youth Authority in St. Andrews, chaplain for the Boy Scouts, and at the CA Department of Corrections Honor Camp.
Father Arthur A. Falvey
Father Arthur Falvey was ordained into a Jesuit order in 1930. He was accused of repeatedly raping a 7-year-old boy beginning in 1954 at St. Ignatius in Sacramento. He was the brother of Father Mark Falvey, who was also accused of abusing at least 10 children in California. The case against Arthur Falvey was settled by the Jesuit order in 2009. Another allegation against Father Falvey was received in 2018 for the forced rape of a boy under 14 years of age in the early 1960s.
While he was not assigned to the Diocese of Sacramento, he was assigned to St. Ignatius Loyola in Sacramento and Jesuit High School in Carmichael. Arthur Falvey died in 1966, and he appears on the Diocese of Sacramento list in 2019 as well as the Jesuits West Province list in 2018.
Father William Feeser
Father Feeser was ordained in 1977, retired in 2010, and died in 2012. He was accused in 2011 of sexually abusing a girl under the age of 14 at Our Lady of Assumption in Carmichael. He was also accused in 2016 of sexually abusing a boy at Our Lady of Assumption. The alleged abuse occurred between 1977 and 1982. Father Feeser is named on the Diocese list of 2019 and was mentioned in reports from the Sacramento Bee, KCRA, CBS Sacramento, and the Yolo County News.
In addition to his assignment in Carmichael, he was also at St. James in Davis, St. Mary in Vacaville, Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Sacramento, a chaplain at Sacramento Juvenile Hall and the UC Davis Medical Center, and a teacher at Jesuit High School, St. Francis High School, Sacred Heart High School, Red Bluff High School, and Mercy High School.
Father Oscar Figueroa
Originally from Mexico, Father Figueroa was ordained for the Sacramento Diocese in 2000. He was accused of sexual misconduct with a young adult male in 2008, regarding incidents that allegedly occurred in 1993-2006, while he was in seminary in Mexico City. Another accusation arose in 2016 of another incident of sexual misconduct with an adult male between the ages of 18 and 25. He is named in the Catholic Diocese of Sacramento 2019 list of credibly accused priests. He served at St. Vincent Ferrer in Vallejo, Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament in Sacramento, and Our Lady of Lourdes in Sacramento.
Father J. Patrick Foley
Father Foley was ordained in 1973 and was a priest in the San Diego area before moving to Northern California in 1991. He was suspended in 2010 when he was accused of sexually abusing 2 boys in the area of Sacramento. A canonical trial in 2011 reached an “unclear” verdict and he was restored to the priesthood in 2012. Father Foley led many missions and retreats even after he was again removed in 2015, leading missions in Dubuque, IA as late as 2018.
He is named as credibly accused of sexually abusing at least 24 young boys in the Diocese of Sacramento’s 2019 list, and also appears on the 2018 Diocese of San Diego’s list, the Diocese of Stockton’s revised list of 2020, the Diocese of Santa Rosa’s list of 2019, and the Diocese of Oakland’s list of 2019. Father Foley is mentioned in articles from the San Diego Union-Tribune, Mercury News, and Newsweek. He filed a defamation suit against the Diocese of San Diego in 2019. While in Sacramento he was assigned to the Christian Brothers High School and the Jesuit High School between 1991 and 1995.
Father Francisco Javier Garcia
Born in Mexico, Father Garcia was ordained there in 1970 and incardinated in the Diocese of Sacramento in 1989. In 1995 criminal warrants were issued for his arrest, and he was removed from the ministry. He was accused of sexually abusing boys under the age of 14, incidents which would have occurred in the 1970s. Father Garcia fled to Mexico to avoid prosecution. He was involuntarily dismissed from priesthood by the Pope in 2007.
Criminal charges are still pending in several California counties with at least 24 allegations of abuse which have been raised since Garcia fled to Mexico. He is listed in the Diocese of Sacramento list of credibly accused priests. While in the Diocese, he served at St. Pius X seminary in Galt, Holy Rosary in Woodland, Our Lady of Lourdes in Colusa, Sacred Heart in Williams, St. Anthony in Walnut Grove, St. Joseph in Rio Vista, and St. Therese in Isleton.
Father John Hannan
Father Hannan was ordained in 1955 and was originally from Ireland. In 2011 he was accused of abusing a female under the age of 18 in 1977. He retired in 2004 and died in 2017. Father Hannan is named in the list the Diocese of Sacramento released in 2019.
While with the Diocese he was assigned to Holy Family in Citrus Heights, St. Patrick in Sonora, St. Joseph in Marysville, Sacred Heart in Susanville, Our Lady of the Assumption in Carmichael, Sacred Heart in Alturas, Corpus Christi in Tahoe City, St. Patrick in Placerville, St. Peter in Dixon, Immaculate Conception in Sutter Creek, Holy Family in Weed, St. Joseph in Rio Vista, as well as St. Paul’s, Immaculate Conception, Presentation Parish, and St. Philomene in Sacramento. He also served as a US Navy chaplain at Hamilton Air Force Base in Novato.
Father Jerome M. Henson
Father Henson was ordained in 1977 and is currently listed by the Diocese of Sacramento as living “a life of prayer and penance.” He was caught in 1981 with a 13-year-old boy in a Sacramento graveyard. He was then sent to Reno and Orange in 1984. In 2002 there were 2 lawsuits filed and Henson was placed on leave. Those suits were settled by the Diocese as part of a 2005 settlement to 33 victims for $35 million.
Henson is included in the 2019 Diocese of Sacramento’s list and by the Diocese of Orange as credibly accused. Father Henson was assigned from 1977 to 1981 at St. Dominic in Benicia, as a chaplain of the National Guard in Benicia, and as the Diocesan Moderator of Teens Encounter Christ. He is mentioned in stories about priest sex abuse by the LA Times, USA Today, Contra Costa Times, and the Sacramento Bee.
Father David Hernandez Cota
Originally from Mexico, Father Hernandez Cota was ordained for Sacramento in 1980. In 1985 he was removed and then incardinated into the Diocese of Nuevo Casas in Mexico. In 2009 he was accused of sexually abusing a male under the age of 18 in 1974. Father Cota was named in the Diocese of Sacramento list. He was assigned from 1979 to 1984 at St. Joseph in Rio Vista, St. Anthony in Walnut Grove, St. Rose in Roseville, and Our Lady of Guadalupe and St. Joseph’s in Sacramento.
Father Francisco Hernandez-Tovar
Ordained for Sacramento in 1980, Father Hernandez-Tovar was born in Mexico. In 2007 a man reported accusations that Hernandez had abused him sexually when he was 13 years old at Our Lady of Lourdes in Colusa during 1986-87. A Diocesan Review Board placed him on permanent leave in 2008, after determining that allegations of abuse against him were credible. He is named on the Diocese list and was named in a 2008 report by the Sacramento Bee.
While with the Diocese he was also assigned to Our Lady of the Assumption in Truckee, Our Lady of Guadalupe in Sacramento, St. Peter’s and St. Paul’s in Sacramento, as well as St. Catherine of Siena in Vallejo, St. John Vianney in Rancho Cordova, and St. Isidore in Yuba City.
Father William B. Hold
Father Hold was ordained in 1977 and assigned to the Diocese of Sacramento and the Diocese of Oakland. In 1982 he was accused of abuse at Holy Rosary in Woodland, then in 2002 he was accused of 2 separate incidents of abusing boys under the age of 14, which allegedly occurred between 1976 and 1978. His faculties were withdrawn in 1998 and he moved to Central Point, Oregon, and then died in 2012.
Father Hold is listed in the Diocese of Sacramento list of 2019, and was assigned from 1976 to 1998 at Holy Rosary in Woodland, St. Patrick High School in Vallejo, California Correctional Center in Susanville, Immaculate Conception in Corning, St. John in Dunsmuir, St. Joseph in McCloud, St. Joseph in Yreka, and St. Philomene and St. Charles in Sacramento.
Father Gunter Klingenbrunner
Father Klingenbrunner was accused in 2006 of sexually abusing a minor in 1981-1984. Part of the Jesuit religious orders, he is listed in the Jesuits West Province list of 2018. Klingenbrunner was assigned to Jesuit High School from 1984 to 1985 and was dismissed in 1986.
Father Michael Lynch
Father Lynch was born in Ireland and ordained in 1952. He was accused in 2003 of sexually assaulting a girl under the age of 18, including allegations of rape by force, which allegedly occurred in 1965. Lynch retired from the priesthood in 1993 and died that same year. He is included in the Sacramento Diocese list released in 2019, and from 1952 to 1993 he was assigned to Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament in Broderick, St. Philomene in Sacramento, St. John the Baptist in Chico, and Chico State Newman Center.
Deacon Jesus Magallanes
Ordained in 1995, Deacon Magallanes was accused in 1995 of sexually abusing 2 girls under the age of 14. The alleged abuse occurred from 1975 to 1980. He was assigned only to Sacred Heart in Anderson from 1995 to 1996. Magallanes is included in the Diocese of Sacramento credibly accused priests list. He was removed from the ministry and his faculties were withdrawn in 1996.
Father Robert Marsicek
Father Marsicek was ordained in 1968 and assigned to St. Pius X in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin. While there he was accused of questionable behavior with a student and ordered to stay away from children in 2013. Criminal charges were filed in 2017 for felony child sexual assault for incidents that occurred at St. Pius X parish and school during 2007 to 2010, beginning when the alleged victim was age 6. Father Marsicek pled guilty to reduced charges and was sentenced to one year jail time.
Numerous news outlets reported the story in Wisconsin. Father Marsicek is included in the Diocese of Phoenix list and the Diocese of Sacramento’s 2019 list, which also notes 2 reports of abuse of boys under the age of 14. Marsicek worked in the Sacramento area from 1987 to 2000 at Divine Savior in Sacramento.
Father James Finbarr Mennis
Born in Ireland, Father Mennis was ordained for Sacramento in 1962. He was accused in 1969 of abusing a girl under the age of 18. Following the report Mennis was moved to a Navy chaplain assignment for the next 30 years. His faculties were withdrawn in 2004 and he died in 2014. He is named in the Diocese list of credibly accused priests and was assigned to St. Basil in Vallejo and Holy Spirit in Sacramento between 1962 and 1970.
Father Vito Mistretta
Ordained in 1942, Father Mistretta was a monsignor in the Diocese of Sacramento. In 1993 an allegation was received accusing him of abusing a boy under the age of 18 in 1989. Another accusation was made in 2018 which is under investigation. Mistretta retired in 1990 and died in 2009. He is listed in the Diocese of Sacramento 2019 list and was assigned from 1942 to 1990 at Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament in Sacramento, St. Rose in Roseville, and Holy Family in Citrus Heights, California.
Father James Thomas Monaghan
Father Monaghan was ordained in 1946 and worked in the Sacramento Diocese from 1962 to 1963, and from 1975 to 1991. In 1992 he was criminally convicted of fondling a 7-year-old girl while he was Pastor of St. Ignatius in Sacramento. He was sentenced to 5 years of probation and 120 hours of community service, and then sent to live at Sacred Heart Retirement Center in Los Gatos. He died in 2004 at age 89. He appears on the Sacramento Diocese list released in 2019 and on the Jesuits West Province list of 2018. While in the Sacramento area he was assigned only to St. Ignatius.
Father Jorge Moreno
Father Morena was born in Mexico and ordained for Sacramento in 1970. In 1995 he was accused of abusing a boy under the age of 14. Moreno fled to Mexico to avoid criminal charges. Another alleged male victim came forward in 2003. These cases were included in the Diocese of Sacramento settlement of 2005.
Father Moreno died in 2014 and is included in the Diocese list of credibly accused priests released in 2019, as well as reports in the Associated Press and the Sacramento Bee. While in the Sacramento area he was assigned to Our Lady of Guadalupe in Sacramento, St. Basil in Vallejo, St. John the Baptist in Chico, St. Peter in Dixon, St. Mary in Vacaville, and Holy Rosary in Woodland.
Father Cornelius F. O’Connor
Born in Ireland and ordained in 1946, Father O’Connor was accused in 2008 of sexually abusing an 8-year-old boy beginning in 1987. The alleged abuse occurred at Our Lady of the Assumption in Carmichael. The parents who reported the abuse stated that the Diocese admitted that other accusations had been made against Father O’Connor.
O’Connor has since passed away, but he was a dean from 1968 to 1972, held Diocesan office from 1972 to 1986, and was made a monsignor in 1979. He was assigned to St. John the Baptist in Chico, St. Bernard in Eureka, Holy Cross in Tulelake, St. Patrick in Placerville, St. Joseph in Marysville, and Our Lady of the Assumption in Carmichael.
Father Uriel Ojeda
Father Ojeda was born in the United States and raised in Mexico. He was ordained in 2007 after completing seminary in Oregon. He was arrested in 2011 on 2 felony counts of lewd and lascivious acts with a teenage girl, incidents that allegedly occurred in 2007-2009. In 2013 Ojeda pled no contest to one count of molesting the girl and was sentenced to 8 years in prison.
Father Ojeda was removed from the priesthood in 2016, and he is listed by the Diocese of Sacramento as credibly accused. Numerous news outlets ran stories on Ojeda from 2011 to 2013, including the New York Daily News and USA Today. He was assigned from 2007 to 2011 at Holy Rosary in Woodland and Our Lady of Mercy in Redding.
Brother Charles A. Onorato
Brother Onorato joined the Jesuits in 1961 and made final vows in 1977. He was accused of sexually abusing a minor in 1980; the incident was reported at the time and again in 2003. Brother Onorato was removed from his assignment at the Jesuit High School in Carmichael in 1980 and reassigned to Bellarmine College Prep in San Jose. In 2003 he was removed from the ministry and was moved to the Sacred Heart Jesuit Center in Los Gatos to live under a “safety plan.” He is included in the Jesuits West Province List of 2018.
Father Z. Enrique Perez
Father Perez was born in Columbia and ordained for the Congregation of the Oratory in St. Philip Neri in 1961. He worked in the Diocese of Sacramento starting in 1999. In 2001 and 2002 he was accused of abusing 2 young men between the ages of 18 and 25. Following these allegations his faculties were removed and he retired in 2003, returning to his order in Columbia. Perez is listed in the Diocese of Sacramento’s 2019 list of accused priests, and while with the Diocese he was assigned to Our Lady of the Assumption in Truckee, Immaculate Conception in Sacramento, and Our Lady of the Lake in Kings Beach.
Father Vernon Petrich
Ordained in 1980, Father Petrich worked at St. Basil in Vallejo from 1980 to 1983. In 1987 and 1992 he was accused of abusing 2 boys under the age of 18, incidents which allegedly occurred in the 1980s. He was removed from ministry in 1983 and returned to his order of Salvatorians in Wisconsin. Father Petrich is included in the Diocese of Sacramento list of credibly accused priests released in 2019.
Father Jose Antonio Pinal
Also known as Costellano Jose Pinal, Father Pinal was born in Mexico and ordained in 1980. In 1989 he was accused of sexually abusing a 14-year-old boy on a trip. After the accusations he returned to Mexico and Bishop Quinn advised him to stay in Mexico at least 5-6 years. Letters exchanged with the Bishop in 1991 indicate Pinal feared facing criminal prosecution if he returned to the US; however, criminal charges were eventually dismissed.
The Diocese of Sacramento list includes at least 3 more allegations of abuse of boys, and one accusation of sexually abusing a girl under the age of 14. Lawsuits have been filed against the Diocese for Pinal’s actions as recently as 2019. While in California Pinal was assigned to Sacred Heart in Gridley, Our Lady of Lourdes in Colusa, and St. Anthony in Winters.
Father Mario Blanco Porras
Father Porras was ordained in 1960 and worked in the Diocese of Sacramento from 1969 to 1973. He was accused of sexually abusing at least 20 boys between 1968 and 1981, most of them less than 14 years of age at the time. Father Porras died in 2008, and he is included in the Diocese list of credibly accused priests and mentioned on ABC Channel 10 News. He was assigned from 1969 to 1973 to the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament, Immaculate Conception, All Hallows, Holy Spirit, St. Peter, and St. Rose, all in Sacramento.
Father Michael Proulx
Father Prouix was accused in 2011 of rape by force of a boy under the age of 14 in the 1950s. He is included in the Diocese of Sacramento’s 2019 list, and served at Sacred Heart in Alturas from 1945 to 1959.
Father William Storan
Father Storan was born in Ireland and ordained for Sacramento in 1961. He was accused in 2001 of abusing a young woman who was between the ages of 18 and 25 in 1974. He had his faculties withdrawn and retired in 2001, and he is named in the 2019 Diocese list for Sacramento. Between 1961 and 2001 Storan was assigned to St. Thomas in Oroville, Our Lady of Assumption in Carmichael, St. Thomas More in Paradise, Sacred Heart in Susanville, and St. Basil in Vallejo.
Father Simon Twomey
Born in Ireland and ordained in 1970, Father Twomey was accused in 2018 of abusing a girl under the age of 18 between 1975 and 1976. These allegations are under investigation; however, he is named in the 2019 Diocese of Sacramento list of credibly accused priests. From 1970 to 2009 Father Twomey worked at Sacred Heart and the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Sacramento, as well as St. John the Baptist in Chico, Our Lady of the Assumption in Carmichael, St. John Vianney in Rancho Cordova, St. Thomas More in Paradise, Holy Family in Citrus Heights, St. Patrick in Grass Valley, and Our Divine Savior in Chico.
Father Jose Luis Urbina
Originally from Mexico, Father Urbina was ordained for Sacramento in 1979. He was accused in 1989 and 2007 of abusing 2 young boys in the 1980s. In 1989 he pled guilty to committing lewd acts with a child under 14 years of age, then he skipped out on bail and returned to Mexico before he was sentenced. In 2005 he was found working as a priest in Navojoa, Mexico, but the Mexican government did not allow him to be extradited to the US. A warrant for his arrest was renewed in 2019.
He is included in the Diocese of Sacramento list, and the story was reported in the Dallas Morning News, the Sacramento Bee, CBS 13, the Chicago Tribune, and ProPublica. Urbina worked from 1980 to 1987 at St. Isidore in Yuba City, St. Joseph in Marysville, and St. Joseph in Sacramento, CA.
Father Murrough Wallace
Father Wallace was born in Ireland, ordained for Sacramento in 1960, and named monsignor. He was accused in 2018 of sexually abusing two 17-year-olds while Director of Camp Pendola in 1985. Another allegation of abusing a boy under the age of 18 was reported in 2018 and is still under investigation.
Father Wallace has been suspended and is listed on the 2019 Diocese list of credibly accused priests. From 1960 to 2010 Wallace had assignments at Immaculate Conception, St. Charles Borromeo, and Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament, all in Sacramento; he also worked at Our Lady of Lourdes in Colusa, Immaculate Conception in Corning, Bishop Manogue High School, St. John Vianney in Rancho Cordova, St. Theresa in South Lake Tahoe, and Our Lady of the Assumption in Carmichael.
Father Michael G. Walsh
Father Walsh was born in Ireland and ordained in 1971 for the Diocese of Sacramento. He was placed on leave in 2002 after allegations were made that he abused 2 young men in the 1970s and 1980s. Walsh left the Diocese and worked in San Francisco for a time and then returned in 1999. The status of these allegations is noted as settled.
While in the Diocese, Walsh was assigned between 1971 and 2002 at St. Joseph of Marysville, St. Thomas the Apostle in Oroville, St. Robert in Sacramento, Holy Spirit in Sacramento, and St. John Vianney in Rancho Cordova, as well as serving as a chaplain at All Hallows, Mercy General, and Sutter Memorial Hospital in Sacramento. Michael G. Walsh is listed in the Diocese of Sacramento list of 2019 as well as being mentioned in the Sacramento Bee and the Associated Press in 2002 and 2003.
Father John Watts
Father Watts was a priest of the Passionist religious order, and was accused in 1994 of abusing at least 4 boys under the age of 14 between 1971 and 1972. Father Watts left the Diocese in 1973 and is named on the Sacramento list of credibly accused priests. He had no parish assignments and was assigned to the Christ the King Retreat Center in Citrus Heights, and may have filled in at Sacred Heart Parish in Maxwell and Immaculate Conception Parish in Corning.
The California Child Victims Act Opens Doors for Survivors of Priest Abuse
California AB 218, also called the California Child Victims Act, opened what is known as a lookback window that began on January 1, 2020 and lasts until December 31, 2022. During this time, survivors of childhood sexual assault in California can pursue criminal charges or file a civil lawsuit against the perpetrators and organizations that allowed abuse to occur.
During this time period these brave survivors can report crimes of child sex abuse no matter how long ago they occurred. Even after that window passes, the California Child Victims Act also extends the time all survivors have to take legal actions to age 40 (extended from age 26).
In addition, the Act allows triple damages when a religious organization knowingly covered up or participated in covering up these crimes, and also changed the term childhood sexual abuse to childhood sexual assault. Under the CCVA, survivors of clergy abuse can seek compensation for medical bills, emotional distress, pain and suffering, psychological trauma, and loss of employment or income.
Helping Victims of Sacramento Priest Abuse Find Closure
Surviving childhood sexual assault can leave victims struggling and unsure where to turn for compassionate and confidential help. Finding sound legal advice during the lookback window can help you or a loved one determine your legal options and inform your decisions. While nothing can repay the pain these crimes cause, settlement or court-ordered compensation can help victims get the therapy and financial support they may need to fully recover.
Especially when religious organizations move accused priests from one place to another or otherwise engage in covering up accusations and evidence of priest abuse, it may be up to the victims to take actions that hold these leaders accountable. Healing our communities, families, and faith is empowered by breaking the silence and speaking out about these past crimes.
At Saunders & Walker, P.A., we are dedicated to helping victims speak out and find closure through the legal options available to them. No matter how long ago the abuse occurred in a parish, retreat, church, or youth camp, now may be the time to discuss filing a lawsuit or criminal charges against the abuser.
Contact us today for a confidential and free consultation with our experienced legal team. We are ready to listen and guide you and your family through the legal process when and if you decide to move forward. Call us at 727-579-4500 or use our online form to get started on the path to healing and justice, not only for yourself, but for all victims of childhood sexual assault.
Sources:
- https://www.capradio.org/articles/2019/04/30/diocese-of-sacramento-release-list-of-clergy-accused-of-sexual-abuse/
- https://www.bishop-accountability.org/dioceses/usa-ca-sacramento/
- https://www.kcra.com/article/here-are-the-46-clergy-accused-of-sex-abuse-in-sacramento-catholic-diocese-list/27325394#
- https://www.wintersexpress.com/archived/sexual-abuse-priest-minors-winters-marys-anthonys-church