Priest Abuse From Ireland to America

Patrick Joseph McCabe, 74, a priest that moved from Ireland to California in the 1980s to avoid claims of abuse, is now the subject of a suit lodged against the Santa Rosa Roman Catholic Diocese, as reported by the San Francisco Chronicle.

The lawsuit, citing the molestation of a minor, has been filed in Sonoma County Superior Court by a 36 year old Eureka man going by the name of John Doe 76.  He chose to sue the Diocese as he recently read a news article detailing McCabe's removal from the church in the late 1980's and making his home in Alameda.

The lawsuit claims that the diocese committed fraud by not telling parishioners at St. Bernard Catholic Church in Eureka of McCabe's alleged abuse and seeks unspecified damages for both psychological and emotional harm.

John Doe, keeping his abuse private until recently, told the Chronicle, "It screwed me up in a lot of ways in life.  Father Pat had a very personable way of talking to us, of making us trust him."

The Chronicle also reports speaking with two priests at St. Bernard that had worked with McCabe, and knew nothing of alleged abuse in Ireland.

Daniel Walsh, Diocese Bishop, posted a letter on the parish website that called for any other victims to step forward and further stated, "Although to my knowledge the diocese has not directly received any allegations against this priest, possibly he might have harmed some young children during his brief time."

Doe was 9 years old when he attended St. Bernard as a student in 1984.  McCabe molested him for six to nine months, beginning that same year.  McCabe had arrived from Dublin in 1983.

This is McCabe's first complaint in the U.S. 

McCabe may be extradited to Ireland by Federal prosecutors to face assault charges against six boys that date back to 1973.  A Dublin Archdiocese report on abuse cases, said that their Catholic officials moved McCabe out of Ireland - after complaints were reported.

The Sacramento attorney that filed the lawsuit, Joseph George, states, "The Diocese of Santa Rosa is a co-conspirator with Patrick McCabe.  They allowed their churches to be the dumping ground for a known pedophile."

The lawsuit is for fraud as the time has exceeded the statue of limitations for an abuse complaint.

Further in the Dublin report is the contention that Dermot Ryan, archbishop of Dublin, contacted Bishop Mark Hurley, of Santa Rosa, to ask him to allow McCabe to serve parishioners there.  Both are now deceased.

In 1995 when the Santa Rosa diocese was being investigated for sexual abuse, Hurley's sworn deposition was that he had "torn up all the confidential personnel records before his resignation in 1987."

After Hurley had accepted McCabe, he was forced later to have him removed for "inappropriate conduct" by 1985.  Hurley then transferred the priest to St. Elizabeth Church in Guerneville.

Out of the entire Santa Rosa diocese, at least a dozen priests have been accused of wrongdoings and their subsequent lawsuits threaten to bankrupt the diocese.

McCabe, removed from the senior center where he currently worked, is remanded to Alameda County jail.  His attorney contends that evidence from Irish police is too weak to force an extradition.

If you or someone you love has been the victim of a priest's abuse, contact a Personal Injury Attorney in our directory for a confidential consultation.