Status of Credibly Accused Friars

POLICIES MAKING A REPORT GETTING HELP REVIEW BOARD FRIAR STATUS

Of the approximately 1500 friars who have been members of the Province of St. Joseph since 1950, 5 friars have been permanently removed from public ministry because an allegation of the sexual abuse of a minor that was deemed credible.  Since the lay Provincial Review Board was established in 2006, a further 8 friars, who were deceased or no longer members of the province, had allegations made against them that were deemed to be established by the Board.  When reviewing the historical files of the province, the lay Provincial Review Board also deemed that there was evidence to establish allegations against 12 other friars, all of whom are now deceased or no longer members of the Province. The above mentioned 25 friars are listed below along with pertinent information, in order to offer consolation to those who have been harmed and to encourage others to come forward to receive help.

Friars Permanently Removed from Public Ministry

The following friars were permanently removed from public ministry while they were members of the Dominican Province of St. Joseph because of an allegation of the sexual abuse of a minor that was deemed credible.

This list does not include any cases that may be currently under investigation.  (Friars are placed on administrative leave while an allegation is investigated.)

Fr. Aaron Joseph Cote, O.P (deceased)

  • Birth: 1951
  • Profession: 1981
  • Ordination: 1986
  • Removed from public ministry in 2005 based on an allegation deemed to be credible of committing abuse in 2001
  • Criminal conviction for said allegation in 2009
  • Canonical process for his dismissal underway at the time of his death in 2012
  • Death: 2012

Fr. Guy Bernard Dupont, O.P.

  • Birth: 1931
  • Profession: 1962
  • Ordination: 1968
  • Removed from public ministry in 2018 based on an allegation deemed to be credible of committing abuse in 1982 or 1983
  • Current Age: 87

Fr. Kenneth France-Kelly, O.P. (deceased)

  • Birth: 1943
  • Profession: 1976
  • Ordination: 1981
  • Removed from public ministry in 2008 based on an allegation deemed to be credible of committing abuse prior to entering religious life in 1975
  • Death: 2015

Br. Julius Martin Mattingly, O.P. (deceased)

  • Birth: 1906
  • Profession: 1929
  • Religious Brother (non-ordained)
  • Removed from contact with children in 1984 according to the process used at the time
  • Death: 1991

Fr. Robert Leo Pelkington, O.P. (deceased)

  • Birth: 1941
  • Profession: 1962
  • Ordination: 1968
  • Removed from public ministry in 1999 based on an allegation deemed to be credible of committing abuse that year
  • Criminal conviction for said allegation in 2000
  • Petition for laicization granted in 2011
  • Death: 2015

Friars with an Allegation that was Established after their Death or Departure from the Province

An allegation of the sexual abuse of a minor was deemed to be established against the following friars by the lay Provincial Review Board due to an allegation made after their death or departure from the Province of St. Joseph.

Br. John Fabian Butler, O.P. (deceased)

  • Birth: 1913
  • Profession: 1941
  • Religious Brother (non-ordained)
  • Death: 2003
  • Allegation Established in 2012

Fr. Stuart Bede Campbell, O.P. (deceased)

  • Birth: 1899
  • Profession: 1924
  • Ordination: 1930
  • Death: 1986
  • Allegation Established in 2007

Br. John L. Malachy Cosgrove, O.P. (deceased)

  • Birth: 1932
  • Profession: 1953
  • Religious Brother (non-ordained)
  • Became part of the Province of St. Martin de Porres when it was formed in 1979*
  • Death: 2011
  • Allegation Established in 2018

Fr. William Ferrer Kopfman, O.P. (deceased)

  • Birth: 1921
  • Profession: 1943
  • Ordination: 1949
  • Death: 1988
  • Allegation Established in 2019

Fr. Thomas Bertrand McCarthy, O.P. (deceased)

  • Birth: 1933
  • Profession: 1954
  • Ordination: 1960
  • Death: 1986
  • Allegation Established in 2018

Br. Thomas Philip McSherry, O.P. (deceased)

  • Birth: 1934
  • Profession: 1957
  • Religious Brother (non-ordained)
  • Dispensation from Vows in 1979
  • Death: 2009
  • Allegation Established in 2017

Fr. John Aquinas Powers, O.P. (deceased)

  • Birth: 1925
  • Profession: 1946
  • Ordination: 1952
  • Became part of the Province of St. Martin de Porres when it was formed in 1979*
  • Death: 2010
  • Allegation Established in 2009

Fr. Joseph James Rocha, O.P. (deceased)

  • Birth: 1940
  • Profession: 1960
  • Ordination: 1966
  • Left religious life in 1986 and canonically dismissed in 1988
  • Death: 2009
  • Allegation Established in 2015

Friars with an Allegation that was Established based on a Review of Provincial Files

An allegation of the sexual abuse of a minor against the following friars was deemed to be established by the lay Provincial Review Board after reviewing materials found in the historical files of the Province.  (The process of reviewing the provincial archives concerning deceased friars is ongoing.)

Fr. Richard Raphael Archer, O.P.

  • Birth: 1929
  • Profession: 1952
  • Ordination: 1958
  • Became part of the Province of St. Martin de Porres when it was formed in 1979*
  • Removed from public ministry by Province of St. Martin de Porres in 2002
  • Age: 89

Br. Joseph Giles Bisaillon, O.P. (deceased)

  • Birth: 1915
  • Profession: 1948
  • Religious Brother (non-ordained)
  • Dispensation from vows: 1959
  • Death: 1989

Br. Louis Anthony Bucci, O.P. (deceased)

  • Birth: 1927
  • Profession: 1948
  • Religious Brother (non-ordained)
  • Death: 1965

Fr. Charles Cavalconte, O.P.

  • Birth: 1952
  • Professed: 1975
  • Ordained: 1980
  • Dismissed: 1997
  • Petition for laicization granted in 1998
  • Age: 66

Fr. Bernardine George Dyer, O.P. (deceased)

  • Birth: 1935
  • Profession: 1955
  • Ordination: 1961
  • Became part of the Province of St. Martin de Porres when it was formed in 1979*
  • Dismissal from the Order by the Province of St. Martin de Porres in 2010
  • Death: 2013

Fr. Joseph Reginald Herlihy, O.P. (deceased)

  • Birth: 1912
  • Profession: 1933
  • Ordination: 1939
  • Death: 1989

Fr. Walter Hubert Maria Horan, O.P. (deceased)

  • Birth 1917
  • Professed: 1939
  • Ordained: 1945
  • Death: 1983

Br. John Dominic Karow, O.P. (deceased)

  • Birth: 1936
  • Professed: 1962
  • Clerical Brother Preparing for Ordination
  • Departed when not approved for vows in 1965
  • Death: 2011

Fr. James Louis-Bertrand Kilkenny, O.P. (deceased)

  • Birth: 1908
  • Professed: 1930
  • Ordained: 1936
  • Death: 1985

Fr. Joseph Ignatius Maria McGuiness, O.P. (deceased)

  • Birth: 1914
  • Professed: 1933
  • Ordained: 1939
  • Death: 1994

Fr. Terence John Reilly, O.P. (deceased)

  • Birth: 1933
  • Professed: 1953
  • Ordained: 1959
  • Transferred to the Province of the Holy Name in 1974
  • Removed from public ministry by the Province of the Holy Name in 2002
  • Death: 2016

Br. Jorge Luis Vasquez-Erazo, O.P.

  • Birth: 1934
  • Profession: 1961
  • Religious Brother (non-ordained)
  • Departed when not approved for vows in 1967
  • Age: 84

*On Dec 8, 1979, the Province of St. Martin de Porres (Southern USA) was established from some of the territory and friars of the Province of St. Joseph (Eastern USA) and the Province of St. Albert the Great (Central USA).

Last Update: 21 June 2019