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Accused California Priests: Father Paul Shanley

Accused California Priests: Father Paul Shanley

When the sex abuse scandal hit the Catholic church, Father Paul Shanley was one of the first priests imprisoned for abusing young boys. Originally from Boston, Shanley moved to San Diego in 1997 after being granted his retirement from the priesthood by the Boston Archdiocese. He was arrested in his Hillcrest home and sent to a Boston jail, where he remained until he was convicted and sent to prison.

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Assignments

2/16/60-6/20/67

Parish: St. Patrick’s Stoneham, MA

2/16/60-6/20/67

6/20/67-6/18/69

Parish: St. Francis of Assisi Braintree, MA

6/20/67-6/18/69

6/18/69-8/25/69

Parish: St. Anthony’s Allston, MA

6/18/69-8/25/69

8/25/69-4/5/70

Boston State College Boston, MA
8/25/69-4/5/70

4/5/70-5/29/76

Warwick House at St. Philip’s Roxbury, MA
4/5/70-5/29/76

5/29/76-8/77

Exodus Center Milton, MA
5/29/76-8/77

8/77-4/15/79

49 Milton Street: Milton, MA
8/77-4/15/79

4/15/79-11/15/83

St. John the Evangelist: Newton, MA
4/15/79-11/15/83

11/15/83-1/1/85

St. John the Evangelist: Newton, MA
11/15/83-1/1/85

1/1/85-1/22/90

St. John the Evangelist: Newton, MA
1/1/85-1/22/90

4/9/90-6/26/90

Our Lady of Solitude: Palm Springs, CA
4/9/90-6/26/90

6/26/90-11/2/93

St. Anne’s: San Bernardino, CA 

6/26/90-11/2/93

10/16/93-11/9/93

Campion Residence and Renewal Center: Weston, MA
10/16/93-11/9/93

11/16/93-11/30/93

Institute of Living: Hartford, CT
11/16/93-11/30/93

11/93-12/93

Our Lady of Victories Boston, MA
11/93-12/93

2/14/94-2/95

Whispering Palms and Cabana Club Resort Palm Springs, CA
2/14/94-2/95

2/95-8/15/97

Leo House: New York City, NY

2/95-8/15/97

2000- 4/4/02

San Diego Police Department Retired Senior Voluntary Patrol: San Diego, CA
2000- 4/4/02
St. Paul of the Cross Catholic Church, La Mirada, CA
St. Bernard, Los Angeles, CA
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Life and Charges

Shanley was ordained in 1960 and served under the Boston Cardinal Archbishop Richard Cushing. In 1967, Rev. Arthur Chabot made Shanley’s first allegation of abuse to the Archdiocese. Shenley denied the accusation.

When Cushing died in 1970, Humberto Medeiros took over. In 1974, a mother gave Medeiros her young son’s diary, which detailed a counseling session at Shanley’s home, during which he abused the boy. This abuse at the hands of Father Shanley lasted seven years.

The church received another accusation of abuse was received in 1988. This time, Bishop Banks uncovered an incident in which Shanley had suggested sadomasochistic sex to a person with a mental health condition in 1987. Banks confronted Shanley but decided, “there was really nothing I could do” after Shanley became irate at the accusation.

Bishop Banks transferred Shanley to San Bernardino in 1990 as a priest in good standing despite the accusation. While working as a weekend supply priest in California, Shanley allegedly began abusing another of his victims, Kevin English.

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Punishment

When the dam finally broke on the Catholic sex abuse scandal and Shanley was arrested, a long string of alleged abuses came to light. He was alleged to have molested young boys and girls throughout his career. His move to California from Massachusetts meant the statute of limitations was frozen in his case.

Shanley was convicted in 2005 of repeatedly raping a boy for several years in the 1980s and served 12 years of his 12-to-15 year sentence. He was released in 2017 on good behavior at the age of 86 and started a ten-year term of supervised probation.

How We Can Help

Herman Law is a California-based law firm that represents victims of sexual abuse by Catholic priests and other clergy members. Contact us today if you need a lawyer to help you with your sexual abuse case.