Diocese of Oakland ACCUSED PRIESTS
The Diocese of Oakland has allowed child sexual abuse to happen for decades. Only recently have victims been able to seek justice for the abuse they endured many years ago.
The Diocese of Oakland comprises Alameda and Contra Costa counties in California, serving the San Francisco Bay area. The Diocese named the following priests deemed “credibly accused” of sexually abusing minors: Jeffrey N. Acebo, Thomas Duong Binh-Minh, Vincent I. Breen, Donald E. Broderson, Kenneth J. Cabral, James A. Clark, Edmond G. Cloutier, Hilary Cooper, Pearse P. Donovan, Joseph Ferreira, Patrick Finnegan, George J. Francis, George J. Francis, Robert E. Freitas, Stephen M. Kiesle, Ronald J. Lagasse, Hector David Mendoza Vela, Francisco Tarcisio Lanuevo, Daniel McCleod, Robert F. Ponciroli, Arthur A. Ribeiro, and Gary B. Tollner.
In December 2020, the Diocese paid out $3.5 million to settle claims by a former parishioner, who claimed that Priest Michael Van Dinh raped him in 2017. While investigating the allegations, police discovered sex toys and a meth pipe in the priest’s home. Although investigators recommended that police charge the priest with sodomy, authorities declined to bring charges, stating there was insufficient evidence to show the sex was non-consensual. The Diocese placed Dinh on leave.
Dinh’s accuser also claimed that two other priests in the diocese, Luis Lopez and Ricardo Chavez, sexually abused him. According to the lawsuit, while Lopez served as a priest in Oregon in his early twenties, he sexually abused the boy by putting his hands down the victim’s sweatpants. The abuse by Chavez allegedly started when the victim was ten years old and went on for at least ten years.
The victim alleges, while he was an altar boy at St. Peter Martyr Parish in Pittsburg, Chavez abused him by fondling him underneath his clothing. The lawsuit also alleges that other victims reported abuse by Chavez in the 1990s while he was serving as pastor of St. Leander’s Church in San Leandro, but that the Diocese neither investigated the allegations nor disciplined Chavez in any way.
Finally, the lawsuit states that when the Diocese learned in October 2019 of new claims against Chavez, it allowed him to continue performing mass for months. As of 2021, Chavez retired, and Lopez received a new assignment to Corpus Christi Church in Fremont. Dinh, Chavez, and Lopez are three of five priests in the Diocese accused of sexual abuse since 2019.
A fourth priest, John T. McCracken, was also recently accused of sexual abuse. In a lawsuit filed in 2019, the accuser claims that McCracken repeatedly raped him between 1972 and 1974. McCracken was not one of the named priests in the Diocese’s list of child sexual abuse perpetrators, and it’s the first time allegations surfaced against him. McCracken died in 2012.
According to the lawsuit, when the victim was in fourth and fifth grade and serving as an altar boy at Queen of All Saints in Concord, McCracken repeatedly raped him. McCracken allegedly told the victim while he was molesting him that he was “a good boy” and God was “happy” with him. The victim’s medical records showed he received treatment for rectal bleeding when he was 11.
The fifth priest accused of sexual abuse since 2019 is Hector David Mendoza Vela. Vela is serving a prison sentence after pleading no contest in 2019 to five counts of lewd and lascivious acts with a minor.
Though the allegations against these priests made headlines, there are many instances of child sexual abuse that happened in the Diocese of Oakland that likely went unreported. Most child sexual abuse victims do not come forward with their abuse claims until later in life. Many victims repress their memories, feel shame or guilt, fear that people won’t believe them, or believe too much time has passed. However, California law now allows victims to file civil claims regardless of when the abuse happened or their current age.
Now is the time to act. If you or someone you love suffered child sexual abuse at the Diocese of Oakland, contact our compassionate and dedicated lawyers at Herman Law today for a free consultation.
Abuse Occurred: 1986 – 1988
Removed from Ministry: April 2002
Status: Prayer and Penance
Assignments
St. John the Baptist, San Lorenzo (deacon, associate pastor)
St. Joseph, Pinole (associate pastor)
Holy Spirit, Fremont (associate pastor)
St. Leonard, Fremont (parochial vicar)
St. Anthony, Oakland (parochial vicar)
Abuse Occurred: 1987
Removed from Ministry: April 2002
Status: Last known location Concord CA
Assignments
St. Felicitas, San Leandro (deacon)
St. Philip Neri, Alameda (associate pastor)
St. Mary Immaculate, Oakland (associate pastor)
St. Mary/St. Francis de Sales, Oakland (associate pastor)
Our Lady Queen of the World, Pittsburg (parochial vicar)
Our Lady of Good Counsel, San Leandro (pastor)
St. Anthony, Oakland (pastor)
Abuse Occurred: 1950s – 1980s
Removed from Ministry: Resigned March 1, 1982
Status: Deceased Dec. 31, 1986
Assignments
Serra High School, San Mateo (principal)
St. Mary, Walnut Creek (administrator)
Holy Spirit, Fremont (pastor)
Abuse Occurred: 1970s
Removed from Ministry: Early 1990s
Status: Laicized March 21, 2005; Deceased Sept. 19, 2010
Assignments
Santa Paula, Fremont (assistant pastor)
St. Philip Neri, Alameda (assistant pastor)
St. Joachim, Hayward (assistant pastor)
Most Precious Blood, Concord (assistant pastor)
St. Leonard, Fremont (assistant pastor)
St. Raymond, Dublin (associate pastor)
Transfiguration Church, Castro Valley (associate pastor)
Abuse Occurred: 1960s
Removed from Ministry: Retired June 30, 1991
Status: Deceased March 3, 1996
Assignments
St. Lawrence O’Toole, Oakland (associate pastor)
Assumption, San Leandro (associate pastor)
St. Catherine, Martinez (associate pastor)
St. Joseph, Berkeley (associate pastor)
St. Mary, Walnut Creek (associate pastor)
St. Columba, Oakland (pastor)
St. Margaret Mary, Oakland (administrator)
St. Alphonsus, San Leandro (associate pastor)
Abuse Occurred: 1971 – 1973
Removed from Ministry: Retired April 29, 1984
Status: Deceased July 27, 1989
Assignments
St. Louis Bertrand, Oakland (associate pastor)
Church of the Nativity, Menlo Park (associate pastor)
St. Leo, San Jose (associate pastor)
St. Michael, Livermore (associate pastor)
St. Paschal, Oakland (associate pastor)
Corpus Christi, Fremont (pastor)
St. Anne, Walnut Creek (pastor)
Abuse Occurred: 1950s – 1960s
Removed from Ministry: Retired Dec. 31, 1980
Status: Deceased April 9, 2003
Assignments
Star of the Sea, San Francisco (associate pastor)
Corpus Christi, Piedmont (associate pastor)
St. Joseph Basilica, Alameda (associate pastor)
St. Augustine, Pleasanton (pastor)
Abuse Occurred: 1978
Removed from Ministry: 1995
Status: Deceased February 7, 2021
Assignments
St, Cyril, Oakland (associate pastor)
St. Bernard, Oakland (administrator, pastor)
St. Paschal, Oakland (pastor)
St. David, Richmond (in residence, administrator)
St. Mark, RIchmond (pastor)
Queen of all Saints, Concord (associate pastor)
St. Anthony, Oakland (associate pastor, pastor)
Abuse Occurred: 1978 – 1980
Removed from Ministry: Retired 1983
Status: Deceased September 12, 1986
Assingments
Bishop O’Dowd High School, Oakland
Corpus Christi, Piedmont (pastor)
Abuse Occurred: 1973 – 1974
Removed from Ministry: Retired Dec. 28, 1998
Status: Deceased Dec. 21, 2014
Assignments
Queen of all Saints, Concord (associate pastor)
St. Paschal, Oakland (associate pastor)
St. Leonard, Oakland (associate pastor)
Our Lady of Good Counsel, San Leandro (pastor)
St. Alphonsus, San Leandro (pastor)
Abuse Occurred: 1960s, 1973
Removed from Ministry: Feb. 6, 1972
Status: Deceased Sept. 28, 1980
Assignments
St Ambrose, Berkeley (associate pastor, administrator)
St. Joseph, Pinole (administrator, pastor)
Abuse Occurred: 1960s, 1972
Removed from Ministry: Retired April 4, 1986
Status: Deceased May 4, 1998
Assignments
St. Cyril, Oakland (pastoral associate)
Church of the Epiphany, San Francisco (pastoral associate)
St. Bede, Hayward (pastor)
Abuse Occurred: 1977, 1980s
Removed from Ministry: 2002
Status: Laicized 2007; Deceased Nov. 14, 2011
Assignments
All Saints, Hayward (associate pastor)
St. Felicitas, San Leandro (associate pastor)
St. Edward, Newark (associate pastor)
Santa Paula, Fremont (associate pastor)
Our Lady of the Rosary, Union City (pastor)
St. Catherine of Siena, Martinez (associate pastor)
Good Shepherd, Pittsburg (associate pastor)
St. Monica, Moraga (associate pastor)
St. Anthony, Oakley (associate pastor)
St. Lawrence O’Toole, Oakland (in residence)
Abuse Occurred: 1970s
Removed from Ministry: July 1978
Status: Laicized February 13, 1987
Assignments
Good Shepherd, Pittsburg (deacon)
St. Joseph, Pinole (associate pastor)
Our Lady of the Rosary, Union City (associate pastor)
St. Columba, Oakland (in residence)
Abuse Occurred: 1983 – 1984
Removed from Ministry: Oct. 2002
Status: Excommunicated June 14, 2008
Assignments
St. Augustine, Pleasanton (deacon)
St. Joachim, Hayward (associate pastor)
Santa Maria, Orinda (associate pastor)
St. Leonard, Fremont (associate pastor)
St. Mary, Walnut Creek (in residence)
St. Catherine, Martinez (in residence)
St. Raymond, Dublin (pastor)
St. Philip Neri, Alameda (associate pastor)
St. Cyril, Oakland (pastor)
Abuse Occurred: June 2016 – December 2017
Removed from Ministry: March 29, 2019
Status: In prison
Assignments
July 2016 Parochial Administrator, Corpus Christi Parish in Fremont
June 2013 Parochial Vicar, St. John The Baptist Parish in San Lorenzo
Abuse Occurred: 1979
Removed from Ministry: July 29, 1992
Status: Location unknown
Assignments
St. Catherine, Martinez (associate pastor)
St. John the Baptist, San Lorenzo
Queen of all Saints, Concord (in residence)
Our Lady Queen of the World, Pittsburg (associate pastor)
St. Joachim, Hayward
Abuse Occurred: 1969
Removed from Ministry: Retired Jan. 18, 1987
Status: Deceased Dec. 17, 2001
Assignments
Christ the King, Pleasant Hill (associate pastor)
St. Michael, Livermore (associate pastor)
St. Anthony, Oakley (pastor)
Abuse Occurred: 1970s, 1980 – 1981
Removed from Ministry: Feb. 9, 1995
Status: Laicized 2005; Deceased Jan. 19, 2009
Assignments
St. Leander, San Leandro (associate pastor)
St. Francis de Sales Cathedral, Oakland
St. Cornelius, Richmond (associate pastor)
Our Lady of Grace, Castro Valley (associate pastor)
St. Ignatius, Antioch (pastor)
Sacred Heart, Oakland (in residence)
St. Jarlath, Oakland (associate pastor)
Immaculate Heart of Mary, Brentwood (associate pastor)
St. Anne, Byron (administrator, pastor)
Abuse Occurred: 1960s
Removed from Ministry: Retired Jan. 1, 1992
Status: Deceased October 18, 2000
Assignments
St. Louis Bertrand, Oakland (associate pastor)
St. Leander, San Leandro (associate pastor)
Five Wounds, San Jose (associate pastor)
Sacred Heart, Turlock (associate pastor)
St. Joseph, Cupertino (associate pastor)
Queen of all Saints, Concord (associate pastor)
St. Bede, Hayward
St. Joseph, Berkeley (associate pastor)
St. Columba, Oakland (pastor)
Abuse Occurred: 1960s, 1970s, 1980s
Removed from Ministry: 1995
Status: Deceased Feb. 17, 1999
Assignments
St. John the Baptist, El Cerrito (associate pastor)
St. Lawrence O’Toole, Oakland (associate pastor)
Santa Maria, Orinda (associate pastor)
St. Philip Neri, Alameda (administrator, pastor)
St. Theresa, Oakland (in residence)
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