A warrant has been issued by the Maricopa County Attorney's office, Arizona, for an Irish priest wanted on child sex abuse charges. The priest is believed to be living in the west of Ireland since January. Arizona authorities indicated they will initiate extradition proceedings if he does not return voluntarily.
Father Patrick Oliver Colleary was ordained from All-Hallows College, Dublin, in 1975 and served in the diocese of Phoenix, Arizona, until May last year. He was then placed on administrative leave after admitting he fathered a child in 1978 and was accused of fondling a schoolgirl who later became his lover and twice attempted suicide.
It was announced last week that he is wanted on two counts of sexual conduct with a minor and one count of attempted sexual conduct with a minor. Four other priests and a former priest of the diocese have been indicted on similar charges.
In December last year, Father Colleary was indicted on charges of sexually abusing then 10-year-old Mark Kennedy, an altar boy at the Holy Spirit parish in Tempe, Arizona, in 1979. On January 8th last, the indictment fell because of statute of limitations provisions, and Father Colleary was released from jail.
A 1996 memo from a senior aide to Bishop Thomas O'Brien showed the Phoenix diocese was aware then of allegations against Father Colleary. Diocesan assistant chancellor Father Michael Diskin noted that, in addition to the sexual encounters with the two women, Father Colleary was accused of groping an altar boy. The priest has rejected the charges.
In 1997 Father Colleary was sent for six months' treatment to the St Luke Institute in Silver Spring, Maryland, one of the leading centres for priests with sexual problems in the US. He was released in early 1998. A psychological evaluation sent to the Phoenix diocese in January 1999 noted that three times since his discharge from the institute, he had been involved in sexually inappropriate incidents. Despite that report and his history, he was transferred back to the Our Lady of Perpetual Help parish in Scottsdale, where he had been serving since 1992.
It emerged last week that Bishop O'Brien has been granted immunity from criminal prosecution in a deal with the Maricopa County Attorney's office. This involved him signing an admission that he allowed priests "under my supervision to work with minors after becoming aware of allegations of sexual misconduct. I further acknowledge that priests who had allegations of sexual misconduct made against them were transferred to ministries without full disclosure to their superiors or to the community in which they were assigned.
"I apologize and express regret for any misconduct, hardship, or harm caused to the victims of sexual misconduct by Roman Catholic priests assigned to the Diocese," he said.
A church official will take over the day-to-day administration of the diocese. A new diocesan lawyer will replace the bishop's adviser on these matters, while the diocese must contribute $600,000 for the county attorney's Victim Compensation Fund and for counselling in the diocese of sexual-abuse victims.
