Rev. Orlando Alberto Battagliola/Battaglio Summary of Case: A native of Argentina, Battagliola arrived in the Monterey-Fresno diocese in 1963. In a 2003 lawsuit he was accused of having sexually abused a 14-year-old altar boy in the early 1970s. Battagliola was murdered in a San Francisco motel room in 1977. Ordained: 1963 Incardinated: Monterey diocese, 1963 Died: Feb. 17, 1977 |
Start | Stop | Parish | Town/Accusations | State | Position | Notes |
1963 Monterey-Fresno bishop was Aloysius Joseph Willinger, C.SS.R (1953-1967) |
1964 | St. Katherine's | Del Ray | CA | 2/2 | The 1965 Directory indexes Battagliola as at St. Katherine's but does NOT list him there in the diocesan pages. He IS listed in the diocesan pages at Our Lady of Sorrows in Parlier. |
1963 | 1964 | St. Lucy's | Fowler | CA | This was a mission of St. Katherine's in Del Ray. | |
1963 | 1965 | Our Lady of Sorrows | Parlier | CA | 1/1 In residence 1964-1965. |
This was a mission of St. Katherine's in Del Ray. |
1965 The Monterey diocese was established Dec. 13, 1967. Its bishop was Harry Anselm Clinch (1967-1982) |
1971 | Our Lady of Solitude | Soledad | CA | 2/2, 2/3 | The 1966-1971 Directories do not index Battagliola. They do list him, however, in the Monterey diocesan pages as Orlando A. "Battaglio". |
1971 | 1974 | San Luis Obispo (Old Mission) | San Luis Obispo • Battagliola was accused in a 2003 lawsuit of having sexually abused an altar-boy in the early 1970s, beginning the grooming process when the boy was a freshman in high school. Battagliola is said to have plied the boy with alcohol and driven him around town in his car while sexually abusing him. The boy reportedly developed a sexually transmitted disease as a result. He also quit sports, at which he had excelled, began cutting school, and lost his good reputation among his peers. The boy went on to develop a drug habit and life long emotional problems. |
CA | 2/3 | The Old Mission had a school with 178-163 students. From 1972 on, the Directories resume using the name "Battagliola" rather than "Battaglio". He is indexed in the 1972-1974 Directories as at Our Lady of Solitude in Soledad, but he is NOT listed as there in the Monterey diocesan pages. He IS listed at San Luis Obispo (Old Mission) for these years. |
1974 | 1977 | Our Lady of Refuge | Castroville | CA | 1/1, 1/2 Administrator |
Battagliola is indexed in the 1975-1977 Directories as at Our Lady of Solitude in Soledad, but he is NOT listed there in the Monterey diocesan pages. He is listed at Our Lady of Refuge as "Alberto Battagliola". |
1974 | 1977 | Boy Scouts | Castroville | Spiritual Advisor | Battagliola was murdered in Feb. 1977 in a San Francisco motel room. |
Sources: Official Catholic Directory (New York: P.J. Kenedy and Sons, 1964-1978) • Diocese Named in Abuse Suit, By Alex Friedrich, Monterey County Herald, March 15, 2003
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