Assignment Record– Rev. Barry F. Bossa, S.A.C.

Summary of Case: Barry Bossa was ordained for the Pallottines (Society of Catholic Apostolate) in 1981. He worked in parishes in the Archdiocese of Boston MA and New York NY. Prior to ordination, in 1974, Bossa was convicted of performing oral sex on a 12-year-old boy. The Pallottines knew of the conviction before ordaining him. In 2002 Bossa was accused in a lawsuit of sexually abusing two boys, ages 8 and 10, in the early to mid-1970s at a Massachusetts parish, where he was a Pallottine Brother training for the priesthood. When the news of new accusations came to light in 2002 the New York archdiocese, where Bossa was then assigned, removed him from ministry. The Pallottines abruptly sent Bossa to their headquarters in Rome. The Boston archdiocese eventually settled the lawsuit and criminal charges were filed in 2003. Bossa died in Italy in 2007.

Ordained: October 17, 1981
Died: May 20, 2007

Sources: Official Catholic Directory (New York: Kenedy & Sons, 1982-1986, 1989-2002).

• First Amended Complaint, October 21, 2002
• 16 Priests Named for First Time in Sexual Abuse Lawsuits, By Michael Rezendes and Matt Carroll, Boston Globe, January 30, 2003
• Records on 10 Clergy Released, Documents Reveal McCormack's Role, By Sacha Pfeiffer, January 31, 2003
• Runaway Priests, Hiding in Plain Sight, The Rev. Rev. Barry Bossa, Rome Case Study #3, Dallas Morning News, September 12, 2004
• In the Shadow of the Vatican, Accused Clerics Serving in Rome, Heart of the Catholic Church, By Reese Dunklin, Dallas Morning News, September 12, 2004
• " International Traffic in Catholic Priests Who Abuse", By Richard Sipe and K.K. Murray, SNAP [United States], April 17, 2007
• The Missing Names From Cardinal O'Malley's List of Accused Clerics, Boston Globe, November 20, 2011
• Accused Boston Clerics, BishopAccountability.org, Revised November 21, 2011
• Confratelli Defunti, Societas Apostolatus Catholici, No Date


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This assignment record collates Bossa's career history as it is represented in the Official Catholic Directory with allegations as reported in the media. We make no representation regarding the truth of the allegation we report, and we remind our readers that the U.S. legal system presumes that a person accused of or charged with a crime is innocent until proven guilty. Similarly, individuals who may be defendants in civil actions are presumed not to be liable for such claims unless a plaintiff proves otherwise. Admissions of guilt or liability are not typically a part of civil or private settlements. For more information, see our posting policy.

This assignment record was last updated September 1, 2015.