Assignment Record – Rev. Edward Thomas Burke, s.j. Summary of Case: A California Province Jesuit ordained in 1956, Burke taught high school in Phoenix AZ, Los Angeles CA and San Jose CA until his placement at the Sacred Heart Jesuit Center in Los Gatos CA in 1978. In 2000 Burke admitted to a superior that he had engaged in "sexual misconduct" with a mentally disabled adult male who worked as a dishwasher at the Jesuit Center. The Jesuits had been notified of sexual misconduct at the Center in 1995, but did nothing. Police launched an investigation in 1997 when a local shopkeeper, who had befriended this Burke victim and another mentally disabled adult male Sacred Heart worker, reported that the two men told her they had been abused there by priests. The men were too afraid to speak, so the investigation was closed. Due to the persistence of the shopkeeper, the investigation was re-opened in 2000, and the two men disclosed the abuse. The sexual abuse by Burke occurred over at least a five year period, and included sodomy. In 2002 Burke pleaded guilty to committing a lewd act on a dependent adult, and was sentenced to two years in state prison. He died at the Sacred Heart Jesuit Center February 27, 2009. Ordained: 1956 Died: Feb. 27, 2009 |
Start | Stop | Parish/Assignment | Town/Accusations | State | Position | Notes |
1956 San Francisco archbishop wa John Joseph Mitty (1935-1961). |
1957 | Alma College | Los Gatos | CA | theologian | |
1957 Seattle archbishop was Thomas Arthur Connolly (1950-1975). |
1958 | Manresa Hall | Port Townsend | WA | tertianship | |
1958 Tucson bishop was Daniel James Gercke (1923-1960), followed by Francis Joseph Green (1960-1981). |
1966 | Brophy College Prep. | Phoenix | AZ | Brophy Prep. had 391-594 students, all male. | |
1966 Los Angeles archbishop was James Francis Aloysius McIntyre (1948-1970). |
1967 | Loyola High School | Los Angeles | CA | Loyola High had 973 students, all male. | |
1967 San Francisco archbishop was Joseph Thomas McGucken (1962-1977). |
1969 | Sacred Heart Novitiate | Los Gatos | CA | ||
1969 | 1970 | Bellarmine College Prep. High School | San Jose | CA | Bellarmine had 1,059 students, all male (resident and non-resident). | |
1970 Phoenix bishop was Edward Anthony McCarthy (1969-1976). He was succeeded by Thomas Joseph O'Brien (1981-2003). |
1977 | Brophy College Prep. | Phoenix | AZ | Brophy Prep. had 616-731 students, all male. | |
1977 Los Angeles archbishop was Timothy Manning (1970-1985). |
1978 | Loyola High School | Los Angeles | CA | Loyola High had 1,000 students, all male. | |
1978 The San Jose diocese was established in 1981. Bishop was Roland Pierre DuMaine (1981-1999). |
2000 | Sacred Heart Jesuit Center | Los Gatos • Burke admitted to his superior in 2000 to sexual misconduct with a mentally disabled man who worked as a dishwasher at Sacred Heart. The "misconduct" occurred for at least five years and, per Burke's victim, included sodomy. The Jesuits did not notify authorities or the victim's family. The victim named six Jesuits who he said molested him during his years at the Jesuit Center. |
CA | The Jesuits were alerted in 1995 to sexual misconduct at Sacred Heart. They did not notify law enforcement. In 1997 a local shopkeeper who had befriended the the man and another mentally disabled Sacred Heart Jesuit Center worker reported to police that the two men had disclosed sexual abuse by priests at the Center. The two victims denied the abuse to investigators, years later explaining they were afraid. Their shopkeeper friend continued to advocate for the men and in 2000 police arranged for an undercover female officer to interview the victims at their friend's shop. The men then disclosed the sexual abuse. | |
2000 | 2002 | Santa Clara University | Santa Clara | CA | ||
2002 | 2009 | Sacred Heart Jesuit Center | Los Gatos | CA | librarian | Per news reports, Burke was moved to an "undisclosed location" in 2002. The Directories index him as at Sacred Heart Jesuit Center from 2002 until his death. A May 10, 2002 article placed him at a San Jose nursing facility. Burke pleaded guilty to committing a lewd act on a dependent adult and was sentenced to two years in state prison. Burke died at Sacred Heart Jesuit Center Feb. 27, 2009. |
Sources: Official Catholic Directory (New York: P.J. Kenedy and Sons, 1957-2010) • Cloak of Silence Covered Abuse at Jesuit Retreat, Religious order admits two retarded men were victimized. Talks are underway to settle $10-million suit. By Glenn F. Bunting, Los Angeles Times, March 24, 2002 Priests
in a Parish: We use the following convention to show a priest's
place among the clergy of a parish: 1/2 means that he is the first priest
listed in the Official Catholic Directory (usually the pastor)
and that there is a total of two priests at the parish. The shorthand 3/4
means that the priest is listed third on a four-priest roster. See our sample
page from the Directory. |