Assignment Record– Rev. Joseph F. Byrne Summary of Case: Joseph F. Byrne was ordained for the Boston archdiocese in 1969. He assisted at parishes in Dorchester, Quincy and Weymouth MA until he was named pastor of a parish in Waltham in 1994. Among his many involvements were the Archdiocesan Office of Vocations, Project Rachel, and the Office of Spiritual Development. He was also a police and hospital chaplain in Quincy for 10 years. From 2002-2008 Byrne's status was "unassigned." He pleaded guilty in 2005 to embezzling more than $135,000 from his Waltham parish and was sentenced to 5 years' probation. Despite being unassigned, Byrne reportedly moved to Falmouth MA in 2003 where he helped out as a fill-in at a parish. He also lived for a time in 2012-2013 at a parish in Arlington MA. In May 2012 Byrne was placed on leave after an allegation emerged that he sexually abused a child in the early 1970s. He was reinstated in May 2013 after the archdiocese found the allegation to be "unsubstantiated." Byrne was again removed from active ministry in February 2014 when a second allegation was made that he had sexually abused a child, also in the early 1970s. He died June 18, 2014. Born: 1943 |
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| Start | Stop | Assignment | Town/Accusations | State | Position | Notes |
6/04/69 Boston archbishop was Richard James Cushing (1944-1970), follwed by Humberto Sousa Medeiros (1970-1983). |
6/09/75 | St. Matthew's | Boston (Dorchester) • Byrne was placed on leave in May 2012 after he was accused of child sexual abuse in the early 1970s. • A second allegation was made to the archdiocese in February 2014 that Byrne sexually abused a child in the early 1970s. |
MA | 3/4 , 3/3, 2/2 | St. Matthew's had a school with 387-299 students. |
| 1976 | 1979 | Walpole State Prison | Walpole | chaplain | This assignment is per Byrne's obituary. | |
6/10/75 Medeiros was succeeded by Bernard Francis Law (1984-2002). |
6/17/85 | St. John the Baptist | Quincy | MA | 4/5, 3/4, 4/4 | Per his obituary, Byrne was a police and hospital chaplain in Quincy for 10 years. |
| Archdiocesan Office of Vocations; Project Rachel; Office of Spiritual Development | Boston | MA | These assignments are per Byrne's obituary. | |||
| Permanent Deaconate Program; Chrism Adult Education Program; Special Needs Religious Education Program (South Region) | spiritual director | These assignments are per Byrne's obituary. | ||||
| 6/18/85 | 6/07/94 | St. Albert the Great | Weymouth | MA | 2/2, 2/3 | |
| 6/08/94 | 11/15/02 | Our Lady Comforter of the Afflicted | Waltham • Byrne pleaded guilty to embezzling over $135,000 from this parish; he was given 5 years' probation in 2005. |
MA | 1/2, 1/1 | Our Lady's had a school with 180 students. |
11/06/02 Fall River bishop was George William Coleman (2003-2014). |
10/31/08 | Unassigned | Moved to Falmouth MA in February 2003. | |||
| 11/01/08 | 5/12 | Senior Priest/Retired/ St. Patrick's |
Falmouth | MA | fill-in priest | |
2012 Boston archbishop was Sean Patrick O'Malley, O.F.M. Cap. (2003-). |
2013 | Senior Priest/Retired/St. Camillus | Arlington | MA | 3/3, 2/2 in residence |
St. Camillus had a CCD program. This assignment is per the 2012 and 2013 Directories. |
| 5/12 | 5/13 | Administrative Leave | MA | Byrne was placed on leave in May 2012 after a report was made to the Boston archdiocese that Byrne had sexually abused a child in the early 1970s. He was reinstated in May 2013 after the archdiocese found the allegation to be "unsubstantiated." | ||
5/13 Fall River diocese |
2/04/14 | Senior Priest/Retired | Falmouth | MA | Byrne was removed for a second time, on February 4, 2014 due to another allegation that he sexually abused a child in the early 1970s. | |
| 2/04/14 | 6/18/14 | Administrative Leave | MA | Byrne died June 18, 2014. |
Sources: Official Catholic Directory (New York: P.J. Kenedy and Sons, ) • Falmouth Priest on Leave after Child Sex Abuse Allegation, Boston Globe, May 25, 2012 |