Rev. Leonard A. Ferrante

Summary of Case: In 2002 the Cleveland diocese listed Ferrante as a priest no longer in active ministry because of past allegations of abuse of minors.

Ordained: 1964

   

Start Stop Assignment Town/Accusations State Position Notes

1964

Cleveland bishop was Edward Francis Hoban (1945-1966)

1965 St. Cecilia's Cleveland OH

2/2

 

 Parish had a school with 367 students.
1965 1966 St. Gregory the Great Cleveland OH 4/4 Parish had a school with 923 students.

1966

Following Hoban as bishop was Clarence George Issenmann (1966-1974)

1967 St. Columbkille Cleveland (Parma-Seven Hills) OH 3/3 Parish had a school with 1,128 students.
1972 1973 Lake County Catholic High School Mentor OH

 

 

 School had 925 students, male and female. Its Director during this time was another accused Cleveland priest, Allen Bruening.

1967

Issenmann was replaced by James Aloysius Hickey (1974-1980)

1976 Borromeo Seminary High School and College Wickliffe OH   The Directories note Ferrante to have been studying at Ohio State University, while living at Borromeo Seminary in Wickliffe, from 1967-1972.
1976 1979 On Leave        

1979

Hickey was succeeded by Anthony Michael Pilla (1980-2006)

1986         Ferrante is not indexed in the 1980-1986 Directories.
1986 1988 Absent on Leave      

Ferrante is last indexed in the 1988 Directory.

In 2002 his name appeared on a list released by the diocese of former or retired priests no longer in active ministry due to past allegations of abuse of minors.


Source: Official Catholic Directory (New York: P.J. Kenedy and Sons, 1965-1988)

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.

Note: The Official Catholic Directory aims to report the whereabouts of Catholic priests in the United States on January 1 of the Directory's publication year. Our working assumption is that a priest listed in the Directory for a given year was at the same assignment for part of the previous year as well. However, Kenedy and Sons will sometimes accept updates well into the year of publication. Diocesan clergy records are rarely available to correct this information. The Directory is also sometimes misleading or wrong. We have tried to create an accurate assignment record, given the source materials and their limitations. Assignment records are a work in progress and we are always improving the records that we post. Please email us with new information and corrections.

This assignment record collates Ferrante'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 on Dec. 9, 2009