Msgr. John P. Heaney Summary of Case: Heaney was a highly respected long-time police chaplain in San Francisco who was accused in 2002 of having molested two young brothers in the early 1960s. One of the two said the abuse started when he was almost 8 years old, and ended when he was 10. Heaney was placed on leave, and indicted on charges involving one of the two brothers. Charges were dropped in 2003 when the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the California law that would have allowed prosecution. Heaney died January 29, 2010. Ordained: 1953 Retired: 2003 Died: 2010 |
Start | Stop | Parish/Assignment | Town/Accusations | State | Position | Notes |
1953 San Francisco archbishop was John Joseph Mitty (1935-1961). |
1960 | St. Agnes | San Francisco | CA | 4/4, 3/3, 2/4, 2/5 | Parish had a school with 245-198 boys and 285-231 girls. |
1960 | 1961 | St. Peter's | San Francisco
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CA | 7/7 In residence; Archdiocesan Missionaries. |
Parish had a grade school with 310 boys and 39 girls, and a high school with 158 girls. |
1961 Mitty was succeeded by Joseph Thomas McGucken (1962-1977). |
1968 | Cathedral of St. Mary (Assumption) | San Francisco • Heaney was accused in 2002 of having molested two brothers in the early 1960s. He was indicted in 2003 for the abuse of one of the the boys, who said the abuse started in Sept. 1961, when he was just about 8 years-old and lasted until he was 10. |
CA | 4/4, 5/5 In residence. |
Parish had a school with 74-50 boys and 72-94 boys. The Directories note that the Cathedral's temporary location from 1962-1968 was Sacred Heart High School.
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Sacred Heart High School | San Francisco | CA | teacher, athletic coach | This assignment is per news reports. | ||
1968
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1971 | On Duty Outside the Diocese/Notre Dame University | South Bend | IN | ||
1971 | 1974 | Marin Catholic High School | Kentfield | CA | faculty member, athletic director, dean | Marin Catholic had 382-369 boys and 384-381 girls. |
1974 John Raphael Quinn replaced McGucken (1977-1995). |
1979 | St. Rita's | Fairfax | CA | 2/3, 2/4, 1/3 | Parish had a school with 290-242 students. |
1975 | 1977 | Archdiocesan Consultors | San Francisco | CA | ||
1979 William Joseph Levada followed Quinn as San Francisco archbishop (1995-2005). |
1997 | Apostleship of the Sea | San Francisco | CA | Director and Port Chaplain | Heaney was elevated to Monsignor status in 1989.
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International Association of Bomb Technicians and Investigators | Chaplain | Per Heaney's obituary, he held this position for 34 years. | ||||
1968 | 2003 | San Francisco Police Dept. | San Francisco | CA | Chaplain | Again, the Directories do not note this position until 1987, but Heaney's obituary states that he held it from 1968-2003. |
New York City Police Dept. Bomb Squad | New York | NY | Chaplain | This assignment is per news reports. | ||
2002 George Hugh Niederauer replaced Levada (2005-). |
2010 | Retired | Heaney was placed on leave in Aug. 2002 when allegations that he had abused two boys in the early 1960s surfaced. He was allowed to continue his chaplaincy with the SF Police Dept. during the investigation. Charges were dropped in 2003 due to a Supreme Court Ruling overturning a California law regarding statutes of limitation that would have allowed for prosecution. Heaney died Jan. 29, 2010. |
Sources: Official Catholic Directory (New York: P.J. Kenedy and Sons, 1954-2010) • Cop Chaplain Suspended, Investigated, By Jaxon Van Derbeken, San Francisco Chronicle, August 16, 2002
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