Assignment Record – Rev. Francis J. Reynolds

Summary of Case: Reynolds was accused in a 1991 lawsuit of the sexual abuse of a girl from about 1972-1984, while he was pastor of a Buffalo, Minnesota parish. The girl was a parishioner and attended the parish school. He was permanently removed from ministry in 1987 and died in 1988.

Ordained: 1955
Incardinated: St. Paul
Retired: 1986
Died: Feb. 13, 1988

     

Start Stop Parish/Assignment Town/Accusations State Position Notes

1955

St. Paul archbishop was John Gregory Murray (1931-1956), followed by William Otterwell Brady (1956-1961).

1957 Maternity of the Blessed Virgin Mary St. Paul MN 2/2 Maternity of the BVM had a school with 504-600 students.

1957

Brady was succeeded by Leo Binz (1961-1975)

The St. Paul archdiocese was named the archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis in 1966.

1964 St. Patrick's St. Paul MN 2/2 St. Patrick's had a school with 803-643 students.
1964 1966 Visitation Minneapolis MN 2/2 Visitation had a school with 609-539 students.
1966 1968 St. Margaret Mary's Golden Valley MN 2/3 St. Margaret Mary's had a school with 656-637 students.

1968

Binz was succeeded by John Robert Roach (1975-1995)

1985 St. Francis Xavier's

Buffalo

• Reynolds was accused in a 1991 lawsuit of having sexually abused a girl from about 1972-1984. The girl was a St. Francis parishioner and student.

MN 1/1 St Francis Xavier's had a school with 190-126 students.
1985 1986 Our Lady of Perpetual Help (Bohemian) Minneapolis MN 1/1  
1986 1988 Retired Minneapolis MN  

Reynolds lived at 5526 Oliver Ave., S. Minneapolis, MN from 1986-1987, then at 4300 W. River Pkwy., no 431, Minneapolis, MN.

Per the archdiocese, he was permanently removed from ministry in 1987.

Reynolds died Feb. 13, 1988

 

Sources: Official Catholic Directory (New York: P.J. Kenedy and Sons, 1956-1989)

• Archdiocese Targeted in Lawsuits Alleging Sexual Abuse by 2 Priests, St. Paul Pioneer Press, December 06, 1991
• Pioneer Press 11.03.93; St Paul & Minneapolis List of Credibly Accused Priests, released Dec. 5, 2013


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 Reynold'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 December  9, 2013.