JACKSON – This report contains the names of all clergy and lay religious credibly accused of sexual abuse of which the Diocese of Jackson is aware. An accusation is considered credible when it has been investigated, presented to our Independent Fitness Review Board and deemed to be specific and believable. Civil authorities determine if an accusation is a crime. Not everyone on this list was charged or convicted of a crime.
None of these men are still in active ministry.
The list includes the names of the priests, a list of locations where they served, when the abuse is reported to have happened and when it was reported to the diocese. You may notice a gap between the abuse date and the reporting date. The diocese may not have been aware of the abuse before a priest was moved to another parish. Not all victims report their abuse right away. This is why the work the church is doing to remove the stigma of reporting is so critical.
The sooner we know about an allegation, the sooner we can take action to protect those vulnerable to abuse.
In a few cases, psychologists of that time treated a priest and deemed him safe to go back into ministry. While the science of that time believed such treatment could be effective, we now know this is not the case; and every priest, deacon, lay employee or volunteer who abuses a minor today will be permanently removed from ministry.
When the diocese receives new credible reports, those are presented to the Mississippi Department of Child Protection Services, law enforcement or the district attorney in the place where the abuse is alleged to have taken place.
You may also notice reports from what is now the Diocese of Biloxi. The Diocese of Jackson once encompassed the entire state. In 1977, the state was divided into two dioceses: Jackson and Biloxi. The Diocese of Jackson holds the archives from the beginnings of both dioceses and so any case from the Diocese of Biloxi from before 1977 will appear as part of the history of the Diocese of Jackson. The Diocese of Jackson has records for close to 1,000 priests who served here during its 180-year history. This investigation examined the files dating back to 1924.
All new credible reports of abuse will be added to the version of this list posted to the diocesan website.
If you have been abused by a member of the clergy or an employee of the church, we want to hear from you. Contact our Victim’s Assistance Coordinator Valerie McClellan at (601) 326-3728.

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