An anonymous woman is ready to file a lawsuit against the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, and she is strongly suspecting that an ex-priest harassed her sexually in 2017. She has stated in her lawsuit that the former priest in question had committed a lot of sexual abuse. At the same time, she was still a student at Aquinas College in Nashville, Tennessee, and she believes that the Archdiocese has covered it all up and tolerated such act.
The accused priest, Kevin McGoldrick, has since voluntarily sought laicization in light of the investigation and penalties carried out by the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. The episode raises concerns about protecting the most vulnerable individuals and accountability and openness in religious institutions.
A Cover-Up of Former Priest's Alleged Sexual Abuse
According to Catholic News Agency, in the complaint submitted on April 18, McGoldrick is also charged with battery and assault from when he was a chaplain at Aquinas College in 2017. Until 2013, when he left the Archdiocese to teach at Aquinas College, run by the Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia, McGoldrick worked in several local parishes and a high school. He was ordained in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia in 2003.
In the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, McGoldrick has previously served at Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Port Richmond, St. Timothy in Northeast Philadelphia, Our Lady of Mount Carmel and St. Monica in South Philadelphia, and Holy Name of Jesus in Fishtown. He also worked at the Roman Catholic High School in Philadelphia.
Kevin McGoldrick and the Archdiocese of Philadelphia are being sued by the plaintiff, identifying as Jane Doe, for more than $50,000 in damages. According to the lawsuit, McGoldrick, Jane Doe's then-spiritual director, allegedly abused her while she was a junior at Aquinas College.
According to the lawsuit, Doe was misled by the Archdiocese of Philadelphia when she asked if McGoldrick had molested other people sexually. Doe then learned about McGoldrick's sexual abuse of two other women in an online article, despite their protestations, and claims that this "compounded the trauma of the initial abuse."
The complaint also claims that before sanctioning McGoldrick's transfer to the Diocese of Nashville, which is situated on the Aquinas College campus, the Archdiocese of Philadelphia was aware of the risk that McGoldrick posed. McGoldrick worked in various capacities at the Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia-run college as well as the nearby high school and elementary school.
According to the Tennessee Register, McGoldrick received the faculties to carry out sacramental obligations despite needing to be incardinated into the Nashville Diocese. The incident raises questions about the transparency of the Archdiocese and its obligation to safeguard parishioners and kids from harm. The Archdiocese of Philadelphia reportedly suspended McGoldrick's faculties after examining the claims made in Doe's 2019 report from her time at Aquinas College.
Also Read: Sexual Abuse of Clerics: Do Church Leaders Get Punish By Law?
Other Victims of the Accused Former Priest
Another source, the Philadelphia Inquirer, reported that a former church worker accused McGoldrick of sexual harassment in 2012, according to a lawsuit filed. According to the lawsuit, McGoldrick would schedule couples' massages for them under the pretense that they needed a respite from their turbulent parish. She eventually left her church and her friends to avoid his approach.
The Archdiocese of Philadelphia never mentioned a probe into these allegations. According to the complainant's attorneys, this incident shows ignorant disapproval for the public's and parishioners' safety. McGoldrick and the Archdiocese of Philadelphia have not yet provided an official response to the charges in court. This case highlights the importance of openness and responsibility within religious organizations to safeguard their members' security and welfare.
Related Article: Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia Refused to Acknowledge Sexual Abuse Claims Against Priest, Face New Lawsuit
