Father Patrick McHugh
Ordained: 1943
Died: 1979
Assignment History:
- 1963-1979: St. John's Catholic Church (Felton, CA)
Summary of Sexual Abuse Allegations Against Father Patrick McHugh:
Fr. Patrick McHugh was a priest in the Diocese of Monterey. According to media reports, in 2003, at least seven men filed suit against Fr. Patrick McHugh alleging sexual abuse between 1961 and 1968 at St. John's in Felton, CA. All of the victims were under 13 at the Tim e of abuse. One victim said he told his father about the abuse, which occurred when he was 10 years old, but his father believed Fr. McHugh's denials and explanations that he was checking the boy's legs, and did nothing to stop it. All of the former altar boys say the priest fondled them as they studied Latin, as they lay sick in their bedroom and when they spent the night at the rectory so they could serve Mass early the next day.
One victim stated, "I felt trapped, horrified, and scared to death. I got no help from anybody. And I had to go back and say Mass with this man."
The suit alleged the Diocese knew or should have known of Fr. McHugh's pedophilia and should have protected them from him. It was dismissed in 2005, but six plaintiffs settled with the Diocese of Monterey in September 2006 for $1.5 million and lifetime counseling. According to the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, at least one survivor has come forward alleging child sexual abuse by Fr. Patrick McHugh from 1972 to 1974.
In January 2019, he was included on the Diocese of Monterey's 2019 List of Credibly Accused Clergy of Sexual Abuse, noting a 2002 report of child sexual abuse in the 1960s.
Fr. McHugh died in 1979.
Horowitz Law is a law firm representing victims and survivors of sexual abuse by Catholic priests and other clergy in the Diocese of Monterey in California. If you need a lawyer because you were sexually abused by a priest in one of California's Catholic dioceses, contact our office today. Although many years have passed, those abused by Catholic clergy in the Diocese of Monterey now have legal options due to a voluntary compensation fund created by the Diocese of Monterey, but filing deadlines will apply so do not delay in reaching out to us. Our lawyers have decades of experience representing survivors of clergy sexual abuse in California and nationwide. We can help.
Contact us at 888-283-9922 or adam@adamhorowitzlaw.com to discuss your options today.