Father James McHale
Diocese of Allentown
Ordained: 1960
Died: 1997
Assigned as follows:
- 1960-1962: Sacred Heart (West Reading, PA)
- 1962-1965: Notre Dame of Bethelhem (Bethlehem, PA)
- 1965-1983: Holy Family Manor (Bethlehem, PA)
- 1974-1983: Holy Family Villa for Priests (Bethlehem, PA)
- 1983-1994: St. Vincent de Paul (Minersville, PA)
- 1994-1997: Sacred Heart (Bath, PA)
Summary of Sexual Abuse Allegations against Fr. James McHale:
Fr. James McHale was ordained a priest in 1960, who served in multiple parishes in the Diocese of Allentown. Not much is known about McHale's history in the Diocese of Allentown. According to media reports, his name appeared on the Diocese of Allentown's August 2018 list of credibly accused priests. According to its disclosure, the first allegation about McHale was received after his death in 1997. No details were provided as to the dates of the abuse, age of the victim(s), and context of the abuse. McHale was not discussed in the August 2018 grand jury.
McHale was named in a 2009 lawsuit against the Diocese of Allentown that was filed in Delaware by a woman who says she reported her abuse by McHale in 1991, but no action was taken by the Diocese of Allentown. According to her allegations, she was abused in the late 1960s and early 1970s in Pennsylvania and on a family trip to Rome during which McHale was a special guest. She reported the incidents as a young woman to another priest, Fr. William Geiger, who she later learned was himself an accused priest in the Diocese of Harrisburg.
Horowitz Law is a law firm representing victims and survivors of sexual abuse by Catholic priests and other clergy in the Diocese of Allentown. If you need a lawyer because you were sexually abused by a priest in Pennsylvania, contact our office today. Although many years have passed, those abused by Catholic clergy in the Diocese of Allentown may have legal options against the Diocese of Allentown.
Contact us at 888-283-9922 or adam@adamhorowitzlaw.com to discuss your options today.