Father Richard Ford
Ordained: 1960
Died: 2005
Assigned as follows:
- 1960-1961: St. Joseph (Ashland, PA)
- 1961-1963: St. Mary (St. Clair, PA)
- 1963-1966: St. Anthony of Padua (Easton, PA)
- 1966-1969: Cathedral of St. Catherine of Siena (Allentown, PA)
- 1969-1972: St. Margaret (Reading, PA)
- 1972-1989: St. Columbkill (Boyertown, PA)
- 1989-1990: St. Ursula (Fountain Hill, PA)
- 1990: Not Listed in Official Catholic Directory
- 1991-1999: Holy Guardian Angels (Reading, PA)
- 1999-2005: St. Stephen of Hungary (Allentown, PA)
Summary of Sexual Abuse Allegations against Fr. Richard Ford:
Fr. Richard Ford was ordained a priest in 1960, who served in multiple parishes in the Diocese of Allentown. According to media reports, in 2018, he was named in a lawsuit alleging that sexually abused a 12-year-old boy. One day in 1989, after serving mass, Ford brought the boy to his bedroom in the rectory at Holy Guardian Angels. Ford told the boy to sit on a bed and began groping him, according to the lawsuit. While he tried to get away, Ford became very angry and yelled at the boy for trying to get away. Ford allegedly groped the boy more and tried to remove his pants, the lawsuit says. Later, an "enraged" Ford told the child not to tell anyone about the incident, saying the kid would go "straight to hell" if he did, the lawsuit says.
The man later enlisted in the U.S. Navy and reported the abuse to his counselor. According to him, Naval officers twice tried to report the incident to the Diocese of Allentown in 2000, but never received a response. After his discharge, the man made a third attempt to report it, and finally received a response from the Diocese of Allentown.
Ford was identified publicly in the list of accused priests published by the Diocese of Allentown, but no details as to the nature or extent of the allegation(s) were provided, except to say that Ford was deceased at the time it learned of the first allegation.
Ford is not identified or discussed in the 2018 PA grand jury investigation report.
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.