Father Edward Avery
Archdiocese of Philadelphia
Ordained: 1970
Reassigned: 1993
Placed on leave: 2003
Laicized: 2006
Admitted guilt: 2012 just before trial.
Sentenced to: 2.5 to 5 yrs prison.
New suits filed: 2011 & 2012
Recanted confession: 2013
Assigned as follows:
- 1970-1972: St. Bernadette (Drexel Hill, PA)
- 1972-1976: Immaculate Heart of Mary (Chester, PA)
- 1976-1978: St. Philip Neri (Pennsburg, PA)
- 1978-1984: St. Agatha/St. James, (Philadelphia, PA)
- 1984-1986: St. Ignatius of Loyola (Philadelphia, PA)
- 1986-1990: St. Dominic (Philadelphia, PA)
- 1990-1993: St. Therese of the Child Jesus (Philadelphia, PA)
- 1993: St. John Vianney Center (inpatient treatment)
- 1993-2003: Nazareth Hospital
- 1993-2003: St. Jerome (Philadelphia, PA)
- 2003-2006: Leave of Absence
Summary of Allegations Against Father Edward Avery:
Father Edward Avery was ordained a priest in 1970 and served in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. He served in multiple parishes throughout his career. According to the 2011 Grand Jury report, the Archdiocese of Philadelphia had previous knowledge of Avery’s sexual misconduct as early as 1992. After the abuse was reported, Avery was secretly sent to a sexual offender program at St. John Vianney, a notorious pedophile priest treatment facility in the confines of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. Avery was discharged from the sex offender program with a recommendation that he have no further contact with adolescents.
Avery was eventually returned to parish ministry at St. Jerome, which also had a grammar school. There he was accused, along with another priest and a teacher, of the sexual abuse of 10-yr- old boy in 1998. The report alleges Avery undressed with the boy, told him that God loved him, and then forced the boy to perform oral sex on him.
According to the report Avery later raped the boy. During this period, the Archdiocese actually allowed Avery to “adopt” six young Hmong children. Indeed the Archdiocese did not get around to removing Avery from ministry until 2003 – eleven years after the first documented abuse reports and seven years after the rape of the boy.
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Horowitz Law is a law firm representing victims and survivors of sexual abuse by Catholic priests and other clergy in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. 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 Archdiocese of Philadelphia may have legal options, but filing deadlines will apply so please do not delay in reaching out to us.
Contact us at 888-283-9922 or [email protected] to discuss your options today.