Father Leonard Abercrombie
Archdiocese of Denver
Ordained: 1946
Died: 1994
Assigned as follows:
- 1946: St. Joseph (Golden, CO)
- 1946-1950: St. Francis de Sales (Denver, CO)
- 1950-1953: Air Force chaplain (CO)
- 1953: St. Therese (Aurora, CO)
- 1953-1956: St. Anthony (Hugo, CO)
- 1956-1962: Sacred Heart (Roggen, CO)
- 1962-1964: St. Francis de Sales Cathedral (Baker City, OR)
- 1964-1966: All Saints (Denver, CO)
- 1966-1969: St. Peter (Kremmling, CO)
- 1969-1972: Chaplain, St. Anthony Hospital (Denver, CO)
- 1972-1993: Chaplain, Veterans Affairs Research Hospital (Mission Hills, CA)
Summary of Sexual Abuse Allegations against Father Leonard Abercrombie:
Father Leonard Abercrombie was ordained a priest in 1946, and served in multiple parishes in the Archdiocese of Denver. According to media reports, at least nine men have alleged abuse by former Archdiocese of Denver priest Father Leonard Abercrombie. Among the victims, three are brothers who were abused consecutively as each became older. According to the brothers, the abuse began between the ages of seven and 10 for each of them. The men did not tell anyone until many years later and did not realize the other brothers were also abused.
One victim told his sister of the abuse in 1994 and wrote a letter to Pope John Paul detailing the abuse. He said that when his sister called Abercrombie to confront him about the accusations, the priest admitted he abused the man.
Other victims have come forward, from both Colorado and California, and their cases have been settled or mediated in various ways.
In October 2019, the Colorado Attorney General’s Office released the report of a special investigation into sexual abuse allegations in Colorado. According to the report, Fr. Leonard Abercrombie was the subject of 18 reports written into the files of the Archdiocese of Denver. The reports were summarized individually, and show that he “frequently abused boys on overnight camping trips, often taking them to his camping trailer parked in remote locations.” As the authors pointed out, “there is strong circumstantial evidence that the Denver Archdiocese knew he was sexually abusing children as early as 1962. The full scope of Abercrombie’s sex crimes against children is not known.”
In addition to his parish assignments and chaplaincies, Abercrombie was very involved in Camp St. Malo in Allenspark, a Catholic summer camp for boys.
Abercrombie died in 1994 in Mission Hills, California.
Horowitz Law is a law firm representing victims and survivors of sexual abuse by Catholic priests and other clergy in the Archdiocese of Denver in Colorado. If you need a lawyer because you were sexually abused by a priest in Colorado, contact our office today. Although many years have passed, those abused by Catholic clergy in the Archdiocese of Denver now have legal options, 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 Colorado and nationwide. We can help.
Contact us at 888-283-9922 or [email protected] to discuss your options today.