Father John F. Connolly
Diocese of Albany
Ordained: 1964
Removed: 2003
Died: October 16, 2022
Assigned as follows:
- 1969-1972: St. Peter’s Academy (Saratoga Springs, NY)
- 1972-1976: Principal, Cardinal Mccloskey High School (Albany, NY),
- 1976-1982: Pastor, St. Anne (Waterford, NY)
- 1983-1995: Pastor, Our Lady of Victory (Troy, NY)
- 1995-2000: Pastor, Our Lady of Fatima (Delanson, NY)
Summary of Abuse Allegations against Father John F. Connolly:
Fr. John F. Connolly was ordained a priest in 1964.
According to media reports, in July 2002, a man came forward alleging that Connolly sexually abused him when he was a 17-year-old high school senior, and Connolly was principal at St. Peter’s Academy in Saratoga Springs, New York in the early 1970s. The man said Connolly lured him to a cabin on Saratoga Lake and forced him to have sex. Connolly denied the allegation. Regarding the response he received from the Diocese, the man said “They just nodded and looked very sad and said, ‘That’s terrible,’ and said, ‘Oh, we’ll get back to you”.
In March 2003, a second alleged victim came to the Diocese of Albany with a second complaint of abuse. The man said Connolly abused him as a high school student when the priest was principal at Albany’s Cardinal McCloskey High School in Albany, New York in the mid-1970s. Based on the recommendation of the Diocesan Sexual Misconduct Panel, Bishop Hubbard placed him on administrative leave pending further investigation, church officials said. Within days, Connolly was removed from active ministry.
The two men who complained about Connolly knew nothing of the other’s allegations. The man who first reported his abuse in July 2002 said, “It sounds like they were waiting for someone else to validate my claim.”
Connolly and Bishop Hubbard were classmates at Albany’s Mater Christi Seminary in the 1960s. According to the Diocesan Newspaper, The Evangelist, in 2002, Bishop Hubbard described Connolly as a “good friend” who helped him through challenging science classes. Connolly had served as chaplain of diocesan cemeteries and was on the Priests Retirement board. He was also the supervisor of at least two other abusers at Cardinal McCloskey High School.
Connolly denied all allegations and requested a canonical trial. No further information regarding his trial is available.
In 2018, Connolly was included on the revised list of priests in the Diocese of Albany list who was named as being “credibly accused” of child sex abuse. The Diocese of Albany has not released any information about the age/gender of his alleged victim/victims or the nature of the alleged sexual abuse.
Horowitz Law is a law firm representing victims and survivors of sexual abuse by Catholic priests and other clergy in the Diocese of Albany. If you need a lawyer because you were sexually abused by a priest in Albany, contact our office today. Although many years have passed, those abused by Catholic clergy in the Diocese of Albany now have legal options to recover damages due to a compensation fund created for victims. Call us at 888-283-9922 or send an email to [email protected] to discuss your options today.