Father Lucien J. Meunier de la Pierre
Diocese of Tucson
Ordained: 1939
Died: 1990
Assigned as follows:
- St. Joseph Parish (Hayden, AZ)
- St. Christopher Parish (Marana, AZ)
- St. Joseph the Worker Parish (Wellton, AZ)
- St. Francis of Assisi Parish (Yuma, AZ)
- Our Mother of Sorrows Parish (Tucson, AZ)
Summary of Abuse Allegations against Father Lucien J. Meunier de la Pierre:
Father Lucien J. Meunier de la Pierre, also known as Pedro Luke, Luke Munier, Lucien Muernier, Pedro Luc de la Pierre, was from Canada. Known as the ‘Pilgrim priest’, he went from diocese to diocese in various locations throughout the United States and Canada, including but not limited to: Connecticut (both Hartford Archdiocese and Bridgeport Diocese), Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Texas, Louisiana, Alaska, British Columbia, Quebec, Saskatchewan.
According to media reports, Bishops in Canada allegedly knew of Father Meunier’s abuse of at least one child as early as 1966. He was accused of molesting a 10-year-old boy in Colorado, in 1972. A pueblo bishop arranged for his treatment at Servants of the Paraclete in New Mexico, but Father Meunier didn’t show up. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) president Cardinal Bernardin was said to have been warned.
In 1974, Father Meunier was granted faculties in Tucson. He was convicted of abusing two boys there in 1976. He spent two years at an Arizona mental health facility and then released with his civil rights restored. The judgment of guilt was vacated and all charges against him were dismissed. Records don’t explain why this happened.
In October 1989, he was charged with the abuse of six boys and a girl in British Columbia in the 1950s and 1960s. He died January 1990, days before his scheduled extradition to Canada.
In December 1993, two brothers filed a civil lawsuit against the Boise diocese, alleging Father Meunier molested them during the early 1970s. At the time of the abuse, Father Meunier had already seen a psychologist for his pedophilia. Confidential church records showed diocese officials had caught Father Meunier molesting boys and knew he had committed similar actions in other dioceses. However, since he wasn’t incardinated to the Boise diocese, the brothers couldn’t sue and their case was dismissed.
The most recent suit was filed by a Tucson woman who said she was abused by the Father Meunier in 1975, when she was 7 and a parishioner at Our Mother of Sorrows Catholic Church.
Father Meunier was named in many more lawsuits from 1998-2004. He was one of four priests named in 11 civil actions settled with 10 men and their family members in January 2002 over allegations of sexual abuse by local clergy. The amount of the settlement is estimated to be as high as $16 million.
In December 2014, his name appeared on the Diocese of Gallup’s list of clergy credibly accused of sexual abuse of minors, as well as, the the Diocese of Hartford’s list in January 2019.
Horowitz Law is a law firm representing victims and survivors of sexual abuse by Catholic priests and other clergy in the Diocese of Tucson in Arizona. If you need a lawyer because you were sexually abused by a priest in Arizona, contact our office today. Although many years have passed, those abused by Catholic clergy in the Diocese of Tucson 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 Arizona and nationwide. We can help.
Contact us at 888-283-9922 or [email protected] to discuss your options today.