Fr. Edward Townsend – Diocese of Buffalo

| Nov 5, 2019 | Abuser Profiles, Catholic Church

Father Edward Townsend

Diocese of Buffalo (Eudists)

Died: 1998

Assigned As Follows:

  • 1963-1969:      Cardinal Dougherty High School (Buffalo, NY)

Summary of Sexual Abuse Allegations Against Father Edward Townsend:

Father Edward Townsend belonged to the Eudists religious order based in California. He served as a teacher at Cardinal Dougherty High School. He died in 1998. The first allegation of sexual abuse against him was made in March 2018. According to media reports, a man publicly stated that Father Townsend sexually abused him for over 5 years in the 1960’s, starting when he was 5-years-old. He said that he reported the abuse to the Diocese of Buffalo in 2006, but no action was taken.

A second man told a news outlet in the same month that Father Townsend abused him as well, from ages 7 to 8-years-old. In 2008, report from the Diocese of Manchester stated that Father Townsend sexually abused a child in a rectory parking lot in Farmington, NH in the fall of 1975. The Diocese came back and claimed that he did not serve there, and there was nothing they could do. His name was also not found in the Official Catholic Directory.

In August  2019, a lawsuit was filed under the Child Victims Act in New York, against Father Townsend and the Diocese of Buffalo. The victim claimed that abuse began in 1963, when he was 8-years-old and continued until he was 11.

Horowitz Law is a law firm representing victims of sexual abuse in the Diocese of Buffalo and throughout New York. The Diocese of Buffalo filed for federal bankruptcy protection in February 2020. Anyone sexually abused by a priest or employee of the Diocese of Buffalo may be entitled to file a claim against the Diocese in these bankruptcy proceedings, but very strict filing deadlines apply. Most victims of abuse in the Diocese of Buffalo will never be able to take action against the Diocese of Buffalo if they miss this bankruptcy filing deadline, so it is important that you contact us immediately to discuss your potential case.

Contact us at 888-283-9922 or [email protected] to discuss your legal options today.