Father Leonard Thomas Walsh
Diocese of Paterson (Franciscan)
Ordained: 1926
Died: 1954
Assigned as follows:
- 1927-1927: St. Bonaventure’s Monastery and Ecclesiastical Seminary (Allegany, NY)
- 1927-1934: St. Bonaventure’s Franciscan Monastery (Paterson, NJ)
- 1935: St. Joseph’s (East Rutherford, NJ)
- 1935-1944: Commissariat of the Holy Land (Franciscan Monastery); Mt. St. Sepulchre (Washington, DC)
- 1945-1947: St. Francis of Assisi (New York, NY); St. Basil’s Seminary (Stamford, CT)
- 1948: St. Bonaventure College and Seminary (Allegany, NY)
- 1948-1950: St. Anthony’s Monastery (Franciscan Fathers) (Butler, NJ)
- 1950-1954: St. Francis’ Friary (Brookline, MA)
Summary of Abuse Allegations against Father Leonard Thomas Walsh:
Fr. Leonard Thomas Walsh, a Franciscan Friars priest, served in multiple parishes in the Diocese of Paterson, in New Jersey, New York, Washington, D.C., Connecticut, and Massachusetts. According to media reports, in April 2012, at least one claim of child sexual abuse against him was settled for an unspecified six-figure sum. He was accused of sexually abusing a 9-year-old Massachusetts boy for four months in 1953. The alleged victim said he went to confession at the friary because he wanted to get out of playing piano on Saturdays. The alleged victim said the abuse began on the second visit and continued until he got the nerve to stop going.
In October 2021, the Holy Name Province published a list of Franciscan friars with substantiated child sexual abuse and misconduct claims following a review of its files by an advisory firm. Leonard Thomas Walsh was one of 23 the friars named.
In October 2021, the Holy Name Province published a list of Franciscan friars with substantiated child sexual abuse and misconduct claims following a review of its files by an advisory firm. Leonard Thomas Walsh was one of 23 the friars named.
Walsh died in 1954.
Horowitz Law is a law firm representing victims and survivors of sexual abuse by Catholic priests and other clergy in the Diocese of Paterson. If you need a lawyer because you were sexually abused by a priest in Paterson, contact our office today. Although many years have passed, those abused by Catholic clergy in the Diocese of Paterson 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.