Fr. Michael J. O’Farrell – Diocese of Rockville Centre

| Dec 20, 2019 | Abuser Profiles, Catholic Church

Father Michael O’Farrell

Diocese of Rockville Centre

Ordained: 1943

  • 1945-1956:  St. Agnes (Rockville Centre, NY) (Diocese of Brooklyn)
  • 1957-1966:  St. Agnes (Rockville Centre, NY) (Diocese of Rockville Centre)
  • 1967-1974:  St. Anne’s (Brentwood, NY) (Diocese of Rockville Centre)
  • 1975-1978:  St. Lawrence the Martyr Church (Sayville, NY) (Diocese of Rockville Centre)
  • 1990-1991:  St. Philip Neri Church (Northport, NY) (Diocese of Rockville Centre)
  • 1992-2000:  Retired; St. Philip Neri Church (Northport, NY) (Diocese of Rockville Centre)

Summary of Abuse Allegations Against Father Michael J. O’Farrell:

Father Michael O’Farrell was ordained a priest in 1943. According to media reports, in August 2019, a lawsuit filed under the NY Child Victims Act, which gave a one-year grace period, eliminating the statute of limitations for sexual abuse victims, alleged that Father O’Farrell repeatedly sexually abused an 8-year-old child for two years from 1967 to 1969 in the Diocese of Rockville Centre. The child was a parishioner and a Sunday school student at St. Anne’s in Brentwood. Father O’Farrell’s current whereabouts are unknown.

The Diocese of Rockville Centre is the sixth largest Roman Catholic diocese in the country. It started an Independent Reconciliation and Compensation Program in October 2017 to promote healing for survivors of sexual abuse by by priests or deacons of the diocese. The voluntary program allows survivors to seek out financial compensation. As of 2019, more than 277 applicants have received compensation totaling more than $50 million. Many other claims are still being processed.

Horowitz Law is a law firm representing victims and survivors of sexual abuse by Catholic priests and other clergy in the Diocese of Rockville Centre in New York.  If you need a lawyer because you were sexually abused by a priest in New York, contact our office today. In October 2020, the Rockville Centre Diocese filed for federal bankruptcy protection.  The Court will resolve all claims of sexual abuse in this process but strict filing deadlines will apply and no late claims will be considered, so contact us today.  Our lawyers have decades of experience representing survivors of clergy sexual abuse in New York and nationwide. We can help.

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