Father Peter McCormick (Servants of the Paraclete)
Diocese of Albany
Ordained: 1970
Removed from ministry: 2000
Assigned as follows:
- 1971-1973: Via Coeli Monastery (Jemez Springs, NM)
- 1974-1975: Holy Spirit Retreat (Canton, OH)
- 1976-1978: St. Mary (Glens Falls, NY)
- 1979-1980: St. Joseph’s (Little Falls, NY)
- 1982: St. Ambrose’s (Latham, NY)
- 1984-2000: Sacred Heart Catholic Church (Palm Desert, CA)
Summary of Sexual Abuse Allegations against Father Peter McCormick:
Fr. Peter McCormick was ordained a priest in 1970. He served in several dioceses, including the Diocese of Albany.
In 2018, the Diocese of San Bernardino released a list of 34 clergy members who had been credibly accused of sexual abuse. McCormick was one of the many names that were listed as publicly accused of abuse for the first time. Specific details were spared from the list due to the sensitive subject matter and the privacy rights of all of the victims.
It is on record that when McCormick was serving at Sacred Heart in Palm Desert, California, he admitted to engaging in sexual acts with young boys for years. According to media reports, the abuse was said to have started in Hollywood around 1990 with a 13-year old boy and into the boys’ adulthood. The victim made the allegations against McCormick in 2000, while he was serving at Sacred Heart. McCormick admitted to the abuse and was removed from ministry completely that same year.
It is documented that McCormick left California, but his current whereabouts are unknown. The religious order that McCormick is affiliated with is called Servants of the Paraclete. The order refused to disclose McCorkmick’s current location to the public.
In August, a grand jury in Pennsylvania released a report alleging the Catholic Church had attempted to cover up sexual abuse by more than 300 priests in the state over a period of 70 years. The report found that the church had gone to great lengths to deal with abuse internally, rather than go to the police.
When asked why the Diocese of San Bernardino waited two years to report McCormick’s abuse to the police, the communications director for the diocese said it was not their policy to report abuse directly to the police when the report was first made to them.
McCormick’s current whereabouts, status as a priest, and whether he has access to children are unknown.
Horowitz Law is a law firm representing victims and survivors of sexual abuse by Catholic priests and other clergy in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany. If you need a lawyer because you were sexually abused by a priest in New York, contact our office today. Although many years have passed, those abused by Catholic clergy in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany now have legal options to recover damages due to a compensation fund created for victims. Contact us at 888-283-9922 or [email protected]