Father David Connell
Diocese of Allentown (Carmelite)
Ordained: 1969
Died: 1995
Assignment History:
- 1971-1973: St. Albert’s Priory (Middletown, NY)
- 1973-1976: Nativity High School, science department chairman (Pottsville, PA)
- 1976-1987: Antonian College Preparatory High School, biology and theology teacher followed by Vice Principal and Principal (San Antonio, TX)
- 1988-1995: St. Thomas More Church (San Antonio, TX)
Summary of Sexual Abuse Allegations against Fr. David Connell:
Fr. David Connell was ordained a Carmelite priest in 1969 and served in the Diocese of Allentown and other locations. He worked at Antonian College Prep and St. Thomas More parish until he died in 1995. According to media reports, in 2018, he was named publicly as accused in the PA Grand Jury report. It noted that he drugged and abused a minor at Nativity High School in Pottsville, PA, while he was serving as chairman of the Science Department in 1976.
Father Connell came to San Antonio in August 1976 and joined the faculty of Antonian College Preparatory High School as a biology and theology teacher. Connell provided the Archdiocese of San Antonio documentation from the Chancellor of the Diocese of Allentown, Pennsylvania, of an allegation from his time at Nativity High School that he “made a pass” at a male student while on a camping trip. At the time Connell denied this incident happened and he was hired with no restrictions. He continued at Antonian College Preparatory High School as vice principal and then principal until September 1988. In 1980, Rev. Connell was incardinated into the Archdiocese of San Antonio from the Carmelite Province of St. Elias in New York. On January 1, 1989, Rev. Connell was assigned as temporary administrator of St. Thomas More Church in San Antonio, and he was named pastor there on June 1 of that year. He served in that role until his death on September 13, 1995.
The victim stated both he and his brother were repeatedly sexually abused when they were living at the Order’s priory after their house burned down. He reports the some of the abuse occurred after he was drugged. This allegation was made in 2007 to a Carmelite provincial. The victim reports that he also told Brother Timothy Johnson about the abuse, but Johnson told the victim not to report the abuse. When the victim insisted on reporting the abuse, Johnson reported began to severely beat the victim with a leather belt and told the boy that if he reported the abuse to the police, he would get beaten even worse.
After reviewing the Pennsylvania Grand Jury Report in 2018, the Archdiocese of San Antonio publicly named Connell on its list of credibly accused priests, and two San Antonio accusers have since come forward with claims against Fr. Connell.
Horowitz Law is a law firm representing victims and survivors of sexual abuse by Catholic priests and other clergy in the Diocese of Allentown. If you need a lawyer because you were sexually abused by a priest in Pennsylvania, contact our office today. Although many years have passed, those abused by Catholic clergy in the Diocese of Allentown may have legal options against the Diocese of Allentown. Contact us at 888-283-9922 or [email protected] to discuss your options today.