Father Michael D. O’Herlihy
Archdiocese of New York
Ordained: 1961
Laicized: 1993
Died: 2013
Assigned as follows:
- 1961-1962: St. Aloysius (Livingston Manor, NY); Sacred Heart (De Bruce, NY); Gate of Heaven (Roscoe, NY); All Souls (Shandelee Lake, NY)
- 1962-1968: St. Paul’s (New Brighton (Staten Island), NY)
- 1968-1969: Our Lady of Solace (Bronx, NY)
- 1970-1980: Cardinal Hayes High School (Bronx, NY)
- 1980-1992: Cardinal Spellman High School (Bronx, NY)
- 1993-2013: Unknown
Summary of Abuse Allegations against Father Michael D O’Herlihy:
Fr. Michael D O’Herlihy spent most of his career as a teacher. According to media reports, in February 2004, he was named in a lawsuit alleging that he sexually abused a 16-year-old male student at Cardinal Hayes High School in the Bronx, New York, in 1979. The lawsuit stated he told the boy he had heard that he was being sexually abused by a Catholic youth group counselor. Thinking O’Herlihy was going to take some action, the boy told him the rumor was true. Instead, O’Herlihy allegedly went on to also sexually abuse him, plying the boy with alcohol and pornography. The suit also claimed that he abused other students. It was later dismissed in 2006 because the statute of limitations had expired.
In 1992, O’Herlihy was placed on leave and laicized in 1993. In 2009, he reportedly worked as an assistant principal at Manhattan Comprehensive Night and Day High School. His name was included in a list of priests of the Archdiocese of New York given to the Manhattan District Attorney in 2002.
In April 2019, O’Herlihy’s name appeared on the Archdiocese of New York’s list of clergy credibly accused of sex abuse of minors. Claims against him are eligible to be settled through the Independent Reconciliation and Compensation Program (IRCP). He was believed to have been living in Sunnyside, New York until his death in 2013.
Horowitz Law is a law firm representing victims and survivors of sexual abuse by Catholic priests and other clergy in the Archdiocese of New York. If you need a lawyer because you were sexually abused by a priest or other Catholic clergy in New York State, contact our office today. Although many years have passed, those abused by Catholic clergy in the Archdiocese of New York now have legal options, but filing deadlines will apply so do not delay in reaching out to us. 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.