Brother Josef Prochnow
Archdiocese of Los Angeles (Franciscan)
Ordained: 1963
Assignment History:
- 1964-1971: Unknown
- 1972-1978: St. Anthony’s Seraphic Seminary (Santa Barbara, CA)
- 1979: St. Joseph’s (Los Angeles, CA)
- 1980: Unknown
- 1981: St. Anthony’s Seminary High School (Santa Barbara, CA)
- 1982-1989: Unknown
- 1990-1991: Franciscan Friars (Oakland, CA)
- 1992-1997: Unknown
- 1998-2000: Franciscan Friars Provincial Office (Santa Barbara, CA)
- 2001-2007: Unknown
- 2008-2016: San Damiano Retreat (Danville, CA)
Summary of Sexual Abuse Allegations Against Brother Josef Prochnow:
Br. Josef Prochnow was ordained a Franciscan priest in 1963, who served in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. According to media reports, he was named in a civil lawsuit filed against the Franciscan Friars and Old Mission Santa Barbara which alleged that the Franciscans constituted “an ongoing public nuisance as a result of their practice of shuttling pedophile priests among communities without warning members of the public that a sexual predator might be in their midst.” The case was settled in 2006 for more than $28 million.
In May 2019, Br. Prochnow’s name was included on the Santa Barbara Province Franciscans’ list of clergy credibly accused of child sexual abuse. It notes allegations that Father Prochnow sexually assaulted a minor between 1972 and 1975. The alleged abuse was reported to church officials in 1993. Church documents reveal additional sexual abuse allegations involving Prochnow that occurred during the 1970s and 1980s.
In June 2019, his name was included on the Diocese of Oakland’s list, as well as on the Diocese of Stockton’s Revised list in November 2020.
It was last reported that Br. Prochnow was living in an Elder Care facility in California.
Horowitz Law is a law firm representing victims and survivors of sexual abuse by Catholic priests and other clergy in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles in California. If you need a lawyer because you were sexually abused by a priest in one of California’s Catholic dioceses, contact our office today. Although many years have passed, those abused by Catholic clergy in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles now have legal options due to a voluntary compensation fund created by the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, 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 California and nationwide. We can help.
Contact us at 888-283-9922 or [email protected] to discuss your options today.