Father John P. Heaney
Ordained: 1953
Dead: 2010
Assignment History:
- 1953-1960: St. Agnes (San Francisco, CA)
- 1960-1961: St. Peter's (San Francisco, CA)
- 1961-1968: Cathedral of St. Mary (Assumption) (San Francisco, CA)
- Year unknown: Sacred Heart High School (San Francisco, CA)
- 1968-1971: On Duty Outside the Diocese/Notre Dame University (South Bend, IN)
- 1971-1974: Marin Catholic High School (Kentfield, CA)
- 1974-1979: St. Rita's (Fairfax, CA)
- 1975-1977: Archdiocesan Consultors (San Francisco, CA)
- 1979-1997: Apostleship of the Sea (San Francisco, CA)
- 1968-2002: San Francisco Police Department (San Francisco, CA)
- Year unknown: New York City Police Dept. Bomb Squad (New York, NY)
Summary of Sexual Abuse Allegations against Father John P Heaney:
In 2002, Fr. John P Heaney was accused of having molested two brothers in the early 1960s. Heaney was indicted in 2003 for the abuse of one of the boys. The one brother said the abuse started in 1961 when he was 8-years-old and continued for two years until he was 10.
Following the allegations of sexual abuse against minors, Heaney was placed on leave in 2002. According to media reports, he served as chaplain to the San Francisco Police Department (SFPD) for 35 years and he was allowed to continue his chaplaincy with the SFPD during the investigation.
In 2003, the charges were dropped due to a Supreme Court Ruling overturning a California law regarding statutes of limitation that would have allowed for prosecution.
Heaney's whereabouts and whether he had access to children from 2003 until his death are unknown. Heaney died in 2010.
Horowitz Law is a law firm representing victims and survivors of sexual abuse by Catholic priests and other clergy in the Archdiocese of San Francisco 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 San Francisco now have legal options due to a voluntary compensation fund created by the Archdiocese of San Francisco, 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 adam@adamhorowitzlaw.com to discuss your options today.