Father Joseph Pritchard
Ordained: 1948
Died: 1988
Assignment History:
- 1948-1953: St. Brendan's (San Francisco, CA)
- 1949-1953: Diocesan Commission on Church Music
- 1953-1956: Bishop O'Dowd High School (Oakland, CA)
- 1956-1970: Serra High School for Boys (San Mateo, CA)
- 1970-1971: St. Cyprian's (Sunnyvale, CA)
- 1971-1979: St. Martin of Tours (San Jose, CA)
- 1979-1988: St. Nicholas (Los Altos, CA)
- 1979-1988: Residential Park for the Aged (Seven Oaks, CA)
- 1986-1988: Special Assistance Ministry Board Chairman
Summary of Sexual Abuse Allegations against Father Joseph Pritchard:
Fr. Joseph Pritchard was ordained a priest in 1948 who served in multiple parishes in the Diocese of San Jose. According to media reports, he was accused of sexually abusing at least 19 children, including his nephew, from 1956 to the late 1970s.
In 2003, Fr. Pritchard's nephew reported that he had been sexually abused as a child by his uncle, and that his mother reported the abuse to church officials in 1959, but no action was taken. Several victims alleged the abuse occurred in Pritchard's living quarters in the 1970s, while he served at St. Martin's in San Jose, California.
Since 2002, at least twenty-three civil lawsuits have been filed alleging that Pritchard sexually abused minors. According to court records, files showed that Pritchard admitted he abused a 14-year-old in 1973. The Archdiocese of San Francisco settled the vast majority of these lawsuits in a $21.2 million settlement. Later, there was another $16 million settlement for 12 more claims in July 2005.
In 2018, Pritchard's name was included on the Diocese of San Jose list of clergy credibly accused of child sexual abuse. It noted allegations of sexual abuse occurring in 2002 and 2003, were reported in the 1970s.
Horowitz Law is a law firm representing victims and survivors of sexual abuse by Catholic priests and other clergy in the Diocese of San Jose 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 Diocese of San Jose now have legal options due to a temporary change in the law, 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 toll-free at 888-283-9922 or adam@adamhorowitzlaw.com to discuss your options today.