Father Maurice O’Brien
Diocese of Sacramento
Ordained: 1968
Retired: 2013
Removed: 2021
Assignment History:
- Vincent Parish (Vallejo, CA)
- Sacred Heart Parish (Sacramento, CA)
- Nuestra Señora de Fátima (Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Peru)
- Saint Thomas the Apostle Parish (Oroville, CA)
- Saint Charles Borromeo Parish (South Sacramento, CA)
- Saint Christopher Parish (Galt, CA)
- Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament (Sacramento, CA)
- Saint Peter Parish (Dixon, CA)
- Saint Joseph Parish (Yreka, CA)
- Saint Monica (Willows, CA)
Summary of Sexual Abuse Allegations against Father Maurice O’Brien
On August 25, 2021, the Diocese of Sacramento announced Fr. Maurice O’Brien was accused of sexual misconduct with a minor. According to the diocese’s official statement, the accusation alleges the misconduct occurred in 1970 at St. Vincent Ferrer Parish in Vallejo.
Fr. O’Brien in 1968.
Fr. O’Brien has denied the allegation, but the diocese says there was “sufficient information to trigger an investigation and implementation of our policy for abuse allegations.” The allegation was part of a lawsuit filed against the Diocese of Sacramento, which provides more information about the incident. Further information about the nature of the abuse is not available publicly at this point.
With an investigation underway, the Diocese of Sacramento has removed Fr. O’Brien and stripped him of his ability to function publicly as a priest. In their statement, the diocese also said they alerted law enforcement and each of the 12 parishes Fr. O’Brien was assigned to during his ministry.
Ordained June 9, 1968, Fr. Maurice O’Brien served for approximately 45 years before his retirement in February 2013. According to the Diocese of Sacramento, Fr. O’Brien has spent at least six years in Peru. After his retirement, Fr. O’Brien moved to the Priest’s Retirement Village in Citrus Heights and helped parishes that called on his assistance. Those parishes are not yet known.
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