Father Paul Coughlin
Diocese of Portland
Ordained: 1966
Placed on leave: 2004
Assigned as follows:
- St. Mary Catholic Church (Bangor, ME)
- St. John the Evangelist (Portland, ME)
- Holy Cross Church (Portland, ME
Summary of Sexual Abuse Allegations against Fr. Paul Coughlin:
Fr. Paul Coughlin was ordained a priest in 1966, who served in multiple parishes in the Diocese of Portland. According to media reports, an allegation of child sexual abuse in 1985 against Fr. Coughlin surfaced in 2002. The alleged incident took place while he was assigned to St. Mary’s Church in Bangor. The Diocese of Portland and the police investigated the allegation but could not substantiate it.
Fr. Coughlin was forced resigned in 2004 after an investigation by the Diocese of Portland found that he had failed to report an allegation of child sexual abuse in 1989 against a church volunteer. The investigation also revealed that the priest invited the same volunteer, who was later convicted and sentenced to five years in prison for sexually abusing two boys, to live in the rectory of St. John the Evangelist with him from 1999-2001. Fr. Coughlin also allowed the man to be certified as a youth minister by using the name of the parish. During the investigation, the Diocese of Portland reexamined the 1985 allegation of sexual misconduct against Fr. Coughlin and conceded that the allegation was credible.
In 2008, Bishop Richard Malone gave Fr. Coughlin permission to resume priestly ministry outside of the communities of Wells, Bangor, and South Portland. However, Bishop Malone reversed this decision days later after public outcry.
Fr. Coughlin’s current whereabouts are unknown.
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