Monsignor Michael Harriman
Archdiocese of San Francisco
Ordained: 1968
Retired: 2017
Assignment History:
- 1968-1977: St. Isabella Parish (San Rafael, CA)
- 1978-1988: CYO Camp Armstrong (Occidental, CA)
- 1978-1988: St. Vincent’s School for Boys (San Rafael, CA)
- 1989-1998: St. Thomas the Apostle (San Francisco, CA)
- 1999-2022: St. Cecilia (San Francisco, CA)
Summary of Sexual Abuse Allegations Against Msgr. Michael Harriman:
Msgr. Michael Harriman worked in several parishes in the Archdiocese of San Francisco, beginning in the early 1980s, including a private school for boys and a CYO summer camp. As of 2022, Msgr. Harriman was a serving pastor at St. Cecilia, after retiring five years ago after 53 years as a priest of the Archdiocese of San Francisco.
In 2020, the state of California lifted the statute of limitations for civil claims against private institutions for sexual abuse of minors by its employees. As a result of the three-year “lookback” window that allows new child sex abuse lawsuits based on formerly barred claims, Msgr. Michael Harriman was named and accused by at least one victim claiming he was sexually abused at St. Vincent’s School for Boys and at CYO Camp Armstrong, dating back 30-40 years. According to the Archdiocese, Harriman was placed on leave pending internal investigations but was returned to ministry when the review board did not sustain the allegations. According to media reports, investigators claim that despite hundreds of new Northern California legal filings against four Bay Area priests as of June 2022, the diocese’s internal review board did not substantiate the claims against Msgr. Harriman, and it would be unjust to keep him out of ministry.
“There’s been an investigation and I’ve been proven innocent,” said Harriman, who denied all allegations. So far, more than 200 lawsuits have been filed in Northern California accusing priests or church employees of abuse. It’s likely other new names will emerge by the time the three-year lookback window closes on Dec. 31, 2022.
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 [email protected] to discuss your options today.