Fr. Austin Park
Archdiocese of New Orleans
Ordained: 1955
Death: 2013
Assignment History:
- 1957: Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish and Shrine (San Antonio, TX)
- 1967-1968: Gesù Parish (Miami, FL)
- 1969-1970: St. Charles College (Grand Coteau, LA)
- 1971-1976: Sacred Heart Church (Tampa, FL)
- 1980-1983: St. Joseph Church (Houston, TX)
Summary of Sexual Abuse Allegations against Father Austin Park
In December 2018, the Jesuits U.S. Central and Southern Province publicly named Fr. Austin Park on its list of Jesuits with credible allegations of sexual abuse of a minor. The Jesuits say they have received multiple allegations that Fr. Park abused a minor in the 1960s. When allegations were made, Fr. Park had already left the ministry due to dementia.
While the Jesuits have not shared additional details about the scope and nature of the abuse, they have deemed the allegations credible.
A credible allegation exists if the “provincial believes, with moral certitude, after careful investigation and review by professionals that an incident of sexual abuse of a minor or a vulnerable adult occurred . . . with the possibility that it did not occur being highly unlikely,” according to the Jesuits’ website.
Filling in the Gaps in Fr. Austin Park’s Assignment History
Ordained in 1955, Fr. Austin Park spent his career teaching and working with Spanish-speaking communities in Spain, Mexico, and Puerto Rico. News reports also indicate he tutored provided private Spanish tutoring.
In addition to the churches mentioned above, Fr. Park also worked at Jesuit High School in Shreveport, Louisiana; Spring Hill College in Mobile, Alabama; Colegio San Ignacio in Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico; Christ the King Church in Grand Coteau, Louisiana; and Oakdale Facility in Oakdale, Louisiana.
It’s unclear when Fr. Park left the ministry, but since 2019, he has appeared on lists of clergy credibly accused of abusing minors—including lists published by the Archdiocese of San Antonio, Diocese of Charleston, and the Diocese of Lake Charles.
Since 1983, Fr. Austin Park’s whereabouts are largely unknown. He died in 2013.
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