Father Thomas Rooney
Archdiocese of Philadelphia
Ordained: 1991
Suspended from ministry: March 2011
Permanently removed from ministry: May 2012
Assigned as follows:
- Immaculate Mary Home
- St. Timothy (Philadelphia, PA)
- St. Christopher (Philadelphia, PA)
- Conwell-Egan High School (Fairless Hills, PA)
Summary of Sexual Abuse Allegations against Father Thomas Rooney:
Father Thomas Rooney was ordained a priest in 1991 and served in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. He served in multiple parishes throughout his career. According to media reports, he was one of 21 priests placed on leave in March 2011 following the scathing Philadelphia 2011 Grand Jury Report that criticized Cardinal Justin Rigali for leaving priests in ministry who had been accused of misconduct. Weeks after stating that he had no idea what the grand jury was talking about, he was forced to admit publicly that nearly 2 dozen active priests had allegations of sexual abuse in their personnel files but remained in ministry.
Ultimately, the Archdiocese of Philadelphia's internal review board determined that the allegation against Rooney was not credible - they did not believe the person making the report - but the review board did recommend that he remain suspended from ministry for "violations of the standards of ministry." No explanation as to the rationale, or the details of the allegation (e.g., when, where, gender/age of victim, etc.) have ever been made public.
Rooney is still alive; he is in his 50s. His current affiliation with the Archdiocese of Philadelphia is unclear; he is not assigned in ministry but there has been no statement as to whether he remains a priest or if he has been laicized by the Vatican. His name does not appear on the Archdiocese of Philadelphia's list of credibly accused priests.
Horowitz Law is a law firm representing victims and survivors of sexual abuse by Catholic priests and other clergy in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. If you need a lawyer because you were sexually abused by a priest in Pennsylvania, contact our office today. Although many years have passed, those abused by Catholic clergy in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia may have legal options, but filing deadlines will apply so please do not delay in reaching out to us.
Contact us at 888-283-9922 or adam@adamhorowitzlaw.com to discuss your options today.