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A 53-year-old man is shining a light on sexual abuse allegations against a former Catholic priest and is calling on the Archdiocese of San Francisco to finally acknowledge the wrongdoing publicly.
The allegations against deceased Father John P. Kavanaugh date back to the 1970s. The alleged victim, whose name has been withheld, was just 10 years old at the time when he was abused, he said.
“I have to be honest with myself and that’s why I’m doing this,” he said at Saint Finn Barr Catholic Church in San Francisco. “Others have to know what’s going on.”
His attorney and psychologist Dr. Joe George said the Church clearly knew of the allegations, but did nothing.
“John Doe was calling in to speak with Sister Edith, who took the report and told him she would speak with John Kavanaugh,” George said. “And that’s the last he heard of it.”
In fact, Kavanaugh left Fin Barr to teach at a number of other schools, including Saint Patrick’s in San Francisco, Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Redwood City, and Serra High School in San Mateo.
A spokesman for the Archdiocese of San Francisco told KCBS Radio it has engaged independent expert’s to analyze clergy files over the past 50 plus years, saying it is time-consuming but the results will be announced once completed.