Father Andrew McCormick
Archdiocese of Philadelphia
Ordained: 1982
Administrative leave/suspension: 2011
Arrested: 2012
Criminal trials: 2014, 2015
Civil lawsuit: 2015
Permanently removed: 2018
Assigned as follows:
- 1982-1986 St. Adalbert (Philadelphia, PA)
- 1986-2000 St. John Cantius (Philadelphia, PA)
- 2000-2004 St. Bede the Venerable (Holland, PA)
- 2004-2011 Sacred Heart (Swedesburg, PA)
Summary of Sexual Abuse Allegations against Father Andrew McCormick:
Father Andrew McCormick was ordained a priest in 1982 and served in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. He served in multiple parishes throughout his career. According to media reports, in 2011, he was one of 21 priests suspended after the Philadelphia grand jury identified 37 priests with prior allegations of sexual misconduct who were still in ministry. He remained suspended until 2018, when the Archdiocese of Philadelphia’s internal review board determined that he was not suitable for ministry. It has not determined if any of the abuse allegations against him are credible, so his name (and status) do not appear on any of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia’s lists of credibly accused priests.
It is not entirely clear when the Archdiocese of Philadelphia received the first notice that Andrew McCormick was sexually abusing children, but his name does not appear on a secret 1994 memo prepared by Msgr. William Lynn to summarize the allegations against priests still in ministry. Therefore, that would seem to suggest it came sometime between 1994 and the time the second Philadelphia grand jury convened around 2010.
McCormick was on suspension when he was arrested for felony child sexual abuse in 2012. The victim, then 24 years old, alleged that he was sexually abused in 1997 in the St. John Cantius rectory as a 10 year old boy. McCormick denied all of the allegations and painted the victim as a liar who concocted allegations to make money. The matter proceeded to trial twice, with both trials ending in mistrials due to the juries being unable to reach unanimous decisions. Prosecutors opted not to retry McCormick again and dropped all charges against him.
The Archdiocese of Philadelphia stated the 2012 charge related to an allegation that was unknown to it before McCormick’s arrest, which means at least two people have accused McCormick of sexual abuse.
According to media reports, in August 2018, the Archdiocese of Philadelphia announced that McCormick was permanently removed from ministry based upon the review board’s recommendation that he is not suitable for ministry. He was required to decide if he would seek laicization (removal from the priesthood by the Vatican). It is not clear which option he elected; therefore, he remains a priest of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia at present.
McCormick’s current location is unknown, but he may be residing at Villa St. Joseph in Darby, Pennsylvania, with other accused priests of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. The level of his daily supervision is unknown.
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 [email protected] to discuss your options today.