Father John “Jack” Spaulding
Diocese of Phoenix
Ordained: 1971
Removed: 2011
Assigned as follows:
- 1973-1975 Our Lady of Perpetual Help, (Glendale, AZ)
- 1976 Christ the King, (Mesa, AZ)
- 1977 St. Therese, (El Mirage, AZ)
- 1978 St. Louis, King of France, (Phoenix, AZ)
- 1979-1980 St. Helen, (Glendale, AZ)
- 1981-1982 Special Assignment, Diocese of Phoenix
- 1983-1996 St. Maria Goretti, (Scottsdale, AZ)
- 1997-2002 St. Thomas the Apostle, (Phoenix, AZ)
- 2003 Unknown
- 2004-2005 St. Gabriel’s, (Cave Creek, AZ)
- 2006-2011 St. Timothy’s, (Mesa, AZ)
Summary of Abuse Allegations against Father John “Jack” Spaulding:
According to media reports, in June 2011, a Diocesan Review Board found four allegations of sexual misconduct with a minor perpetrated by Father John “Jack” Spaulding to be credible. He was suspended and placed on administrative leave. One allegation included sexual abuse of a minor boy when Father Spaulding was assigned to Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Glendale, Arizona. Two allegations were from two minor boys when Father Spaulding was assigned to St. Helen’s in Glendale, Arizona.
One allegation included sexual abuse of a minor in the mid-1980s while he was serving at St. Maria Goretti in Scottsdale.
In June 2012, the father of original victim filed suit against the Diocese of Phoenix, alleging the abuse his son suffered as an altar boy, beginning when he was in 7th grade, led him to engage in destructive behaviors.
In January 2014, a special tribunal recommended Father Spaulding be laicized after it found him guilty of “sins against the Sixth Commandment with a minor.” Laicization must be approved by the Vatican. Father Spaulding appealed the case, and it is still pending.
Father Spaulding was included on the Diocese of Phoenix’s list of “Diocese of Phoenix Priests and Deacons who have been accused of sexual misconduct with a minor and have a Canonical case in process.”
In June 2019, the Diocese of Phoenix received another report from a man claiming Father Spaulding sexually abused him when he was a boy. Diocesan officials said it has been cooperating with authorities and reported all claims of sexual misconduct against Father Spaulding to investigators.
On Wednesday, January 8, 2020, a Maricopa County grand jury charged Father Spaulding in connection with the sexual abuse of two boys under the age of 15 between 2003 and 2007. He was charged with six counts of sexual misconduct with a minor and one count of molestation of a child. He was serving at St. Gabriel’s Catholic Church in Phoenix and St. Tim’s Catholic Church in Mesa when the alleged abuse occurred. Spaulding died one month after his indictment at age 74.
Horowitz Law is a law firm representing victims and survivors of sexual abuse by Catholic priests and other clergy in the Diocese of Phoenix. If you need a lawyer because you were sexually abused by a priest in Phoenix, contact our office today. Although many years have passed, those abused by Catholic clergy in the Diocese of Phoenix now have legal options to recover damages due to a compensation fund created for victims. Call us at 888-283-9922 or send an email to [email protected] to discuss your options today.