Father Patrick Colleary
Diocese of Phoenix
Ordained: 1974
Arrested: 2002
Assigned as Follows:
- Our Lady of Perpetual Help (Scottsdale, AZ)
- Holy Spirit Catholic Church (Tempe, AZ)
Summary of Sexual Abuse Allegations against Father Patrick Colleary:
In 2002, Father Patrick Colleary was accused of sexual abuse by an 11-year-old boy dating back to 1979. The victim had claimed that the abuse occurred several times while he was an altar boy at Holy Spirit Catholic Church in Tempe, Arizona. According to the lawsuit, Bishop Thomas O’Brien and the pastor of Holy Spirit, Michael O’Grady, knew/should have known about Colleary’s deviant behavior. By that point, he had already been accused of raping two women he counseled as a priest, and DNA results proved that he fathered a child with one of his victims.
Colleary was later indicted in late 2002 on three felony counts of molestation. While under indictment, Father Colleary fled back to his home country of Ireland. He has been on the run from the law since 2003 and continues to be the subject of a growing number of allegations involving women and young boys.
His current whereabouts are unknown. Maricopa County authorities continue to investigate this matter and we ask that anyone with information about his whereabouts contact police immediately.
Horowitz Law is a law firm representing victims and survivors of sexual abuse by Catholic priests and other clergy in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Phoenix. If you need a lawyer because you were sexually abused by a priest in Arizona, contact our office today. Although many years have passed, those abused by Catholic clergy in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Phoenix now have legal options to recover damages due to a change in Arizona laws. Contact us toll-free at 888-283-9922 or email us at [email protected] today.