Father Peter McCormick
Diocese of San Bernardino/Servants of the Paraclete
Ordained: 1970
Removed: 2000
Assignment History:
- 1971-1973: Via Coeli Monastery (Jemez Springs, NM)
- 1974-1975: Holy Spirit Retreat (Canton, OH)
- 1976-1978: St. Mary (Glens Falls, NY)
- 1979-1980: St. Joseph’s (Little Falls, NY)
- 1981: Unassigned
- 1982: St. Ambrose’s (Latham, NY)
- 1985-2000: Sacred Heart Church (Palm Desert, CA)
- 2001-2018: Unknown
Summary of Sexual Abuse Allegations Against Father Peter McCormick:
According to records from the Diocese of San Bernardino, Fr. Peter McCormick began sexually abusing a 13-year-old boy at a church near Los Angeles in 1990 and continued until the boy became an adult. It is on record that when Peter McCormick was serving at Sacred Heart in Palm Desert, he admitted to engaging in sexual acts with young boys for years.
The diocese received the allegation in 2000 and removed McCormick from ministry shortly after that. He was permanently banned from ministry in the Diocese of San Bernardino.
The Diocese of San Bernardino did not report the alleged abuse to the police until 2002. When asked why they waited two years to report McCormick’s abuse to the police, the communications director for the diocese said it was not their policy to report abuse directly to the police when the report was first made to them.
In 2018, the Diocese of San Bernardino released a list of 34 clergy members who had been credibly accused of sexual abuse. McCormick was one of the many names that were listed as publicly accused of sexual abuse for the first time. It is documented that McCormick left California, but his current whereabouts are unknown.
Horowitz Law is a law firm representing victims and survivors of sexual abuse by Catholic priests and other clergy in the Diocese of San Bernardino in California. If you need a lawyer because you were sexually abused by a priest in one of California’s Catholic dioceses, contact our office today. Although many years have passed, those abused by Catholic clergy in the Diocese of San Bernardino now have legal options due to a voluntary compensation fund created by the Diocese of San Bernardino, but filing deadlines will apply so do not delay in reaching out to us. Our lawyers have decades of experience representing survivors of clergy sexual abuse in California and nationwide. We can help.
Contact us at 888-283-9922 or [email protected] to discuss your options today.