Msgr. Peter Gomez Armstrong

Summary of Case: A prominent priest of the San Francisco archdiocese whose assignments included long time CYO director and chaplain for the San Francisco 49ers, Armstrong was accused sometime in the 1990s or early 2000s of having molested a teenage boy in Marin County. Armstrong retired in 2001 and died in 2009.

Ordained
: 1954
Died: Nov. 17, 2009

   

Start Stop Assignment Town/Accusations State Position Notes

1954

San Francisco archbishop was John Joseph Mitty (1935-1961)

1959 St. Pius Redwood City CA 2/3, 2/2 Parish had a school with 103-283 boys and 95-268 girls.

1959

Washington DC archbishop was Patrick Aloysius O'Boyle (1947-1973)

1960 Catholic University Washington DC earned a Master's Degree in Social Work (MSW)  

1960

Mitty was succeeded by Joseph Thomas McGucken (1962-1977)

1996 Catholic Youth Organization San Francisco CA Assistant Director 1960-1965, Director 1965-1979, Director Emeritus 1982-1996  
1961 1963 St. Patrick's San Francisco CA

5/5, 4/4

In residence.

Parish had a school with 82-70 boys and 74-75 girls.
1963 1975 Boys' Home San Francisco CA Director Armstrong was elevated to Monsignor in1966.

1975

John Raphael Quinn replaced McGucken (1977-1995)

1979 Secretary to the Archbishop for Youth Activities San Francisco CA    
1975 1979 St. Vincent School for Boys San Rafael CA Director This was an orphanage/residential treatment center with 60-50 boys.
    Archdiocesan Planning Commission San Francisco CA Chairman  
    San Francisco 49ers San Francisco CA Chaplain  
1981 1982 Santa Clara County Northern Deanery San Francisco CA Dean  
1982 1983 San Mateo County Southern Deanery San Francisco CA Dean  
1982 1987 Social Justice Commission/Justice and Peace Office San Francisco CA Chairman  

1979

Quinn was followed as archbishop by William Joseph Levada (1995-2005)

2001 St. Pius

Redwood City

Armstrong was accused sometime in the 1990s or early 2000s of molesting a teenage boy in Marin County.

CA 1/4, 1/3, 1/2, 1/5 Parish had a school with 309-348 students, and a religious education program with 163-409 students.
2001   Retired Kenwood (Sonoma Valley) CA   Lived here with his friend, Msgr. Jack O'Hare.
George Hugh Niederauer succeeded Levada (2005-) 2009 Retired San Rafael CA  

At some point moved to this AlmaVia, which was an elder care facility.

Armstrong died Nov. 17, 2009


Sources
: Official Catholic Directory (New York: P.J. Kenedy and Sons, 1955-2010)

S.F. Archdiocese Quietly Removing Accused Priests, By Jaxon Van Derbeken, San Francisco Chronicle, August 29, 2002
See No Evil, By Ron Russell, San Francisco Weekly, May 21, 2003
Monsignor Peter Gomez Armstrong (1929-2009), San Francisco Chronicle, November 21, 2009

Priests in a Parish: We use the following convention to show a priest's place among the clergy of a parish: 1/2 means that he is the first priest listed in the Official Catholic Directory (usually the pastor) and that there is a total of two priests at the parish. The shorthand 3/4 means that the priest is listed third on a four-priest roster. See our sample page from the Directory.

Note: The Official Catholic Directory aims to report the whereabouts of Catholic priests in the United States on January 1 of the Directory's publication year. Our working assumption is that a priest listed in the Directory for a given year was at the same assignment for part of the previous year as well. However, Kenedy and Sons will sometimes accept updates well into the year of publication. Diocesan clergy records are rarely available to correct this information. The Directory is also sometimes misleading or wrong. We have tried to create an accurate assignment record, given the source materials and their limitations. Assignment records are a work in progress and we are always improving the records that we post. Please email us with new information and corrections.

This assignment record collates Armstrong's career history as it is represented in the Official Catholic Directory with allegations as reported in the media. We make no representation regarding the truth of the allegation we report, and we remind our readers that the U.S. legal system presumes that a person accused of or charged with a crime is innocent until proven guilty. Similarly, individuals who may be defendants in civil actions are presumed not to be liable for such claims unless a plaintiff proves otherwise. Admissions of guilt or liability are not typically a part of civil or private settlements. For more information, see our posting policy.

This assignment record was last updated on Sept. 19, 2010