Rev. Frederick L. Barr

Summary of Case: Barr was placed on leave in August 2009 after an allegation that he had sexually assaulted a minor in the late 1980s.

Ordained: 1976

   

Start Stop Assignment Town/Accusations State Position Notes

1976

Boston archbishop was Humberto Sousa Medeiros (1970-1983)

1981 St. Clement's Somerville MA

4/4 ,4/5

 

 Parish had a grade school with 465-416 students and a high school with 99-128 boys and 160-185 girls.

1981

Madeiros was succeeded by Bernard Francis Law (1984-2002)

1985 Our Lady of Good Counsel Quincy MA 2/2  
1985 1990 St. Luke's

Belmont

• Accused in 2009 of having sexually abused a child between 1985 and 1990, while he served at St. Luke's. (Associated Press carried in Watertown Tab & Press
August 31, 2009)

MA 2/3, 2/2, 1/2  
1990 1996 St. James the Great Wellesley MA 2/3, 2/4, 2/2  
1996 1997 Awaiting Assignment        
1997 1998         Barr is not indexed in the 1998 Directory.
1998 2000 St. Patrick's Natick MA 2/2  

2000

Sean Patrick O' Malley replaced Law as archbishop (2003- )

2004 Star of the Sea Quincy MA 1/1  
2004 2006 St. Mary of the Annunciation Cambridge MA 1/4, 1/3 Administrator  
2006 2007 Health Leave        
2007 2008 Emergency Response Group   MA    
2008 2009 St. Patrick's Watertown MA 1/2

Parish had a religious education program (number of students not indicated).

Barr was placed on leave in Aug. 2009 due to an allegation that he sexually abused a minor in the late 1980s. (WBZ
August 30, 2009)


Source: Official Catholic Directory (New York: P.J. Kenedy and Sons, 1977-2009)

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 Barr's career history as it is represented in the Official Catholic Directory with allegations 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 Feb. 2, 2010