Assignment Record – Rev. Michael O'Connor Barry, s.j.

Summary of Case: A member of the Societ of Jesus, Barry was a teacher and, at some point, a hospital chaplain in St. Louis. He was accused in a 2004 lawsuit, along with three other priests, of having sexually abused a student at a St. Louis Jesuit high school from 1982-1985. Barry's accuser said the priests plied him with alcohol and "played mind games" to silence him. Barry died in 1987.

Ordained
: 1979
Died: Feb. 19, 1987

     

Start Stop Parish/Assignment Town/Accusations State Position Notes
1979 1980         Barry is not indexed in the 1980 Directory. He was ordained in 1979.

1980

St. Louis archbishop was John Lawrence May (1980-1992).

1981 St. Matthew, Apostle St. Louis MO 5/7 In residence. St. Matthew's had a school with 203 students.
1981 1982         Barry is not indexed in the 1982 Directory.
    Cardinal Ritter Preparatory High School

St. Louis

Barry, along with three other priests, was accused in a 2004 lawsuit of having sexually abused a Cardinal Ritter student from about 1982-1985. His accuser said the priests plied him with alcohol and "played mind games to keep him quiet".

MO    
1982 1985 Jesuit House St. Louis MO    
      St. Louis MO hospital chaplain  

1985

Kansas City-St. Joseph bishop was John Joseph Sullivan (1977-1993).

1987 Rockhurst College

Kansas City MO history teacher  
1986 1987 St. Louis University St. Louis MO  

Barry is indexed in the 1987 Directory twice, at both Rockhurst College and St. Louis University.

Barry died Feb. 19, 1987.

 

Sources: Official Catholic Directory (New York: P.J. Kenedy and Sons, 1980-1988)

Church Settles Suit Accusing Four Priests of Abuse, Associated Press, carried in St. Louis Post-Dispatch, April 19, 2007
Sexual Abuse Settlement Reached against Former ESL Priest and Two Others, Belleville News-Democrat, April 19, 2007
Civil Suit against 3 Priests Is Settled, Missouri Man to Receive $140,000. Allegations Included Sexual Abuse, Associated Press, carried in Kansas City Star, April 20, 2007
Alleged Victim of Sex Abuse by Priests Identifies Himself in Jet, By Deb Peterson, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, May 25, 2007
Man Abused by Priests Urges Blacks to Speak out, By Sylvester Brown Jr., St. Louis Post-Dispatch, June 10, 2007
Clergy Sex Suit Settled, By Alvin A. Reid, St. Louis American [St. Louis MO], June 13, 2007



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 Barry'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 April 14, 2013