Assignment Record– Rev. George J. Koychick

Summary of Case: George Koychick was ordained for the Harrisburg diocese in 1949. He assisted at parishes in Harrisburg, Mt. Carmel, York and Mechanicsburg, and was pastor in Williamstown, York and Palmyra. He was also chaplain during the late 1950s-early 1960s at the PA Industrial School in Camp Hill. The Official Catholic Directory does not index Koychick 1997-2000; his whereabouts during that time are unclear. He was in residence 2000-2003 at a McSherrytown parish, then drops out of the Directory altogether. In August 2016 the diocese publicly acknowledged that in 2003 it received credible allegations against Koychick of child sexual abuse that occurred in the 1970s.

Ordained: 1949

1949

Diocese of Harrisburg

Bishop was George Leo Leech (1935-1971).

St. Francis had a school with 84-387 students.

2/2, 3/3

In residence.

1967

Leech was succeeded as Harrisburg bishop by Joseph Thomas Daley (1971-1983).

York

• Koychick was accused in 2003 of perpetrating child sexual abuse in the 1970s. The diocese did not acknowledge this publicly until August 2016.

1/3, 1/4

1981

William Henry Keeler replaced Daley as bishop (1983-1989), followed by Nicholas Carmen Dattilo (1989-2004).

The Directories show a CCD program 1992-1997 with 202-144 students.

2/2

In residence.

2003

Dattilo was succeeded as Harrisburg bishop by Kevin Carl Rhoades (2004-2009), Joseph Patrick McFadden (2010-2013), then Ronald William Gainer (2014-).

Koychick is not indexed beyond the 2003 Directory.

In 2016 the diocese stated that when allegations surfaced in August 2003 about 1970s abuse, Koychick was already retired, out of ministry, and forbidden to function as a priest. They also said law enforcement was notified.

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.

Source: Official Catholic Directory (Kenedy & Sons, 1950-2003).

• Two City Priests To Be Ordained, Harrisburg Evening News, March 22, 1949
• Rev. George Koychick Observes 25 Years In The Priesthood, York Daily Record, March 30, 1974
• Diocese: Three priests added to list of alleged abusers, By Brandie Kessler, ydr.com, August 29, 2016

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 Koychick's career history as it is represented in the Official Catholic Directory with the allegations against him, as reported in the media. We make no representation regarding the truth of the allegations 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 August 30, 2016.