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Rev. Francis R. Lamothe

Ordained: 1933

At least nine men filed suit in 2002 alleging sexual abuse by Lamothe when they were children. The plaintiffs' attorney stated that Lamothe had "many, many victims", and that he gained the confidence of boys by taking them on outings, buying them ice cream, and being their "friend". Lamothe died in 1995.

Start Stop Assignment Town/Accusations State Position Notes

1933

Salt Lake bishop was James Edward Kearney (1932-1937), followed by Duane Garrison Hunt (1937-1960)

1938 Cathedral of the Madeleine Salt Lake City UT

4/4, 3/4, 2/5, 2/6

The Cathedral had a high school with 211-147 students and a grade school with 230-268 students.
1938 1941 Our Divine Savior Salt Lake City UT 2/2

 

1941 1944

Notre Dame de Lourdes

Stations-Castle Gate, Spring Canyon, Standardville, Scofield, Kenilworth, Hiawatha, Sunnyside, Green River, Columbia, Dragerton, Sunnydale.

Price UT 2/3 Parish had a junior high school with 29-70 students and a grade school with 165-132 students.
1941 1951 St. Anthony's Helper UT 1/1, 1/2

From 1941-1944 St. Anthony's was a mission of Notre Dame de Lourdes in Price. Beginning in with the 1944 Directory, Lamothe is listed at St. Anthony's, for the first two years as Administrator, then as Pastor.

1951 1952 On Duty Outside the Diocese ? ?    
1952 1954 St. Ambrose Salt Lake City UT 2/2  

1954?

Manchester bishop was Matthew Francis Brady (1944-1959), followed by Ernest John Primeau (1959-1974)

1962 St. Mary's

Claremont

Accused in 2002 of sexually abusing a boy at this parish in 1959 and 1960. (Union Leader (Manchester NH)
May 29, 2002)

Another man in 2002 named Lamothe as having sexually abused him as a boy from 1958-1963. (Associated Press
May 15, 2002)

NH 4/4

The 1955 and 1956 Directories do not list where Lamothe served in New Hampshire.

St. Mary's had a grade school with 383-312 boys and 370-347 girls, and a high school with 90-123 boys and 108-137 girls.

1962 1967 Sacred Heart

Greenville

Accused of molesting a boy at this parish from 1963-1970, on a weekly basis, in the rectory, the church, and in Lamothe's car. (Union Leader (Manchester NH)
May 29, 2002)

Another man accused Lamothe in 2002 of sexually assaulting him at this parish from 1964-1967, beginning when the man was 9 years old, and ending when he was 12. (Union Leader (Manchester NH)
June 20, 2002)

Yet another man in 2002 alleged sexual abuse by Lamothe at Sacred Heart from 1971-1972.

Three more men filed suit in 2002 accusing Lamothe of molesting them when they were altar boys at Sacred Heart in the 1960s. (Manchester Union Leader
July 30, 2002)

A 1993 memo from Msgr. Francis Christian regarding Lamothe reveals that a man reported that, beginning 24 years previously at Sacred Heart, when the man was 6-12 years old, Lamothe sexually abused him many times in the rectory.

NH 2/2

Sacred Heart had a school with 91-85 boys and 68-82 boys.

 

One Lamothe survivor wrote a letter to the New Hampshire Attorney General in 2002, describing Lamothe's abusive behavior toward him and other boys at Sacred Heart.

1967 1968 St. Francis Xavier Nashua NH 3/3 Parish had a school with 242 boys and 20 girls.
1968 1974 Sacred Heart Greenville NH 2/2  

1974

Manchester bishop was Odore Joseph Gendron (1974-1990)

1975

St. Margaret Mary

Stations-Spofford Lake, Westmoreland

Keene NH 2/2  
1974 1975 St. Margaret Mary Chesterfield NH   This was a mission of St. Margaret Mary in Keene.

1975

Gendron was replaced as bishop by Leo Edward O'Neil (1990-1997)

1991 Retired

N. Swanzey

Named in a 2002 lawsuit as having sexually abusing a boy between 1979-1982. (Associated Press
May 15, 2002)

NH    
1991 1995 Retired Jaffrey NH   Lamothe was a resident of the Good Shepherd Nursing Home until his death April 20, 1995

Source: Official Catholic Directory (New York: Kenedy & Sons, 1934-1995).

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 & 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.

 
 

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