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Assignment Record– Rev. Saul Ayala

Summary of Case: In June 2002 an allegation of "sexual harassment and misconduct involving a minor" was filed with the church by a woman. Ayala was placed on leave. In September 2002 two sisters filed suit alleging Ayala abused them in 1988 and 1989 when they were ages 7 and 9, while he baby-sat them. Diocese settled with them for $30,000 in 2004. Ayala moved to Mexico shortly after he was placed on leave; he was possibly in active ministry there.

Ordained: 1971

Start Stop Assignment Town/Accusations State Position Notes
1972 1982         Not indexed in the 1973-1982 Directories

1982

San Bernardino bishop was Phillip Francis Straling (1978-1995)

1984 St. Edward's Corona CA 4/4

St. Edward's had a school with 371-395 students.

1984 1986 St. Joseph's Barstow CA 2/2 St. Joseph's had a school with 223 students.
1984 1986 Our Lady of the Desert Baker CA  

This was a mission of St. Joseph's in Barstow.

1986 1989 Our Lady of Guadalupe

San Bernardino

 

CA 2/4, 2/2 Parish had a school with 112-140 students.
1986 1989 Holy Family

Hesperia

Named in a 2002 lawsuit as having molested two girls, sisters who were ages 7 and 9, in 1988 and 1989. (San Bernardino Sun [San Bernardino]
September 18, 2002) Their mother reported the abuse to Holy Family in 1988-1989, but nothing was done. (Press Enterprise [Riverside]
September 20, 2002)

    Sometimes served at this parish while at Our Lady of Guadalupe in San Bernardino.
1989 1990 St. Joseph's Fontana CA 3/3 St. Joseph's had a school with 228 students.
1990 1991         Ayala is not indexed in the 1991 Directory.

1991

Straling was replaced as bishop by Gerald Richard Barnes (1995- )

1998 Our Lady of Guadalupe Shrine Mecca CA 1/1, 2/2 Parish had a religious education program with 500 students.
1998 2002         Ayala is not indexed in the 1999-2002 Directories.
2002 2003  

Mecca

Ayala was put on administrative leave in June 2002 after a woman reported that he was involved in "sexual harassment and misconduct involving a minor" about 20 years previously. (Press Enterprise [Riverside, CA]
June 25, 2002)

CA 1/1

Parish had a religious education program with 304 students. The 2003 Directory is the last in which Ayala appears.

Ayala moved to his native Mexico after being put on leave.
(Press Enterprise [Riverside CA]
April 23, 2004)


Source: Official Catholic Directory (New York: Kenedy & Sons, 1983-2003).

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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