ARCHDIOCESE OF CHICAGO ---. Office of Professional Fitness Review 676 N. St Clair, Suite 1910
Chicago, Illinois 60611
MEMORANDUM
Post Office Box 1979
Chicago, Illinois 60690-1979
(312)751-5205
Fax: (312) 751-5279
To:
From:
Re:
Review Board Members
Leah McCluskey, Interim, Professional F
itness Review [email protected]
~cNamara, P.
As per the Review Board meeting minute
s, it was requested that the PFRA search
the file
of Peter McNamara in order to determine
ifthere are any other allegations of sexua
l
misconduct present.
/~The;e are no other allegations present in Peter McNamara's current fi
le located in the
Office of Professional Fitness Review. I
spoke with Sr. Marianne at the Vicar for
Priests
office via phone on 8/22/02 to request tha
t she search Peter McNamara's file as we
ll. Sr.
Marianne could not find a file on Peter M
cNamara at either the Vicar for Priests of
fice or
at the Archives of the Archdiocese.
Cc: Rev. James T. Kaczorowski, vica
r for Priests
Members ofPCAC
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AOC 017771
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Peter John McNamara Born:
Assignment
St. Bernardine Parish (Forest Park)
Extraordinary
Appointments:
Archdiocese of Chicago Priest Vitae Card
Ordained: 06/06/1970 Died:
Position
Assistant Pastor
Laicized
Ethnicity:
Begin Date
06/15/1970
11/10/1972
End Date
11/10/1972
No Image
Attached
AOC 017772
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. ' , .
REV. PETER J. McNAMARA
ARCHDIOCESE OF CHICAGO
POST OFFICE BOX 1979
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS .60690
Office of the Archbishop .iw-,s, 1970
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Rev. PetorJ, ·McNamara·
1917 N. L9weU Avenue
Chicago, IlJjnots 60619
Dear Father McNamara:
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It gives me great pleasure to appoint you as ·
V~carius Cooperator to the Reverend Willlam J. QulDlan, Pastor
. of St. Bernardlue Parish,, _7~46 W. Harrison St., For•t Rlrk,
llllnois, and in accorda.tice with canon 476,8, to grant you the
neces.sary faculties for the fa1thfu1 disc.barge of that duty.
Thl.s appointment is effective June 15, 1970, but I
would ask you to make arrangements with the Pastor about the
exact date when you will assume your new dut~e. ·
Wlshtng you ~ery blessing and priestly success 1n
this pastoral aaslgmnent, I am, dear PatherMcNamara,
Very truly yours in ~lat,
Arcbbishop of Chicago
I'
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§t. i~ernarlline 0Ti1urrl1
7246 i]jarrison §>trrrt
I~orrst t(Jarlt, Jlllinois 60130
August 1, 1971
Your Emminence1
Here are the points made against Father McNamara,
1. That he began an
about two months
17 vears old,
2. That at one time she tried to break off the relationship but fell
back into it.
J.
4. That he !Ja·deher up in his room along with other young people for pi~~a
parties - - but alone after the others had left.
5, That he was seen kissing her and going off with her alone ~or
for long periods of time,
6. That he visited her home many many nights.
* * * 7, That sshe spent the night with him in fuis room a couple of weeks ago.
This was a Tuesd~t when bot. h Father 11111 and Father lllllllwere
away; and Father ..... was asleep in the back of the house,
B. That he or they are "sweating it out waiting to see if she is pregnant",
9. That there have been continuous phone calls and visits totthe rectory
by
10. That Father McNamara told our secretary,
11.
12.
of this involvement and predicament. She felt in co ience duty
bou~ to the pastor. He also revealed this information
to ~ a leader or our ~ did not reveal this
to us but to one of our seminarians,~ who di
• .~ ·-
g,1_ i!lernarlline C!Jl!urrl!
7246 ~arrison §>treet
I~orest llarh, ifllinois 60130
OTHER FACTORS
The other priests in the house had no indication of impropriety .
because1
1.
2. She is active in
was in charge of
J. Reports of this impropriety have come fnom several independent and re
reliable so_.urces. Each day we learn moredetails from more sources.
The stories all coincide and give rectory detail nobody could make up.
4. Father McNamara weakly denied the reports when I confronted him
July 28th. A week before when our secretary fisst mentioned them
to him and me together he seemed noncommital. I took it for gossip
and warned him about leaving himself open to gossip.
5. When our secretary a few days later warned me there was sometfuing
to the stories I began to investigate.
6. Our secretary is willing to testify that she is telling the truth
in passing on to us Father McNamara,'s admissions to her. At first
she felt bound to secrecy hut then·t~ought of the good of the church.
our seminariaq1111~~ •• ~.;~J~Hles, is willing to swear to ::
truth that he acquired fr::im -Father's admissions affl
C'.:m:f\,::;s=,lY'S. He also '1as SO'rte :r'L·st ~1dnc1 :i.Ti:O}_'·nati.on.
and a fev; other young people wo:uld r:rob;c
August 10, 1971
Reverend Peter J. McNamara
1917 N. Lowell Avenue
Chicago, Illinois 60639
Dear Father McNamara:
In accordance with our recent discussion, I will
be pleased to see you at my residence on Saturday, August 21st, 1971
at 10:30 a. m.
With best wishes, I am, dear Father McNa~ara
Very truly yours in Christ,
Archbishop of Chicago
JPC: dr
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Excerpt: Diocesan Priests' Placement Board, 8/27/1971
ARCHDIOCESAN PRIESTS' PERSONNEL BOARD
MINUTES
Meeting No.· 117 - Second Board
Meeting: Friday, August 271 1971, 10:30 A. M.
Present: Cardiff, Lynch, Vanecko, Ventura, Wachowiak
Place: Personnel Board Office
l. Minutes of Meeting No. 116, were approved. J
2. Reports:
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Excerpt: Diocesan Priests' Placement Board, 9/3/1971
ARCHDIOCESAN PRIESTS' PERSONNEL BOARD
MINUTES
Meeting No. 118 - Second Board
Meeting: Friday, September 3, 1971
Present: Cardiff, Lynch, O'Malley, Roche, Vanecko, Ventura and Wachowiak
Place: Personnel Board Office
1:30 - The afternoon session followed the ordinary procedure of a regular Board meeting.·
1. · Minutes of Meeting No.' 117, were approved, ,,.
2. 1 Reports: Meeting with the Cardinal - (WSR 8-30-71)
Reverend Peter McNamara has an indefinite leave of absence •
. --
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Excerpt: Diocesan Priests' Placement Board, 9/28/1971
ASSOCIATES NEEDED
,;ill"""·
St.· Bernardine, Forest Park
- Peter McNamara
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~it. t!trrnarilinr (!ifpurrl1
72-1& ~arrison §>trr.rt
iJorrst Parh, Illinois &DllD
His Emminence John Cardinal Cody
Archbishop of' Chicago
Your Emminence:
October 18, .1971
I am wondering about the final ilisposition o£ Peter
McNamara's case. Up to the present - - and with some misgivings - -
we haft said nothing publicly about his leaving. My thought was. to
wait.until f'ina1 debermination. He told me he had requested laici ...
,
sation bu.t that you adv.lsed,him to think it over.
~ ~bought was that we might soften further scandal that
v.lll ensue should they marry if' we at this time announced that he is seeking
or has received laicization and has left the priesthood.
A.waiting your cmmsel,
I remain,
Yours 1:ii Christ,
P.s. Father- s.v .. D., has stayed on because of' our short.handedness
bu.t he must :mvve on to his assignment in St. Louis November 14th.
Thia will leave ua without the help ot a regular associnte or even a
resident.
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-------,., ~~·
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October 20, 1971
Reverend Wllliam J. Quinlan
St. Bernardine Chut"ch
7246 W. Harrison Street
Forest Park, llllnols 60130
Dear Father Quinlan:
As His Eminence left for Rome yesterday, your letter
of October 18, 1971 was received in the Chancery Office and I wish
to acknowledge receipt of same. I am forwarding a copy to Hls
Eminence in Rome.
With best wishes, I remain,
Respectfully yours,
Daniel F. Ryan
Secretary
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Excerpt: Diocesan Priests' Placement Board, 10/21/1971
PB NOTES October 21, 1971
1.
2.
3.
4.
5. St. Bernardine, Forest Park: Resident Student Priest is leaving for another assignment on
November 14th. Quinlan and LeVoy would appreciate r
