The 2005 Grand Jury Report investigating child sexual abuse in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia has several pages concerning the sexual depravity and alleged sexual abuse perpetrated by Fr Michael J McCarthy. The priest allegedly sexually abused students at Cardinal O’Hara High School in the 1970’s. He was reported by fellow priests for having sexual graphic posters and magazines in his bedroom at a rectory. His section of the GJ Report reads as a rinse and repeat. The parish shuffle. The promotions amidst allegations. The hiding of allegations from the public. The “sent for treatment” plan that doesn’t work.
A lawsuit in New Jersey was filed against the Archdiocese of Philadelphia by a man who claims that McCarthy sexually abused him on a trip to the Jersey shore in 1971. The boy was 14 years old and his father had recently passed away. McCarthy received permission from the widowed mother to take him on the trip from Pennsylvania to New Jersey. In that era, it was actually an honor for a priest to take a child on a vacation. The widowed mother acted no different than any parent at that time.
The lawsuit was filed in New Jersey, in 2020, when Statute of Limitation window legislation was passed in that state, allowing childhood victims of sexual abuse a two year window to file a lawsuit. The Pennsylvania Catholic Conference has been successful in lobbying against similar window legislation in Pennsylvania. Without the window legislation in Pennsylvania, clergy abuse victims are unable to file lawsuits in our state. Archbishop Charles Chaput was instrumental in speaking out against this legislation which would provide a path to justice for our Philadelphia clergy abuse survivors. The survivor claims that the sexual abuse by Fr McCarthy continued in Pennsylvania when they returned from the trip. The survivor’s only option was to file the lawsuit in New Jersey for the sexual abuse he suffered at the hands of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia priest on the trip to the Jersey shore.
Just last week, February 2025, after appeals in the case were filed by the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, the case was dismissed by the New Jersey Supreme Court. The boy had been taken to a private home in NJ where he was allegedly sexually abused. The alleged sexual abuse did not take place on Church property. McCarthy was not given an assignment in New Jersey by the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.
A widowed mother allowed her 14 year old fatherless child to take a trip for a few days with Fr Michael J McCarthy who was stationed at their parish in Pennsylvania. The Archdiocese of Philadelphia maintains that he was not acting in an official capacity when he took the boy on the trip and allegedly sexually abused him. The Archdiocese of Philadelphia fought in court against a survivor, who as a 14 year old boy, was groomed by McCarthy. Taken on a trip to New Jersey and was allegedly sexually violated by him, and the sexual abuse continued when they returned to Pennsylvania
The Archdiocese of Philadelphia has been successful in blocking his path to justice in Pennsylvania, so they now blocked any chance in New Jersey. Who pays the attorney fees to fight against victims in court? They use the money of anyone who drops an envelope in the Sunday collection. With the rumors that yet another capital campaign will be announced, it will be even more laity money to be used against victims in the courts
It would be interesting to see how the hierarchy explains Pennsylvania and New Jersey state law in their explanation of how they treated victims. On their final judgment. When there are no courts and attorneys. Many say that the hierarchy cannot be true believers because they will have to answer one day for not following the Gospel, but instead for hiring attorneys to battle victims in court. It does seem that no true believer would take that chance with their salvation.
Fr McCarthy abused the child in 1971. The Archdiocese of Philadelphia continues the abuse of victims into February 2025.
Read here for the outline of decades of alleged abuse by Fr Michael J McCarthy and the cover up by the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. The priest who they claim no responsibility for in court ..https://www.bishop-accountability.org/reports/2005_09_21_Philly_GrandJury/Philly_05_10_McCarthy.pdf
Catholics4Change 
Did Judge Anne Patterson provide a legal remedy for the catholic church to avoid accountability?
First of all, my heart goes out to this victim of Priest sexual abuse. I applaud the survivor for fighting as hard as he had to to find some sense of justice. There were many parts of this article that infuriated me, but the one that gutted my stomach was when the arched die he said he was not in an official capacity. A priest, who represents supposedly Christ is always in an official capacity. There will be severe consequences when any priest commit sexual abuse of child when that priest passes over and stands before God and judgment. Where does a survivor go? Who does he reach out to when even that victim feels abandoned by God. Their leaves such an open void of hopelessness. As a survivor myself who confronted two Catholic priests and one my case against the archdiocese of Philadelphia, how I was able to hold on to hope I found a spiritual path in my journey. I can only offer the survivor to look beyond this religion and grab hold of which spirituality can offer in terms of faith, truth, and solace.