Second Investigation of Msgr. Logrip Reveals Two Archdiocesan Sins of Omission
It was deja vu when the Archdiocese of Philadelphia recently announced that Msgr. Joseph Logrip would be placed on administrative leave while being investigated for an allegation of sexual abuse of a minor. Logrip was first placed on administrative leave for an earlier investigation in 2011, along with 26 other Archdiocesan priests. He was reinstated in 2014.
Along with this second investigation, a related mystery has reemerged. When a priest is found unsuitable for ministry or placed on administrative leave, the Archdiocese includes that priest’s assignments in the removal announcement. But Logrip’s decades-spanning involvement with St. Aloysius Academy for Boys is missing in BOTH the 2011 and 2019 removal announcements.
Located in Bryn Mawr, St. Aloysius Academy is an all-boys, private, Catholic school for grades K through 8. It’s administered by the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Logrip seems to have served as the school chaplain for many years. A book published in 1995, celebrating the Academy’s 100th anniversary year, reveals the following:
- A photo of Msgr. Logrip from 1978 identifying him as the school chaplain.
- In 1988, during Catholic Schools week, Msgr. Logrip blessed the new chapel at the main school building.
- In the 1980’s the First Friday Masses were celebrated by Msgr. Logrip
- In the 1990’s he celebrated the opening school Mass that kicked off the centennial celebration year for the school.
- At the Centennial Gala dinner he gave the benediction and is identified as the school chaplain.
A former St. Aloysius student remembers Logrip being on the school campus a few times each week during the late 1980’s through the mid-1990’s. He says the priest was often accompanied by St. Charles seminarians.
Logrip is mentioned in a lawsuit filed in 2011 by a former student alleging abuse by Father Martin Satchell in the early 1990’s. Satchell seems to have been a seminarian at the time of the abuse. The former student alleges he told Msgr. Logrip in 1995 that someone had hurt him but that Logrip did nothing to help him.
Despite Logrip’s well-documented history at the school, nothing pertaining to his time at St. Aloysius is mentioned in the 2011 or 2019 official Archdiocesan removal announcements.
Back in 2014, we asked the Archdiocese why St. Aloysius was missing from Logrip’s list of assignments. They responded that Logrip had volunteered as their chaplain. They hadn’t assigned him. But they knew about it! A subtle distinction was their reason for omitting information that could aid an investigation, inform the public and spur important conversations among those who attended or worked at the school.
It seems the Archdiocesan definition of transparency and accountability is very, very limited.
In 2019, with Logrip’s second removal for investigation, in an era where transparency is preached from the pulpit, the Archdiocese had a second chance to get it right. They failed. Did they forget we are watching?
Once again, they withheld Logrip’s long history with St. Aloysius Academy for Boys.
One has to wonder why?
