LYNN — A lawsuit filed in Suffolk Superior Court accuses Paul Fitzpatrick Russell, a former priest at Sacred Heart parish, who is currently an auxiliary bishop at the Detroit Archdiocese, of sexually abusing a 12-year-old boy in 1989 and 1990.
The 13-count suit, filed by Boston-based Attorney Carmen Durso, names Russell, Ronald J. Gariboldi, the parish’s pastor at the time of the alleged abuse, and the Archdiocese of Boston as defendants. Russell is accused of sexually assaulting the boy 25 times, while Gariboldi and the Archdiocese are accused of “[failing] to train and supervise Russell to properly perform their duties as supervisors of young children.”
According to the suit, the victim, identified only as a John Doe, met Russell while volunteering at the parish food bank. From there, Russell allegedly began grooming the victim before sexually assaulting him, according to the suit.
The assaults began with hugging and kissing before escalating, the suit, which was filed on Aug. 1, said.
“Defendants, by their respective acts, both intentionally and negligently inflicted severe emotional distress upon [the victim],” the suit reads.
In a statement issued by the Detroit Archdiocese, Russell denied the accusations.
“Archbishop Russell is shocked and saddened by the claims that have been made, and states that they are without merit. He holds in prayer all those who have ever been victimized by a member of the clergy,” the statement reads.
The Archdiocese was unaware of any allegations of misconduct against Russell until they were contacted by media about the suit, the statement said.
Russell is refraining from all public ministry “until further directed by the Holy See,” the statement said.
The lawsuit demands a jury trial and seeks an unspecified amount of damages. Lawyers for Gariboldi or the Archdiocese were not listed in court records. A message left with a spokesman for the Archdiocese was not immediately returned.
As a result of the alleged abuse and negligence, the victim suffered “bodily harm, humiliation, severe emotional distress, and permanent psychological damages, as such he has incurred expenses and/or will likely incur future expenses for medical and psychological treatment and has suffered loss of income,” the suit reads.
Russell departed Lynn not long after the alleged assaults, becoming Cardinal Bernard Law’s priest-secretary in 1992 after a brief assignment in Winchester. He then served in the Vatican Diplomatic Service before being appointed to his position in Detroit earlier this year.
Charlie McKenna can be reached at [email protected].
Due to a reporter’s error, an earlier version of this story name of the cardinal who hired Paul Fitzpatrick Russell as his priest-secretary. The cardinal’s name is Bernard Law. The Item regrets the error.