Father Harrison, Cardinal Hayes Administrator, Admits Abuse

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Father Robert Harrison, O.F.M. Cap., a Capuchin priest who was an assistant principal at Cardinal Hayes High School, the Bronx, and who taught at the school for 26 years and served as the junior varsity basketball coach there for more than 20 years, has admitted committing several acts of sexual abuse of minors in the 1970s and 1980s.

He also served as administrator and parochial vicar at St. Charles Borromeo parish in Harlem, 1983 to 1989, and had worked with the Pierre Toussaint Residence in Manhattan for black men considering the priesthood.

According to a Jan. 5 letter sent to parents from the president of Cardinal Hayes, Father Joseph P. Tierney, neither the school nor the Archdiocese of New York has ever received an allegation of improper behavior concerning Father Harrison. A statement released the same day by the Capuchin Province of St. Joseph, headquartered in Detroit, said it has not received any allegations from victims.

Father Tierney, in the letter, said that “based upon the information that we have received from Father Harrison thus far, it does not appear that any of the abuse involved students from Cardinal Hayes.”

Father Harrison is said to have revealed the information during the Christmas break, during an inquiry into his personal finances.

Upon learning the information from Father Harrison, the school, the archdiocese and the Capuchin Province of St. Joseph did several things, the letter said. Father Harrison was immediately relieved of his responsibilities at Cardinal Hayes, and removed from his ability to serve as a priest or engage in any type of ministry. The matter was referred to the district attorneys for the Bronx, Manhattan and Milwaukee.

With the permission of the local district attorneys, Father Harrison has left New York to begin a thorough risk assessment under the supervision of his religious community, which has responsibility for his care.

In its Jan. 5 statement, the Capuchin Province of St. Joseph said that it learned of the sexual abuse Dec. 22 during an investigation into Father Harrison’s finances. “When confronted by the province, Father Harrison then admitted to abuse of minors.”

“The province is committed to helping those who have been harmed by Father Harrison,” continued the statement from the province. “We will be reaching out to all of the ministries where Father Harrison served.”

Father Tierney, in his letter from Cardinal Hayes, strongly urged any parent who has concerns or suspicions regarding Father Harrison to contact the district attorney without delay. “The safety of your children is our highest priority, and we strive to maintain the safest environment possible for our students. We will continue to cooperate with the civil authorities as they investigate this matter.”

The Cardinal Hayes president also asked parents to keep in their prayers “all those affected, particularly those who may have been harmed by Father Harrison, and all victims/survivors of sexual abuse.”