Fr. Robert Paul Michele, C.S.P.: Accused of Child Sexual Abuse

Fr. Robert Paul Michele, C.S.P.

ORDAINED: 1955
Assignments:
  • 1955-1958: St. Austin’s, Austin, TX
  • 1958-1963: St. Paul the Apostle, New York, NY
  • 1963-1964: St. Vincent de Paul’s, Mobile, AL
  • 1964-1968: St. Philip Neri, Portland, OR
  • 1968-1970: Holy Cross, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
  • 1970-1972: Burnaby, British Columbia
  • 1972-1973: St. Austin’s, Austin, TX
  • 1973-1979: St. Ann’s, Boston, MA
  • 1979-1981: Paulist Fathers Generalate, Scarsdale, NY
  • 1981-1986: Old St. Mary’s, San Francisco, CA (SFR)
  • 1986-1989: Paulist Fathers Residence, Baltimore, MD
  • 1989-1996: St. Austin’s, Austin, TX
  • 1996-2004: St. David’s Hospital, Austin, TX
  • 1996-2005:St. Austin’s, Austin, TX; Paulist Generalate, Jamaica Estates, NY
  • 2004-2007: Retired, St. Austin’s, Austin, TX
  • 2008-2018: Unknown

Fr. Robert Paul Michele was ordained a priest of the Paulist Fathers. Fr. Michele worked in the Archdioceses of New York, San Francisco, Boston, Toronto, Baltimore, Vancouver, and Mobile, as well as the Diocese of Austin and lived in the Diocese of Brooklyn on at least two separate occasions. On November 1, 2018, the Paulist Fathers released a statement saying that an instance of Fr. Michele sexually abusing a minor female had been brought to their attention in 2002, but they found the allegation to be inconclusive. The statement also said that they received an allegation of Fr. Michele sexually abusing another minor female and that this allegation was deemed credible and substantiated. The sexual abuse is reported to have occurred from 1964 to 1968 and from 1972 to 1973.

Fr. Michele was named on the “List of Paulist Fathers with Credible Claims of Sexual Abuse of a Minor,” under the subsection “Living Paulist Fathers with Credible Claims.” Fr. Michele is also named on the Archdiocese of Mobile’s 2018 list of “Names of Credibly Accused Clergy,” in the subsection “[p]riests and men who are not priests (brothers) who belong to religious orders and are not clergy of the Archdiocese of Mobile, but have served in this archdiocese. The Archdiocese of Mobile has received credible accusations against these men. While some accusations involved misconduct within the archdiocese, other accusations involved misconduct elsewhere. However, since all have at some time served in this archdiocese, their names are included as well as their assignments while in this archdiocese.”

Fr. Michele is also named on the Archdiocese of Baltimore’s 2018 “List of Accused Priests and Religious Brothers Accused of Child Sexual Abuse.” Fr. Michele is believed to be living in a nursing facility in Mt. Angel, Oregon. His status as a priest and whether he has access to children are unknown.