Fr. Francis A. Pettit: Substantiated Claims of Sexual Abuse of a Minor

Fr. Francis A. Pettit

Ordained, 1937

Notes: Fr. Francis Pettit was a priest for the Archdiocese of Denver for a number of years. Fr. Francis Pettit was included in the Colorado Attorney General’s Special Master’s Report on “Roman Catholic Clergy Sexual Abuse of Children in Colorado from 1950 to 2019.” According to the Special Master’s Report, Fr. Pettit sexually abused a minor girl, numerous times, when she was in grade school at St. Therese Parish in approximately 1963. According to the Special Master’s Report, Fr. Pettit’s sexual abuse of this minor was rst reported in 1989 by a witness to a priest of the Archdiocese of Denver. The allegations were again reported, in 2019, to the Denver Archdiocese; however, the Archdiocese did not investigate or report to law enforcement.

Assignments within the Archdiocese/Diocese(s) in Colorado: Denver, Pueblo

Assignments:

1938-1939 Grand Junction, CO (DEN)

1940-1943 Annunciation, Denver, CO (DEN)

1944 St. Leo the Great, Denver, CO (DEN)

1945-1947 Blessed Sacrament, Denver, CO (DEN)

1948-1953 St. Anthony of Padua, Hugo, CO (DEN)

1954-1957 Our Lady of Lourdes, Denver, CO (DEN)

1958-1963 St. Therese, Denver, CO (DEN)

1964-1967 On Sick Leave – Location Unknown

1968 St. Joseph’s, Fort Collins, CO (DEN)

1969 St. Jude, Denver, CO (DEN)

1970-1975 Our Lady of Fatima, Denver, CO (DEN)

1976 Notre Dame, Denver, CO (DEN)

1977-1980 Retired, Denver, CO (DEN)

1981-1986 Retired, Pueblo, CO (PBL)

1987 Died