John M. McDevitt

Ordained:
Diocese: Diocese of Harrisburg

From Report I of the 40th Statewide Investigating Grand Jury for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania:

In [REDACTED], [REDACTED] reported to Chancellor Carol Houghton of the Diocese of Harrisburg that a man from Seven Sorrows in Middletown approached him. The man reported that Father John McDevitt of the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales abused him. Houghton notified [REDACTED] via e-mail.  The man stated McDevitt kissed him in the confessional at Bishop McDevitt High School.  The year of the abuse is unknown, but the reporting man was 50 years old in 2012.

The Diocese of Harrisburg notified the Provincial for the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales, Wilmington-Philadelphia Province of the abuse allegation.  No other information was found in Diocesan records.

However, on August 5, 2011, an article located on  www.delawareonline.com reported the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales reached a $24.8 million settlement with survivors of abuse committed by priests. As part of the settlement, the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales released the names of 12 priests who either admitted to committing sexual abuse or sexual abuse allegations against them were substantiated.  McDevitt was one of the 12 priests listed.

Additional information regarding the widespread sexual abuse of children within the Catholic Dioceses of Pennsylvania and the systemic cover up by senior church officials is compiled in the Pennsylvania Diocese Victim’s Report published by the Pennsylvania Attorney General following a two-year grand jury investigation.  A complete copy of the Report is available on the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s website.