T. Ronald Haney

Ordained: 1958
Diocese: Diocese of Harrisburg

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

Father T. Ronald Haney entered the priest seminary at age 14. He attended the seminary until being ordained a priest in the Diocese of Harrisburg in 1958.

Diocesan officials wrote memorandums wherein officials noted that in 1995 a husband and wife informed the Diocese that Father Haney was a family friend who frequented their household for dinner.  The family had a seven year old daughter and a four year old son.  One evening, the parents’ heard Haney say to their daughter, “I guess you have heard about pedaphilia [sic].” He repeated the sentence a second time after the daughter’s mother overheard and called his name.

The daughter’s mother also reported that another female parishioner confided in her that Haney commented that her daughter had a “cute firm ass.”  This comment was made before Christmas of 1994.  On Christmas Day, Haney stopped at the second woman’s home.  He put his hand on the daughters’ buttocks and said “she has a nice tight ass.”   The woman stated, after speaking with her husband, they felt this was an “error in judgment” by Haney.

After speaking with Diocesan officials, the first daughter’s mother and the female parishioner who confided in her about another allegation of abuse, decided to confront Haney regarding their complaints and concerns.  The women reported back to the Diocese that Haney felt embarrassed and hurt and “apologized profusely for the difficulties he caused them.”

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.