Thomas McKenna

Ordained: 1972
Diocese: Diocese of Pittsburgh

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

Diocesan records contained a handwritten letter dated July 28, 1992 authored by a priest (name illegible) about sexual allegations against Father Thomas McKenna.  It noted that two teenage brothers claimed to have been sexually assaulted by McKenna in the 1970’s.

An October 1996 Diocesan memorandum documented the fact that McKenna was confronted with several allegations of improper sexual activity.

On October 18, 1999, a lawsuit was filed against McKenna by an inmate incarcerated at the State Correctional Institution at Pittsburgh. He alleged that McKenna had sexually assaulted him while he was in prison.

In May, 2002, the Diocese of Pittsburgh received a report from a woman who stated that McKenna had sexually abused her son in 1975.  No other documentation was found in the file.

In December, 2004 a final summary of treatment for Father McKenna from St. Luke Institute was completed.  He was diagnosed with, inter alia, Ephebophilia (attraction to teenagers).

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.