Here Are The 7 West Chester Priests On 'Credibly Accused' List

WEST CHESTER, PA — Seven priests with connections to West Chester are part of a comprehensive list of Catholic clergy who have been "credibly accused" of sexual abuse.

The searchable database — which includes hundreds of priests accused from the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, as well as dioceses in Scranton, Allentown, Pittsburgh, Harrisburg, and more — comes on the heels of a grand jury report that revealed hundreds of "predator" priests across the state.

The list, put together by Patch partner ProPublica, includes dozens of other priests who served in neighboring municipalities.

Here's the list of clergy who have worked in West Chester and have been credibly accused of sexually abusing minors. Most have either passed away or been defrocked.

Hugh P. Campbell

Ordained in 1961, Campbell worked in West Chester in numerous positions for nearly his entire career.

From 1966 to 1968, he was the assistant pastor at St. Agnes. He was then named Newman Chaplain at West Chester University, where he served from 1968 until 1986.

He then was the pastor of St. Maximilian Kolbe in West Chester from 1986 through 2007, and remained on as pastor emeritus until 2012.

His priestly faculties were restricted from 2011 to his death in 2016, but he was never laicized (removed from priesthood).

Joseph M. McKenzie

Ordained in 1951, McKenzie served as a priest until 1983. He was placed on three leaves of absence in his career, from 1960 to 1972, from 1972 to 1977, and from 1983 to his death in 1989.

He lived at Goshen Manor in West Chester from Nov. 1981 to Dec. 1982, in addition to serving as assistant pastor at St. Patrick in Malvern from June 1977 to Oct. 1981.

He was never removed from the priesthood.

Mark J. Haynes

Haynes was the parochial vicar at SS. Simon and Jude in West Chester from Sept. 2013 to Oct. 2014.

He served from 1985 to 2014, when his faculties were withdrawn, and in 2016 he was laicized.

Joseph P. Gallagher

Gallagher served from 1973 until 2002, when he went on a three year hiatus. He has since had his priestly faculties restricted, but has not been laicized, and is listed under "life of prayer and penance."

He was the parochial vicar at St. Agnes in West Chester from Dec. 1987 through March 1996.

Raymond O. Leneweaver

Leneweaver died in 2005 after serving since 1962. He was the assistant pastor at St. Agnes in West Chester from Sept. 1975 through July 1980.

He was never removed from the priesthood.

John F. Hummell

Hummel was ordained from 1965 until 2006, including a stretch as assistant pastor at SS. Simon and Jude in West Chester from June 1966 until May 1967.

His priestly faculties to exercise ministry were withdrawn due to the allegations.

>>Full List Released Of PA Catholic Clergy Accused Of Sex Assault

The Pennsylvania grand jury investigation, which prompted ProPublica's project, was described by the Associated Press as the "biggest and most exhaustive ever" into priest sex abuse by an individual state. The investigation revealed many priests admitted to their actions and were allowed to continue in the ministry for years despite having confessed to molesting children.

>>300 PA Priests Sexually Abused 1,000 Children: Grand Jury

In one case, after a priest confessed to anal and oral rape of at least 15 boys, a bishop who later met with him commended him as "a person of candor and sincerity."

Another priest who was "grooming his middle school students for oral sex," was accused by several victims before he was removed 15 years later, the grand jury found.

The Pennsylvania grand jury report was pivotal in spurring dioceses around the country to release lists of abusers associated with their churches, ProPublica said.