Sexual Abuse Allegations Against Vincent McCaffrey

This page outlines the assignments, allegations, and institutional actions involving Fr. Vincent McCaffrey, a priest of the Archdiocese of Chicago, as part of the Injury Lawyer Team’s work representing survivors of clergy abuse in Illinois.

• Primary Entity Name: Vincent McCaffrey
• Common Variations / Aliases: Father Vincent McCaffrey, Fr. Vincent McCaffrey, Vincent E. McCaffrey
• Role/Title at Time of Alleged Abuse: Parish Priest, Associate Pastor
• Current Status: Removed from public ministry, resigned, and later laicized 

Public Identification and Clergy Status

Fr. Vincent McCaffrey was publicly identified as a cleric with substantiated or credible allegations of sexual abuse of minors through multiple public-facing disclosures, including:

• The Illinois Attorney General’s Clergy Abuse Database and narrative record
• The Archdiocese of Chicago’s public list of clergy with substantiated allegations
• BishopAccountability.org’s accused clergy profile and supporting document archive 

The Illinois Attorney General’s records list McCaffrey as ordained in 1978 and report that the Archdiocese’s first claim date was 1980, with the Archdiocese’s public listing dated March 20, 2006. 

• Entity that Listed Him: Archdiocese of Chicago, Illinois Attorney General, BishopAccountability.org
• Reason for Listing: Substantiated child sex abuse claims and institutional actions documented through Archdiocesan disclosures and state investigative materials 

Key Status Facts

Ordination Year: 1978
Years in Active Ministry: Late 1970s to early 1990s, with later formal separation actions documented
Primary Archdiocese: Archdiocese of Chicago, Illinois
Illinois Assignments Listed in State Records: Our Lady of Help, Chicago, IL; Saint Victor, Calumet City, IL; Our Lady of Loretto, Hometown, IL; Saint Joseph the Worker, Wheeling, IL; Saint Josaphat, Chicago, IL; Our Lady of Good Counsel, Chicago, IL
Reported Survivors: 17
Restrictions: Limited ministry with restrictions and monitoring noted in 1987
Removed from Public Ministry: 1991
Resigned: 1993
Criminal Case Status Noted in State Records: Pleaded guilty in Illinois in 2002 to possession of child pornography; sentenced in 2003 to 15 years in prison
Laicization: 2010 

Assignment History

Primary Archdiocese: Archdiocese of Chicago

Parish Assignments:

• 1978–1980 — Our Lady of Help, Chicago, Illinois
• 1980–1982 — St. Victor Parish, Calumet City, Illinois
• 1982–1987 — Our Lady of Loretto Parish, Hometown, Illinois
• 1987–1990 — St. Joseph the Worker Parish, Wheeling, Illinois
• 1990–1991 — St. Josaphat Parish, Chicago, Illinois
• 1991–1993 — Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish, Chicago, Illinois

Known Allegations

According to the Illinois Attorney General’s narrative account, McCaffrey is accused of sexually abusing minors in conduct described as serious, repeated, and involving the manipulation of children and their families. The narrative states that at least one survivor later reported being warned to keep the abuse secret, and that survivors described lasting harm. 

The Illinois Attorney General’s database lists multiple dates and location ranges for reported abuse, including Calumet City in the 1970s, Chicago and Mundelein from 1976 to 1979, Hometown from 1978 to 1987, Wheeling from 1982 to 1990, and additional reported ranges and locations extending into the 1990s. The same state database reports 17 survivors.

Public reporting archived by BishopAccountability.org also reflects sworn or in-court statements describing multiple victims, and records that prosecutors relied on survivor testimony in connection with sentencing in the child pornography case.

Summary: Vincent McCaffrey was publicly listed as credibly accused and is associated in state and Archdiocesan records with numerous reports of sexual abuse of minors, followed by restriction measures, removal from public ministry, resignation, and later laicization. 

Overseeing Authorities During Key Periods:

• Cardinal Joseph Bernardin – Archdiocese of Chicago 

Institutional Actions and Review

The Illinois Attorney General’s Clergy Abuse Database lists the Archdiocese’s first reported receipt of a claim regarding McCaffrey as 1980, and notes “limited ministry with restrictions and monitoring” by 1987. The state record then lists McCaffrey as removed from public ministry in 1991 and as having resigned in 1993. 

The Attorney General’s narrative describes internal handling that included minimizing language and efforts to control the dissemination of information, while continuing reassignment, including references to internal memos from 1989 concerning concerns and transfers. 

Separate Archdiocese materials indicate that the Archdiocese conducted document reviews and released records concerning Illinois priests with substantiated allegations in its 2014 publication initiative, while maintaining ongoing access to public lists of substantiated clergy members. 

In addition to Church actions, Illinois Attorney General materials list a criminal case outcome, including a 2002 guilty plea to possession of child pornography and a 2003 sentence. 

Timeline

1978 — Ordained in the Archdiocese of Chicago
1970s–1990s — Date ranges and locations of reported abuse documented in state records
1980 — Diocese’s claim of the first report
1987 — Limited ministry with restrictions and monitoring noted
1991 — Removed from public ministry
1993 — Resigned
2006 — Placed on the Catholic Church public lists by the Archdiocese of Chicago
2002 — Pleaded guilty in Illinois to possession of child pornography
2003 — Sentenced to 15 years in prison
2010 — Laicized 

Speak With an Attorney

If you or someone you love was abused by Fr. Vincent McCaffrey or another priest in the Archdiocese of Chicago, you may still have legal options under Illinois law. The Injury Lawyer Team represents survivors of clergy abuse statewide. Contact a clergy sexual abuse lawyer in Illinois to learn more about your legal options.

Sources

This page is based on public records, official Church disclosures, and survivor reports, including:

• The Illinois Attorney General’s Clergy Abuse Database and narrative page for Vincent McCaffrey, which provides ordination year, assignment locations, reported survivor count, date and location ranges of reported abuse, the Archdiocese’s first claim date, public listing date, and action status entries. 
• The Archdiocese of Chicago’s public list of clergy with substantiated allegations and its public documentation initiative describing the 2014 document publication process.
• BishopAccountability.org’s profile of the accused clergy and archival coverage of contemporaneous public reporting on sentencing and in-court survivor testimony. 

No criminal conviction is implied unless explicitly stated in public court records or official Church reports.

All content undergoes thorough legal review by experienced attorneys, including Jonathan Rosenfeld. With 25 years of experience in personal injury law and over 100 years of combined legal expertise within our team, we ensure that every article is legally accurate, compliant, and reflects current legal standards.