Sexual Abuse Allegations Against Joseph Marcel Lessard

Father Joseph Marcel Lessard served in multiple parish and non-church roles in Phoenix, AZ, and Rockford, IL. He was accused and convicted of sexually abusing a young boy early in his career, but was still allowed to be involved in ministry for years after in both jurisdictions. 

• Primary Entity Name: Joseph Marcel Lessard
• Common Variations / Aliases: Father Joseph Lessard, Fr. Lessard, Joseph Lessard
• Role/Title at Time of Incident: Parish Priest, Hospital Chaplain
• Current Status: Removed from active ministry

This page summarizes the history of abuse allegations against Joseph Marcel Lessard, his ministry assignments, and the institution’s response to his conduct.

Public Identification and Clergy Status

Although Lessard was originally charged with two felonies for sexual abuse of a young boy, these charges were reduced to misdemeanors, and the priest was put on probation for three years. It took many years for entities to identify Lessard as a sexual abuser publicly. These entities include:

• The Diocese of Rockford, on November 14, 2018, in a public list
• The Diocese of Phoenix, on October 29, 2019, in a public list
• The Office of the Attorney General in Illinois, in a 2023 report on clergy abuse

These entities identified Lessard as the perpetrator in substantiated allegations of sexual abuse due to the misdemeanors he was charged with during his time in the Diocese of Phoenix. 

Key Status Facts

Ordination Year: 1980 in the Diocese of Phoenix

Years in Active Ministry: 1981-1985, 1988-2001 (roughly 18 years)

Locations Where He Served: Diocese of Phoenix, AZ, Diocese of Rockford, IL

Restrictions: Removed from active ministry in 2001

Criminal Convictions: Served three years of probation for a child sex abuse misdemeanor

Laicization: N/A

Public Disclosure: November 14, 2018, in the Diocese of Rockford and October 29, 2019, in the Diocese of Phoenix

Assignment History

Primary Diocese: Diocese of Rockford (Ordained in the Diocese of Phoenix)

Parish Assignments (as documented in public reports):

1980 – Ordained in the Diocese of Phoenix

1981-1982 – Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church in Tempe, AZ

1983-1985 – St. Jerome’s in Phoenix, AZ

1996 – Holy Angels Church in Aurora, IL

1997-2001 – St. Mary Church in Aurora, IL

2001 – Removed from ministry

Non-Church Assignments:

1987-1993 – Mercy Center for Health Care Services in Aurora, IL

Known Allegations

The primary concerns about Joseph Marcel Lessard center around the charges of child sexual abuse that occurred during his time in the Diocese of Phoenix. Sometime around 1986, Lessard received two felony charges of sexual abuse of a minor while he was assigned to St. Jerome’s in Phoenix, AZ. He reportedly abused the 13-year-old boy while his parents were asleep in the next bedroom over. 

After Bishop Thomas O’Brien requested leniency from the judge, the felony charges were reduced to a misdemeanor, and Lessard was sentenced to three years of probation. In 1987, the priest arrived in the Diocese of Rockford. The letter from the Diocese of Phoenix introduced Lessard but failed to state the reason for his transfer. Records indicate the Diocese of Rockford was aware of Lessard’s past, but agreed to take him in since they “had some of their own.”

Lessard began working as a chaplain at Mercy Center Health Care Services while living in the rectory at Holy Angels in Aurora. He also assisted the pastor and associate pastor at this church with their ministry work. When additional abuse scandals were uncovered in Phoenix, Bishop O’Brien again connected with the Diocese of Rockford about Lessard’s past conduct.

Lessard became aware of the increasing attention on his background and spoke with the new Bishop in Rockford, Thomas Doran. Lessard eventually resigned as the hospital chaplain, and Doran informed Bishop O’Brien that Lessard would contact him regarding the incident. In 2002, the priest was finally removed from ministry, decades after the sexual abuse occurred. 

Summary: Though Joseph Marcel Lessard was criminally charged for child sexual abuse in Phoenix, he was allowed to continue in ministry roles in the Diocese of Rockford, even though leadership appeared to have knowledge of his past conduct. 

Overseeing Authorities During Key Periods: 

• Bishop Thomas O’Brien in Phoenix, AZ
• Bishop Arthur O’Neill in Rockford, IL
• Bishop Thomas Doran in Rockford, IL

Institutional Actions and Review

When Joseph Marcel Lessard was charged with felony counts of child sexual abuse, the Bishop of the Diocese of Phoenix, Thomas O’Brien, personally wrote to the judge to request leniency. Though there was no question of the allegations being true, the church attempted to minimize and hide the damage done by the accused priest. Instead, the diocese transferred him to the Diocese of Rockford.

Rockford agreed to take him in, stating that it was only fair since they had their own issues with clergy abuse. Communication between O’Brien and Bishop O’Neill indicates that both parties were aware of his conduct when Lessard began working as a hospital chaplain in the Diocese of Rockford. Attention on Lessard escalated when a priest in Phoenix was accused of abusing over a dozen minors, after which O’Brien connected with the Diocese of Rockford again. 

When Bishop Thomas Doran took over in 1994, he was alarmed by Lessard’s background. Shortly thereafter, Lessard resigned from his chaplaincy and was removed from ministry by both dioceses. He was placed on public lists of accused IL priests and AZ priests in 2018 and 2019, respectively.

Timeline

1980 – Ordained in the Diocese of Phoenix

1981-1986 – Assigned to various parishes in Arizona

1986 – Charged with felony counts of child sexual abuse, which were reduced to a misdemeanor, and began serving three years of probation

1987 – Transferred to the Diocese of Rockford, where he serves as a hospital chaplain while living in the rectory at Holy Angels

1993 – Bishop Thomas O’Brien, facing a local clergy abuse crisis, reaches out to confirm Lessard’s conduct

1994 – Lessard meets with Bishop Thomas Doran to discuss his past

2001 – Lessard resigns from his hospital chaplaincy

2001-2002 – Removed from ministry by both dioceses

2006 – Diocese of Phoenix settles a lawsuit valued at $50,000

2018 – Publicly identified as a substantiated sexual abuser by the Diocese of Rockford

2019 – Publicly identified as a substantiated sexual abuser by the Diocese of Phoenix

2023 – Mentioned in the 2023 report on clergy abuse by the Attorney General in Illinois

Speak With an Attorney

Clergy abuse in the Catholic church has been a major issue, especially in the Diocese of Rockford and other Illinois jurisdictions. If you are a victim of sexual abuse in this context, the Injury Lawyer Team will stand by your side as you seek justice and fair compensation.

Contact us today for a free and confidential consultation with an Illinois clergy abuse lawyer. 

Sources

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

• The Office of the Attorney General’s profile on Joseph Marcel Lessard
• The Office of the Attorney General’s survivor narrative for Lessard’s victim
• Bishop Accountability’s profile of Joseph Marcel Lessard
• A letter from the Diocese of Rockford about substantiated sexual abuse claims against clergy members
• A list of bishops in the Diocese of Rockford
• A 2023 report following an investigation of clergy abuse by the Attorney General in Illinois

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.