The Diocese of Richmond added a deceased priest, Father Joseph J. Pucci, a religious order priest of the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate, to the diocesan list of clergy against whom a credible and substantiated claim of sexual abuse involving a minor has been made.
The name was added Friday, July 22, after a review was completed in consultation with the diocesan Office of Safe Environment and the Diocesan Review Board. Father Pucci was ordained for the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate in 1941 and died in 2000. He served at St. Ann, Ashland, in the 1960s, during which time the abuse took place. Father Pucci did not serve at other parishes within the diocese.
The complete clergy list, originally printed in February 2019 after a comprehensive review of clergy files, can be found on the Richmond Diocese’s website.
In keeping with its pledge to help victim survivors in their healing, the diocese remains committed to respecting the privacy of all victim survivors. As with the diocese’s previous announcements regarding its list, the diocese will not release specific details regarding the victim survivor or the abuse.
Anyone who has been sexually abused by a priest, deacon, religious, lay employee or volunteer of the diocese is urged to report abuse directly to law enforcement, including Child Protective Services (CPS) at 800-552-7096, and by calling the Virginia Attorney General’s Clergy Abuse Hotline at 833-454-9064. Individuals are also encouraged to contact the 24- hour confidential diocesan Victim Assistance Reporting (VAC) number at 877-887-9603 or email vac@ richmonddiocese.org.
Editor’s note: Further information about the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate and Father Pucci is available by contacting the Oblates at 202-529-4505.