Fr. Angel Cruces
Ordained: 1961
Assignments:
- 1961-1969: Vigan Minor Seminary, Vigan, Philippines
- 1970: St. John, Candon, Philippines
- 1971-1972: St. John College, Candon, Philippines
- 1973: St. Joseph, Salcedo, Philippines
- 1974-1975: St. Paul’s Cathedral, Vigan, Philippines
- 1976-1977: Vigan Minor Seminary, Philippines
- 1978-1980: St. Philomena Church, Carson, CA
- 1981: St. Rose of Lima, Maywood, CA
- 1982-1984: St. Sebastian Church, Santa Paula, CA
- 1985-1996: Unknown
- 1996: Died
Fr. Angel Cruces was born in Laoag City, Philippines and was ordained in the Archdiocese of Nueva Segovia, Philippines. He was an extern priest working in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. Fr. Cruces was accused, along with six other priests, of having sexual intercourse with a 16-year-old girl. When the girl became pregnant, the priests allegedly conspired to keep her pregnancy a secret and sent her to the Philippines where she nearly died while giving birth to her child. The Archdiocese settled claims against Fr. Cruces and the other 6 priests in 2007. Within Fr. Cruces’ priest file is a letter the young girl gave to church officials in 1983. Fr. Cruces, along with the other priests, fled to the Philippines to avoid criminal investigation and civil litigation. He was included in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles’ list of priests accused of sexual misconduct involving minors. His whereabouts and whether he had access to children from approximately 1985 to his death in 1996 are unknown.