Fr. Jose I. Ugarte
Ordained: 1971
Assignments:
- 1972- 1975: St. Thomas the Apostle, Los Angeles, CA
- 1976-1979: Santa Clara, Oxnard, CA
- 1979-1983: Presentation of Mary, Los Angeles, CA
- 1984-1987: St. Matthias, Huntington Park, CA
- 1987-1993: St. Pius X, Santa Fe Springs, CA
- 1993: Sick Leave
- 1994-2018: Unknown
Multiple survivors have come forward alleging child sexual abuse by Fr. Jose I. Ugarte in 1983 and in 1993 while Fr. Ugarte worked for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. One report made to the Archdiocese of Los Angeles alleged Fr. Ugarte drugged and raped a boy in a hotel in Ensenada, CA. In 1994, rather than turn Fr. Ugarte over to authorities, Cardinal Mahony instructed Fr. Ugarte to return to his home country of Spain, not return to the United States without the express consent of the Archbishop for at least seven years, to find a secular job, and not to celebrate mass in public. In 2017, it is believed Fr. Ugarte was living in Whittier, CA. Fr. Ugarte’s status as a priest, his current whereabouts, and whether he has access to children are unknown.