Ted Oswald
Ordained: 1984
Born in Minneapolis, MN, and raised in San Jose, CA, Father Ted Oswald began his career in the Church as a religious brother with the Brothers of Our Lady of the Poor. At this time, he was known as “Brother John.” When allegations of child sex abuse against Tucson priest Father Robert C. Trupia became public in 2002, Oswald claimed to have reported Trupia’s abuse to his superiors in the Diocese of Tucson in 1976. At that time, Oswald was teaching at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic School in Yuma, AZ, and claimed to have heard complaints about Trupia’s abuse from students in his classes.
Oswald left the Diocese of Tucson and the Brothers of Our Lady of the Poor in 1977 to become a seminary candidate with the Diocese of Santa Rosa. He was ordained as a priest in 1984 and served as the pastor of St. Mary Immaculate in Lakeport, CA, for most of his career.
In 2008, Oswald took a leave of absence from St. Mary Immaculate when a civil lawsuit was filed by two men alleging that Oswald had sexually abused them from 1988-1995. Oswald also took a leave of absence from his position as a chaplain with the Lakeport Police Department and the Lake County Sheriff’s Office at that time. A Vietnam veteran and former police officer, Oswald received community support in the wake of the allegations against him.
The Diocese of Santa Rosa settled this lawsuit for $1.3 million in March of 2009. At the time of the settlement, the diocese reported that Oswald was retired and was no longer in active ministry.
Oswald died on July 4, 2010.
In 2013, another plaintiff filed a civil lawsuit alleging sexual abuse by Oswald. This lawsuit settled for $3.5 million in July of 2014.
Father Oswald's Assignments
| Placement | City/State | Date(s) |
|---|---|---|
| St. Francis High School | Mountain View, CA | 1959..1961 |
| Marist High School Seminary, Peter Chanel | Berkeley, CA | 1961..1963 |
| U.S. Army, one tour of duty in Vietnam | 1963..1970 | |
| Army Military Police Corps | Fort Gordon, GA | 1967..1970 |
| Rock Hill Police Department | Rock Hill, SC | 1970..1975 |
| St. Francis of Assisi Catholic School | Yuma, AZ | 1975..1977 |
| St. Joseph Seminary | Mountain View, CA | 1977..1980 |
| Beda College | Rome, Italy | 1980..1984 |
| Summer Transitional Deacon at St. Joseph | Cotati, CA | 1983-1983 |
| St. Mary of the Angels | Ukiah, CA | 1984..1988 |
| St. Rose | Santa Rosa, CA | 1988..1988 |
| St. Mary Immaculate | Lakeport, CA | 1988..2008 |
Articles about Father Oswald
- Lake County News - Diocese Settles Civil Lawsuit against Lakeport Priest (19/03/2009)
- Press Democrat - Priest Sex Case Settled for $1.3 M (19/03/2009)
- Lake County News - Father Ted Oswald 1945-2010 (07/07/2010)
- Digital Journal - Child Sex Abuse Lawsuit Filed Against The Roman Catholic Diocese Of Santa Rosa And St. Mary Immaculate (21/08/2013)
- Insurance News Net - Santa Rosa diocese pays $3.5 million to settle final molestation case (15/07/2014)
