The Sacred Heart Missionaries religious order allowed a convicted clerical sex abuser to write a glowing tribute to its former provincial as part of a public mass celebrating his 40-year jubilee in Cork earlier this month, the Sunday Tribune has learned.

In a leaflet handed out to attendees at a jubilee celebration mass for nine priests of the order at the community's centre at Western Road, Cork on 2 July last, each of the priests received a written acknowledgement penned by a fellow colleague.

This included a tribute to a former provincial of the order, Fr Ciaran MacCarthaigh, by Fr Tadhg ó Dálaigh.

ó Dálaigh pleaded guilty in November 1999 to 10 sample counts of indecent assault against a 12-year-old boy in the early 1970s, and was sentenced to three years in prison for his crimes.

In one section of the mass leaflet, ó Dálaigh wrote that MacCarthaigh "will have many achievements and blessings to be proud of".

"His dedication and hard work have always been a trait of Ciaran, be it on the football field, study or administration," he added.

However, during the 1999 court case against ó Dálaigh, his victim described how the priest – who was in charge of supervising boys at the Sacred Heart College, Carrignavar, Co Cork – had destroyed his life. He also asked that he be named publicly.

He told how the priest came to his bed after the dormitory lights were turned off and sexually abused him. He said the abuse he suffered had caused him huge problems in later life, including running away from home, anorexia, drinking heavily and a suicide attempt when he deliberately crashed his car.

But O'Dalaigh was transferred to Dublin after the abuse was reported.

Responding to a series of queries from the Sunday Tribune, the current provincial of the Order, Fr Patrick Courtney, said: "We fully accept that the decision to allow Fr Ó Dálaigh to write an article in the leaflet handed out to those in attendance at the recent jubilee celebration was a mistake.

"We sincerely regret this mistake and unreservedly apologise to anyone who is aggrieved or hurt by this decision," he said. "Fr Ó Dálaigh is out of ministry and has no access to children. He lives within one of our communities, abides by strict and agreed criteria and his place of residence is known to the Gardaí. The Missionaries of the Sacred Heart are fully compliant with all guidelines on safeguarding children issued by the Catholic Church in Ireland."

Maeve Lewis, executive director of One in Four, which supports victims of abuse, strongly criticised the decision to allow Ó Dálaigh to write such a public tribute.

"It suggests to me that some within the church struggle to realise the lifelong impact which sexual abuse can have on a victim," she said.

The Rape Crisis centre in Cork can be contacted on Freephone 1 800 496 496, while One in Four is available at (01) 662 4070