Father Mark Gaspar
Archdiocese of Philadelphia
Ordained: 1998
Suspended: 2011
Permanently removed: 2013
Current status with Archdiocese of Philadelphia: unknown
Summary of Sexual Abuse Allegations against Father Mark Gaspar:
Father Mark Gaspar was ordained a priest in 1998 and served in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. He served in multiple parishes throughout his career. According to media reports, he was one of 21 priests suspended by Cardinal Justin Rigali in 2011 following the release of the second grand jury report, which indicated that more than 30 active priests had allegations of sexual misconduct during their priesthood. No information was offered to the general public about the nature or details of the allegation(s) against Gaspar.
In April 2013, the Archdiocese of Philadelphia announced that its internal review board determined the allegation against Gaspar, a relatively young priest, had been substantiated and he would be permanently removed from ministry. The review board determined that Gaspar violated the standards of ministerial conduct and was therefore unsuitable for ministry.
No additional information about those violations was provided to the public, except for a general statement that priests removed for that reason generally had "boundary issues with children." According to media reports, "Church officials have declined to release details on specific accusations but say boundary issues can include inappropriate talk or contact, sharing alcohol or pornography with minors or other conduct that may be construed as "grooming" a victim."
Additionally, no explanation was offered as to why Gaspar, who only became a priest in 1998, was allowed to remain in ministry despite an allegation that could apparently be proven.
Gaspar's name does not appear on any of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia's lists of credibly accused priests, so his current status with the Archdiocese is unknown. For all we know, he continues to work as a priest in some capacity. It is not clear why the Archdiocese of Philadelphia continues to cover up for him even today.
Gaspar is now 48 years old. He is believed to be residing in the Philadelphia area.
Horowitz Law is a law firm representing victims and survivors of sexual abuse by Catholic priests and other clergy in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. If you need a lawyer because you were sexually abused by a priest in Pennsylvania, contact our office today. Although many years have passed, those abused by Catholic clergy in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia may have legal options, but filing deadlines will apply so please do not delay in reaching out to us.
Contact us at 888-283-9922 or adam@adamhorowitzlaw.com to discuss your options today.