Fr. Salvatore Zangari – Diocese of Harrisburg
Ordained: 1944
Retired: 1986
Died: 2004
Assigned as follows:
- 1944-1946 St. Patrick (York, PA)
- 1946-1951 St. Peter (Mount Carmel, PA)
- 1951-1957 U.S. Army Chaplain/Industrial School (Camp Hill, PA)
- 1957-1959 Assumption BVM (Lebanon, PA)
- 1959-1964 Our Lady of Visitation (Shippensburg, PA)
- 1964-1969 St. Thomas More (Northumberland, PA)
- 1969-1973 St. Ann (Steelton, PA)
- 1973-1975 Immaculate Conception BVM (Fairfield, PA)
- 1975-1986 St. Peter (Elizabethtown, PA)
Summary of Allegations against Fr. Salvatore Zangari:
According to the grand jury report, the Diocese of Harrisburg received multiple reports of unwanted sexual contact between Zangari and adult women between 1980-1986. The Diocese of Harrisburg finally took some type of action and sent Zangari for a psychological evaluation at the St. Luke Institute, a notorious treatment facility for sexually deviant priests in Maryland. During his evaluation, Zangari told his psychologist that he was married and had fathered a child.
Zangari was allowed to retire voluntarily in 1986.
In 2002, Diocese of Harrisburg officials met with Zangari to discuss the 1986 allegations and SLI reports “because it appeared they had never been followed up on.” Zangari denied saying he was married (or ever being married) but admitted that he had fathered a child with a former student at St. Mary/Assumption BVM, but said it was after she turned 18.
The entire SLI report and summary of the 2002 interview with Zangari were provided to Bishop Nicholas Dattilo. In response to the contents of the documents, which have not been made public, Dattilo issued a penal precept against Zangari, finding that, based entirely upon Zangari’s own statements in 1986 and 2002, there existed “full proof of [Zangari’s] sexual abuse of minors,” even though Zangari said the mother of his child was over 18. This suggests, of course, that he made other admissions that he sexually abused minors during his SLI evaluation.
In December 2002, 16 years after he retired as a priest in good standing, the Diocese of Harrisburg suspended Zangari’s faculties to minister.
Zangari died approximately two years later in September 2004 at his home in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. There is no evidence that he was removed from priesthood (laicized) before his death.
Horowitz Law is a law firm representing victims of sexual abuse in the Diocese of Harrisburg and throughout Pennsylvania. The Diocese of Harrisburg filed for federal bankruptcy protection in February 2020. Anyone sexually abused by a priest or employee of the Diocese of Harrisburg may be entitled to file a claim against the Diocese in these bankruptcy proceedings, but very strict filing deadlines apply. Most victims of abuse in the Diocese of Harrisburg will never be able to take action against the Diocese of Harrisburg if they miss this bankruptcy filing deadline, so it is important that you contact us immediately to discuss your potential case.
Contact us at 888-283-9922 or [email protected] to discuss your legal options today.