Monsignor George Trabold
Archdiocese of Newark
Ordained: May 26, 1973
Stepped down: 2014
Died: April 17, 2022
Assigned as follows:
- St. Rose of Lima (Short Hills, NJ)
- St. John the Evangelist (Bergenfield, NJ)
Summary of Abuse Allegations against Monsignor George Trabold:
Monsignor George Trabold was ordained a priest in 1973 and served in the Archdiocese of Newark. He served in multiple parishes throughout his career. In addition, he worked in the Marriage Tribunal, and as secretary to the archbishop and Director of Development for the Archdiocese of Newark.
According to media reports, in October 2014, Monsignor Trabold voluntarily stepped down from his ministry while officials investigated sexual abuse allegations against him. The allegations concerned the abuse of minors while Monsignor Trabold was assigned to St. John the Evangelist in Bergenfield from 1973 to 1977 and from 1994 to 1998. He denied the allegations.
The Archdiocese of Newark reported the allegations to the Bergen County Prosecutor’s office. Criminal charges were not brought against Monsignor Trabold because the alleged abuse occurred outside of the statute of limitations.
Upon review of the case, the Archdiocese Review Board deemed the accusations credible and requested a canonical trial from the Vatican to laicize Monsignor Trabold. During that process, he is allowed to maintain his innocence and seek a verdict from the Vatican court as to whether he committed misconduct serious enough to require his removal from the priesthood.
In October 2015, in a formal letter, the Archdiocese of Newark advised the communities of St. Rose of Lima and St. John the Evangelist of the allegations against Monsignor Trabold. Prior to Trabold’s passing in April 2022, the Vatican still had not decided whether he would be permanently removed from the ministry.
In 2016, one of the accusers obtained a financial settlement from the Archdiocese of Newark.
When the Archdiocese of Newark released its list of credibly accused priests in February 2019, Monsignor Trabold’s name was not included on the list.
Horowitz Law is a law firm representing victims and survivors of sexual abuse by Catholic priests and other clergy in the Archdiocese of Newark in New Jersey. If you need a lawyer because you were sexually abused in the Archdiocese of Newark, contact our office today. Although many years have passed, those abused by Catholic clergy in the Archdiocese of Newark now have legal options, but filing deadlines will apply so do not delay in reaching out to us. Our lawyers have decades of experience representing survivors of clergy sexual abuse in New Jersey and nationwide. We can help.
Contact us at 888-283-9922 or [email protected] to discuss your options today.