Ordained: 1978
Removed: 2019
Assignment History:
- Our Lady of Joy (Plum, PA)
- Saint Clare (Clairton, PA)
- Holy Spirit (West Mifflin, PA)
- St Thomas A Becket (Jefferson Hills, PA)
- Saint Elizabeth of Hungary (Pleasant Hills, PA)
Summary of Sexual Abuse Allegations Against Father Robert Cedolia:
Father Robert Cedolia was ordained a priest in 1978, and served parishes in Clairton, West Mifflin, Jefferson Hills, and Pleasant Hills in the Diocese of Pittsburgh. He has been a priest in active ministry for 41 years. According to media reports, in August 2019, Robert Cedolia was placed on leave due to an allegation that he sexually abused a minor while he was serving at a church in Plum in the 1990s. Cedolia denied the allegations.
"The diocese is responding to an accusation made through the Independent Reconciliation and Compensation Program, stating that Father Cedolia allegedly sexually abused a minor in the 1990s while he served as pastor of Our Lady of Joy Parish in Holiday Park," said the diocese in a written statement.
In May 2020, his name appeared on the Diocese of Pittsburgh's list of accused priests in active ministry that "have had an allegation of child sexual abuse made against them, but a final determination has not been made regarding whether the allegation is substantiated. Their faculties have been restricted while their cases are in process. These cases may still be under investigation by civil authorities or under review by the Independent Review Board. A final determination will be communicated once it has been made."
In April 2021, Allegheny County police arrested Father Cedolia on charges of aggravated indecent assault, unlawful contact with a minor, corruption of minors, and two counts of indecent assault on a person less than 13 years old. On November 14, 2022, following a jury trial, Robert Cedolia was found not guilty of aggravated indecent assault in the case. The Diocese of Pittsburgh issued a statement stating that the verdict "represents the conclusion of a nearly four-year period" since the allegation was filed. The statement also said that the "civil court ruling is consistent with the finding of the diocesan Independent Review Board, which found no merit in the claim."
Horowitz Law is a law firm representing victims and survivors of sexual abuse by Catholic priests and other clergy in the Diocese of Pittsburgh. 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 Diocese of Pittsburgh may have legal options, but filing deadlines will apply so do not delay in reaching out to us.
Contact us at (954) 641-2100 or adam@adamhorowitzlaw.com to discuss your options today.