Father Stephen Placa
Diocese of Brooklyn
Ordained: 1995
Left ministry: 2002
Laicized: 2011
Assigned as follows:
- St. Francis de Sales (Belle Harbor, NY)
- 1996-1998: St. Francis Xavier (Brooklyn, NY)
- 1999-2002: St. Gregory the Great (Bellerose, NY)
Summary of Abuse Allegations against Father Stephen Placa:
According to media reports, Fr. Stephen Placa was a Brooklyn priest until he left active ministry in 2002. He went on to become a pilot and founded a flight school, the Heritage Flight Academy, in Ronkonkoma, Long Island, New York. In 2009, he was convicted of the sexual abuse of two boys, ages 8 and 10. He was reportedly laicized in November 2011.
Six years later in November 2017, his name was quietly added to the diocesan website as a priest laicized by the Vatican office “authorized to deal with cases involving sexual abuse of minors by a cleric.” Claims against him were included in the diocese’s 2017 Independent Reconciliation and Compensation Program (IRCP).
In February 2019, Placa’s name appeared publicly on the Diocese of Brooklyn’s list of clergy credibly accused of sex abuse of minors. His current whereabouts are unknown.
Horowitz Law is a law firm representing victims and survivors of sexual abuse by Catholic priests and other clergy in the Diocese of Brooklyn. If you need a lawyer because you were sexually abused by a priest in Brooklyn, contact our office today. Although many years have passed, those abused by Catholic clergy in the Diocese of Brooklyn now have legal options to recover damages due to a compensation fund created for victims. Call us at 888-283-9922 or send an email to [email protected] to discuss your options today.