Father Hermy Dave Ceniza
Diocese of Fresno
Assigned as Follows:
- St. Francis Church (Bakersfield, CA)
Summary of Sexual Abuse Allegations against Father Hermy Dave Ceniza:
Father Hermy Dave Ceniza was ordained a priest who served in the Diocese of Fresno. According to media reports, in April 2010, a civil lawsuit was filed against the priest and the Roman Catholic Diocese of Fresno that alleged the abuse and stalking of one minor at St. Francis Church in Bakersfield. The alleged abuse was said to have occurred around 1991. Because the deadline to file a sexual molestation claim had passed, the lawsuit filed was only able to accuse the diocese of fraud.
The suit stated that Bishop T. Steinbeck learned of the allegations against Ceniza in 1993, and promised to remove him from ministry. Steinbeck never followed through. The lawsuit also stated that Steinbeck never contacted the authorities or told the parishioners of the alleged abused.
Since then, the victim has learned that Ceniza is living in the Philippines and has been able to continue with the priesthood. In 2010, the former altar boy dropped the lawsuit against The Diocese of Fresno claiming that Steinbeck did not commit fraud. The victim and his lawyer asked for Hermy Ceniza’s personnel file before filing the lawsuit but church officials denied the request. After the church finally turned over the files, it was shown that Steinbeck had removed Ceniza from ministry and sent letters to his former dioceses about the alleged abuse.
As of May 7th 2019, Hermy Ceniza’s name appears on the Diocese of Fresno’s updated list of accused clergy. No further information has been released about Ceniza’s whereabouts since being named on the list.
Horowitz Law is a law firm representing victims and survivors of sexual abuse by Catholic priests and other clergy in the Diocese of Fresno in California. If you need a lawyer because you were sexually abused by a priest in one of California’s Catholic dioceses, contact our office today. Although many years have passed, those abused by Catholic clergy in the Diocese of Fresno now have legal options due to a temporary change in California law, 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 California and nationwide. We can help.
Contact us toll-free at 888-283-9922 or [email protected] to discuss your options today.