Monsignor Mario Costa
Diocese of Rockville Centre
Ordained: 1953
Retired: 2002
Died: 2007
Assignment History:
- 1953-1954: Nativity (Ozone Park, NY)
- 1954: St. Michael – St. Edward (Brooklyn, NY)
- 1954-1955: St. John Evangelist (NY)
- 1955-1965: St. Patrick (Glen Cove, NY)
- 1965-1966: SS. Cyril & Methodius (Deer Park, NY)
- 1967-1975: Holy Family (Hicksville, NY)
- 1975-2002: St. Paul the Apostle (Jericho, NY)
Summary of Sexual Abuse Allegations Against Father Mario Costa:
Monsignor Mario Costa worked in the Diocese of Rockville Center for over 50 years. Known as “the Good Father,” Costa was listed on the Diocese of Rockville Centre’s 2021 List of Clergy Credibly Accused of Sexual Abuse of a Minor. The list states that the alleged sexual abuse occurred while Costa worked at St. Paul the Apostle in Jericho, NY, sometime between 1975-2002. The details of the abuse including the victim’s age and gender, are unknown. Fr. Costa died in 2007.
According to media reports, since the list has come out, advocates, survivors, parishioners, and attorneys are demanding that officials remove a plaque hanging in St. Paul the Apostle bearing a carved picture of Costa’s face and a quote that says in part, “To live in the midst of the world with no desire for its pleasures . . . to penetrate all secrets; to heal all wounds . . .to have a heart of fire for charity and a heart of bronze for chastity.”
The lower parish hall and offices are also named after Msgr. Costa which they are requesting be changed in light of new allegations, stating that Costa should not be honored. In June 2021, the plaque honoring Msgr. Costa was replaced by a portrait of the Virgin Mary.
Horowitz Law is a law firm representing victims and survivors of sexual abuse by Catholic priests and other clergy in the Diocese of Rockville Centre in New York. If you need a lawyer because you were sexually abused by a priest in New York, contact our office today. In October 2020, the Rockville Centre Diocese filed for federal bankruptcy protection. The Court will resolve all claims of sexual abuse in this process, but strict filing deadlines will apply, and no late claims will be considered, so contact us today. Our lawyers have decades of experience representing survivors of clergy sexual abuse in New York and nationwide. We can help.
Contact us at 888-283-9922 or [email protected] to discuss your options today.