Tag: Diocese of Buffalo

Msgr. James Kelly – Diocese of Buffalo

Posted by admin on October 12, 2021

Monsignor James Kelly

Diocese of Buffalo

Ordained: 1962

Retired: Unknown

Removed: 2021

Assignment History:

St. Nicholas (Buffalo, NY)
St. Benedict the Moor Catholic Church (Buffalo, NY)
The Diocesan Educational Campus (Buffalo, NY)
St. John’s Parish (Olean, NY)
St. Margaret’s Parish (Buffalo, NY)

Summary of Sexual Abuse Allegations against Monsignor James Kelly

On June 30, 2021, the Diocese of Buffalo placed Msgr. James Kelly on administrative leave after learning Msgr. Kelly allegedly abused two minors during his career. According to the complaints—which were filed under New York’s Child Victim Act— the abuse involved two minors—one in the 1980s and the other in the 2000s.

2005-2007 Allegation and Lawsuit

In June 2021, the Diocese of Buffalo says while searching through publicly filed complaints, it found one filed against Msgr. James Kelly. “From approximately 2005 to 2007, when Plaintiff was approximately nine to ten years old, Msgr. Kelly engaged in unpermitted sexual contact with the Plaintiff,” the complaint reads.

A spokesperson for the Diocese of Buffalo said the diocese reported the matter to the Erie County District Attorney and the Independent Review Board.

1980-1982 Allegation and Lawsuit

As the Diocese of Buffalo learned of Msgr. Kelly alleged abuse in 2005, another suit accusing the priest of sexual abuse was filed. According to the complaint, “when the plaintiff was approximately 8 to 10 years old, Rev. Msgr. Kelly engaged in unpermitted sexual contact with the plaintiff.”

From 1980 to 1982, the plaintiff says they were a student at St. Nicholas and St. Benedict the Moor—where Msgr. Kelly was assigned.

Both suits are still pending, and updates are not available at this time.

Msgr. James Kelly’s Career

Ordained in 1962, Msgr. James Kelly served for nearly 60 years. Although retired, Msgr. Kelly continued to assist in parish ministry. Despite the ongoing litigation and Msgr. Kelly’s leave, the Diocese of Buffalo reinstated him in October 2021.

Horowitz Law is a law firm representing victims and survivors of sexual abuse by Catholic priests and other clergy in the Diocese of Alexandria in Louisiana. If you need a lawyer because you were sexually abused by a priest in Louisiana, contact our office today. Although many years have passed, those abused by Catholic clergy in the Diocese of Alexandria may 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 Louisiana and nationwide. We can help.

Msgr. Leo McCarthy – Diocese of Buffalo

Posted by admin on July 14, 2021

Msgr. Leo McCarthy

Diocese of Buffalo

Summary of Sexual Abuse Allegations against Msgr. Leo McCarthy:

In July 2021, a lawsuit was filed in New York State court alleging that a woman was sexually abused by Monsignor Leo McCarthy of the Diocese of Buffalo in the early 1980s.

According to the lawsuit, the woman, now 51, alleges that she was abused by McCarthy over the course of several months in 1982, when she was 12 years old. She says that McCarthy showed her pornography and engaged her in sexual contact, including sexual intercourse in the sacristy at St. Matthew parish in Buffalo. The abuse continued until her mother suspected she was pregnant, at which time she told her mom about what McCarthy was doing. She also says that she tried to tell a teacher about the abuse, but the teacher did not believe her; she was expelled from the school not long after, which she says was retaliation by McCarthy for reporting her abuse.

McCarthy is now retired but continued to assist with services at Blessed Sacrament in Tonawanda. Upon learning of the allegation, the Buffalo Diocese says that it suspended McCarthy’s faculties to minister and placed him on administrative leave pending investigation.

Horowitz Law is a law firm representing victims of sexual abuse in the Diocese of Buffalo in New York. The Diocese of Buffalo filed for bankruptcy protection in February 2020. Our lawyers are now offering free legal consultations to discuss a potential lawsuit and your other options as a survivor of sexual abuse by priests and other employees of the Buffalo Diocese.

Very strict filing deadlines will soon be set by the Bankruptcy Court. Most victims of abuse will never be able to recover damages if they miss this deadline, so please contact us to discuss your case today.

Aux. Bishop Edward Grosz – Diocese of Buffalo

Posted by admin on July 14, 2021

Aux. Bishop Edward Grosz

Diocese of Buffalo

Summary of Abuse Allegations against Auxiliary Bishop Edward Grosz:

In July 2021, retired Buffalo Auxiliary Bishop Edward Grosz was named in a lawsuit filed by a man who says that Grosz sexually abused him in approximately 1990 when the man was just 15 years old. According to the lawsuit, the abuse occurred at St. Brigid parish in Bergen, New York. Media reports indicate that the abuse occurred after a confirmation service for the boy.

The lawsuit also alleges that Fr. Richard Keppeler abused the boy for several years at St. Brigid prior to the abuse by Grosz. The victim told news reporters that he hoped to report Keppeler’s abuse to Bishop Grosz and bring an end to it, but instead Grosz sexually abused him too.

In response to the allegations, the Diocese of Buffalo says that Grosz voluntarily surrendered his faculties to minister during the Diocese’s internal investigation of the allegation. Though he retired several years ago, Grosz continued to perform sacraments and celebrate masses on occasion.

Grosz is the highest ranking official in the Diocese of Buffalo to be accused of sexually abusing a minor, but his involvement in the Diocese’s child sexual abuse scandal is not new information. Grosz was personally named in the November 2020 lawsuit filed against the Diocese of Buffalo by the New York Attorney General. That lawsuit, which is still ongoing, accuses Bishop Richard Malone and Grosz of “protecting more than two dozen priests accused of child sexual abuse by not referring their cases to the Vatican for potential removal from the priesthood,” and “misusing charitable assets by supporting priests who they knew had likely sexually abused minors.”

Grosz, now 76, will remain on suspension pending the Diocese’s investigation of the matter. Given his position in the Catholic Church hierarchy, it is likely that the Archdiocese of New York will become involved in the matter, as is required by internal church policies.

Buffalo Bishop to Predator Priest: You’re Either Supervised or You’re on Your Own!

Posted by admin on June 26, 2021

It’s about time!

That’s how we at Horowitz Law reacted to the news that a New York bishop is telling his credibly accused clerics “Either live under supervision or live without my financial support.”

A Buffalo TV station reports that a priest, deemed by Buffalo church and lay officials ‘credibly accused’ of abuse, is fighting his boss’ ultimatum.

We solidly side with the bishop. It’s about time a Catholic prelate uses his powers to keep suspected abusers away from kids.

For decades, bishops have recruited, educated, ordained, paid, supervised and transferred priests, even or especially those who do wrong. But when their wrongdoing surfaces, bishops often feign powerlessness over these same priests. When they do this, bishops usually blame the church’s internal, archaic, ‘canon laws.’

“Once a priest, always a priest,” the claim goes, so “Church policy is that we must keep Father on the payroll, no matter what he’s done. And this is America, he’s a free man, and I don’t own a prison.”

Wrong, wrong, wrong.

Criminal clerics can, of course, be defrocked and stripped of their collars. And while this is of course America and all citizens have rights, men voluntarily give up some of those rights when they become ordained.

Every U.S, man can marry. But not, of course, if he swears to be celibate in exchange for the many benefits of priesthood.

Every U.S, man can live where he wants. But not of course, if he swears to obey a bishop forever, again in exchange for the many benefits of priesthood.

So these claims of powerless by bishops who are, in fact, very powerful, are hollow.

For centuries, bishops have used – and many still use – their power to protect criminal clerics (by deceiving parishioners, stone-walling police, stiff-arming prosecutors, bullying victims, intimidating witnesses, discrediting whistleblowers and using their political and personal connections to extract favors and second chances from secular authorities).

So it’s high time they start using their power to protect kids.

And there’s no better place to start than by supervising known offenders.

Since the Buffalo bishop is reversing centuries of corruption, it’s no surprise that at least one child molesting cleric is crying “Foul!”

According to one news account, an accused Buffalo abuser, Fr. Samuel Venne, says he’s innocent of the allegation. He has reportedly not “had the opportunity to testify and present evidence” and “might be a victim of mistaken identity.”

Let’s unpack this.

First, is Fr. Venne claiming he sends emails to Catholic officials but never gets a reply? That he sends registered mail through the post office but it’s return “Sender refused to accept?” Not likely.

Evidence can be provided in a lot of ways, as Fr. Venne surely knows. It doesn’t have to be in a courtroom.

(Indeed, for decades victims have been forbidden to present THEIR evidence in courts all across this country. One reason for this injustice: Catholic bishops, priests, lobbyists and public relations teams have fought to install or preserve predator-friendly deadlines like the statute of limitations that block prosecutions and trials and keeps evidence under wraps.)

So it’s more than a little ironic for Fr. Venne to complain that the child sex abuse reports against him haven’t yet been litigated in a formal courtroom.

This cleric’s lawyer claims Buffalo’s bishop has a “moral obligation to provide for these (accused) priests.”

We at Horowitz Law agree. But we believe that moral obligation is secondary. The bishop’s first duty is to protect vulnerable kids from devastating crimes. And that obligation requires that church officials do all they can to keep known and suspected predators away from children.

Adults can often take care of themselves. Kids most often cannot, especially when dealing with child molesters who are often well-educated, well-spoken and well-practiced in carefully selecting already vulnerable youngsters who likely won’t tell, won’t be believed or whose parents will be unable or unwilling to pursue the trauma of a long, uncertain, stress-filled criminal prosecution.

Finally, could this be a case of ‘mistaken identity?’ Of course. Anything is possible. But go to the thorough, accurate and widely-respected website called BishopAccountability.org. Click on “Our Research” and then on “Data on the Crisis.”

You may be shocked at how rare ‘false allegations’ are.

So Buffalo Catholics should say ‘kudos’ to their bishop, and keep their kids away from Fr. Venne.

Buffalo Bishop Lists Some Bad Jesuits But Ignores Others

Posted by admin on June 10, 2021

A few weeks ago, on this blog, we were highly critical of the Diocese of Buffalo Catholic officials and how they’re handling abuse cases.

So let’s be charitable now and start on a high note: To its credit, unlike some other dioceses, the Buffalo Catholic diocese includes religious order offenders on its ‘credibly accused’ list.
https://buffalodiocese.org/abuse-response/

(Some church ‘accused’ lists include only diocesan clerics.)

https://buffalodiocese.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Diocesan_Substantiate_11-5-19.pdf

This is important for many reasons, one of which is simple: many times, religious order priests, brothers, monks and seminarians have even greater access to kids than diocesan clerics, because they often work in schools or a vulnerable population.

For example, Buffalo church officials include the following Jesuit clerics on their ‘credibly accused’ list, all of whom worked at Canisius High School, college or both:

—Fr. Peter Conroy

—Fr. Raymond Fullam

—Fr. Vincent Mooney

—Fr. James Gould (who also worked at St. Ann’s parish in Buffalo)

—Fr. Cornelius Carr (who also worked at St. Michael’s parish in Buffalo).

Sadly, however, that’s where the good news about the Buffalo diocese ends.

While Bishop Michael Fisher includes SOME predatory Jesuits on his list, he ignores others, even thought they too have been found to be ‘credibly accused’ by their own Jesuit supervisors.

Here are a few of them (who also were at Canisius high school or college):

—Fr. Thomas F. Denny, who worked in Brooklyn, Staten Island and New York City, largely in schools (Fordham Prep in the Bronx, McQuaid Jesuit in Rochester and St. Peter’s Prep in Jersey City). Twice, he spent time overseas (Nigeria and Puerto Rico).

https://www.bishop-accountability.org/news2021/01_02/2021_01_18_Erica_Ram_University_Murray-Weigel.htm

https://www.bishop-accountability.org/order_lists/Jesuits_Northeast/2019_01_15_Jesuits_Northeast_Credible_Allegations.pdf#page=4

—Fr. John L. Farrand, who admitted molesting while in the Buffalo diocese to his church supervisors. He worked in at least three other New York locations (Rochester, Brooklyn and New York City) and overseas twice (France and Puerto Rico).

https://www.bishop-accountability.org/news2020/07_08/2020_07_21_Orr_LawsuitsClaim.htm

https://www.bishop-accountability.org/order_lists/Jesuits_Northeast/2019_01_15_Jesuits_Northeast_Credible_Allegations.pdf#page=6

—Fr. William J. Scanlon, who was at the college between 1976 and 1980 and reportedly admitted the abuse to church officials.

Fr. Scanlon also worked in Rochester, New York City, Jersey City, the Bronx and in Nigeria. He was also on the Fordham University campus.

https://www.bishop-accountability.org/news2021/01_02/2021_01_18_Erica_Ram_University_Murray-Weigel.htm

https://www.bishop-accountability.org/order_lists/Jesuits_Northeast/2019_01_15_Jesuits_Northeast_Credible_Allegations.pdf#page=13

As you may have noticed, the latter two clerics, Fr. Farrand and Fr. Scanlon, reportedly ADMITTED abusing. And Fr. Farrand’s abuse happened IN THE BUFFALO DIOCESE.

So how on earth do Buffalo church officials explain keeping these men off of their ‘credibly accused’ list?

And speaking of credibly accused religious order abusers, several of them who worked in Buffalo are now elsewhere. They include Thomas Marshall, James Burson, Michael Kolodziej, Linus Kopczewski, Rene Maynard, Bernard Splawski and James Smyka, all of whom are all reportedly “living outside Buffalo Diocese.”

https://buffalodiocese.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Order-Priests.pdf

But that should be little consolation or reassurance to Buffalo area Catholics or citizens. Moving child molesters somewhere else doesn’t ‘cure’ them.

Buffalo Catholic officials would have to admit that, knowingly or unknowingly, they or their predecessors have in disputably let dangerous and potentially dangerous clerics be around and sometimes hurt innocent Buffalo area kids.

So given that fact, shouldn’t these same Buffalo Catholic officials NOW desperately want to ‘make up for’ their wrongdoing or mistakes? Shouldn’t they be anxious to prevent future harm to kids by stopping those very same dangerous or potentially dangerous priests from being around and hurting innocent kids in Massachusetts or Ohio or Texas?

Or if Buffalo church staffers can’t prevent these quiet transfers, shouldn’t they want to at least shout from the rooftops “Hey, these child molesters were here in our diocese and now they’re in your diocese. Be careful!”

But that’s not happening. Buffalo Bishop Michael Fischer won’t even use his own website to tell the public where Fr. Marshall, Fr. Burson, Fr. Maynard and the others are now living or were living when they were shipped out of Buffalo.

And how about two other ‘credibly accused’ clerics on the Buffalo diocesan list: Fr. Theodore Podson, who is reportedly “living in the Philippines,” or Fr. Benedict Barszcz, who has reportedly “returned to Poland.”

Both of these are heavily Catholic nations in which clergy sex crimes and cover ups have only begun to surface in recent years and in which, we submit, parents are even more trusting of priests and thus youngsters are even more vulnerable to the predatory ones.

What are Buffalo’s bishop and his staff doing to alert parishioners, police, prosecutors and the public in those countries to the presence of these predators?

Finally, according to BishopAccountability.org, the Buffalo diocese’s 2018 ‘credibly accused’ list “provided no information, besides (the accused) names and death years. Assignment histories were not included; nor were the number or nature of allegations detailed. . .”

There’s just one word for this vagueness: self-serving. This lack of detail helps no one but complicit church officials.

Fr. Mieczyslaw “Matt” Nycz – Diocese of Buffalo

Posted by admin on June 7, 2021

Father Mieczyslaw “Matt” Nycz

Diocese of Buffalo

Ordained: Unknown

Retired: Unknown

Assigned as follows:

Sacred Heart School (NY)
SS. Peter and Paul (Williamsville, NY)

Summary of Abuse Allegations against Father Mieczyslaw “Matt” Nycz:

Three priests have been placed on leave in response to claims in a lawsuit filed by a man who claims that they sexually abused him in the 1990s, the Diocese of Buffalo announced Saturday. One of the priests placed on leave was Fr. Mieczyslaw “Matt” Nycz. Bishop Michael Fisher said the priests all “deny ever committing any acts of abuse” but were placed on leave pending an investigation.

The Diocese also notified the Erie County District Attorney’s Office of the claims, which emerged in a lawsuit last month. According to media reports, the lawsuit was filed by an Erie County man who had been a student at Sacred Heart School at the time of the alleged abuse.

The man filing suit is claiming that the priests forced him and other students to engage in sexual contact with other underage female students. He’s also claiming that these acts were filmed by the priests. The alleged abuse occurred on school grounds and in “the confessional rooms,” according to the lawsuit.

The suit alleges that the plaintiff was abused by Fr. Nycz from 1997 to 1998 when he was 12 to 13 years old.

In October 2021, the Bishop of Buffalo reinstated Nycz to active ministry after the self-serving internal investigation by the Diocese failed to substantiate the allegations.

Horowitz Law is a law firm representing victims of sexual abuse in the Diocese of Buffalo and throughout New York. The Diocese of Buffalo filed for federal bankruptcy protection in February 2020. Anyone sexually abused by a priest or employee of the Diocese of Buffalo may be entitled to file a claim against the Diocese in these bankruptcy proceedings, but very strict filing deadlines apply. Most victims of abuse in the Diocese of Buffalo will never be able to take action against the Diocese of Buffalo if they miss this bankruptcy filing deadline, so it is important that you contact us immediately to discuss your potential case.

Fr. Gregory Dobson – Diocese of Buffalo

Posted by admin on June 7, 2021

Father Gregory Dobson

Diocese of Buffalo

Ordained: Unknown

Retired: Unknown

Assigned as follows:

Sacred Heart School (NY)

Summary of Abuse Allegations against Father Gregory Dobson:

Three priests were placed on leave in May 2021 in response to claims that they sexually abused a boy in the 1990s, the Diocese of Buffalo announced Saturday. One of the priests placed on leave is Fr. Gregory Dobson who is retired but continues to assist in various parishes of the diocese.

Bishop Michael Fisher said the priests all “deny ever committing any acts of abuse” but were placed on leave pending an investigation.

The diocese also notified the Erie County District Attorney’s Office of the claims, which emerged in a lawsuit last month. According to media reports, the lawsuit was filed by an Erie County man who had been a student at Sacred Heart School at the time of the alleged abuse. Fisher states that placing the priests on leave is in no way indicating that they are guilty and that the truth is to be determined.

The suit alleges that the plaintiff was abused by Dobson when he was 10 to 11 between 1995 and 1996.

In October 2021, the Bishop of Buffalo reinstated Dobson to active ministry after the self-serving internal investigation by the Diocese failed to substantiate the allegations, along with the others named in the lawsuit.

Fr. Adolph Kowalczyk – Diocese of Buffalo

Posted by admin on June 7, 2021

Father Adolph Kowalczyk

Diocese of Buffalo

Ordained: Unknown

Assigned as follows:

Sacred Heart School
Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Church (Orchard Park, NY)

Summary of Abuse Allegations against Father Adolph Kowalczyk:

Three priests were placed on leave from ministry in the Buffalo Diocese in May 2021, in response to claims that they sexually abused a boy in the 1990s, the Diocese of Buffalo announced Saturday. One of the priests placed on leave was Fr. Adolph Kowalczyk.

Bishop Michael Fisher said the priests all “deny ever committing any acts of abuse” but were placed on leave pending an investigation.

According to media reports, the lawsuit was filed by an Erie County man who had been a student at Sacred Heart School at the time of the alleged abuse. Fisher states that placing the priests on leave is in no way indicating that they are guilty and that the truth is to be determined.

According to the lawsuit, Kowalczyk is accused of committing the abuse when the plaintiff was about 9 to 11 years old between 1994 and 1996.

In October 2021, the Bishop of Buffalo reinstated Kowalczyk to active ministry after the self-serving internal investigation by the Diocese failed to substantiate the allegations, along with the others accused in the lawsuit.

Crucial Deadline Approaching in Syracuse For Abuse Survivors

Posted by admin on March 19, 2021

April 15, 2021 is the deadline to file for compensation through the Diocese of Syracuse’s bankruptcy proceedings. Headquartered in Syracuse, New York, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Syracuse is responsible for the interests of the Catholic Church in the seven counties of Central and South Central New York State: Broome, Chenango, Cortland, Madison, Oneida, Onondaga and Oswego. It is estimated that there are nearly one quarter of a million Catholics in this region.

https://www.binghamtonhomepage.com/news/deadline-approaches-for-proofs-of-claim-in-diocese-of-syracuse-chapter-11-case/

But the April 15 deadline will not be the end of the story. Even after April 15, those hurt by Syracuse clerics are still able to expose their predators and protect other kids.

We have identified a shocking 62 clergy and 1 lay teacher who worked in the Diocese of Syracuse who have been publicly accused of sexually abusing minors. In many cases, the perpetrators were merely transferred from parish to parish after allegations arose, and left a long trail of victims across the Diocese of Syracuse.

The Syracuse diocese itself admits 57 such abusive clergy and lists them on its website, as of two years ago.

https://www.syracuse.com/news/2018/12/syracuse_diocese_releases_list_of_abusive_priests.html

About 20 of them are still alive (which means some could still be assaulting children).

All of this prompted us at Horowitz Law to take a closer look at the list of credibly accused abusive clerics on the Syracuse diocese website.

In a nutshell, it’s incomplete and inadequate in many ways. We’ll point out just three simple but significant shortcomings.

–It apparently includes no religious order clerics. Typically, religious order clerics are about 30% of the priests, brothers and monks in any diocese. So right off the bat, the Syracuse list is lacking.

–It also apparently includes no work assignments for the predator priests. Those assignments ARE provided by many other dioceses. And they’re helpful because when parents see that the Fr. Smith who was in their parish is now ‘credibly accused’ of abuse, those parents are more apt to spread the word, warn others about him, and even ask their own kids and friends “Hey, did Fr. Smith ever do anything creepy or hurtful to you?” – a question that can lead to healing, prevention and sometimes even criminal prosecutions and convictions.

–And it apparently includes no appeal to victims, witnesses and whistleblowers to call police or prosecutors. This omission only helps those who commit or conceal child sex crimes. It also increases the likelihood that if someone DOES know or suspect wrongdoing, they’ll call church figures, not secular authorities. And when church officials are the first to get abuse reports, they have the chance to begin covering them up.

In fact, Syracuse Bishop Douglas Lucia brags on his website that “significant steps have been taken to reach out to victims, involve the laity, partner with law enforcement” in abuse cases. But if that’s true, why won’t he say – prominently and repeatedly – “If you see, suspect or suffer abuse, please call the law.”

To their credit, Syracuse church officials do break down the accused priests into helpful categories.

Among the still-living current and former Syracuse predator priests: Robert Birchmeyer, John Broderick, Edmund Durr, John Harrold, James Hayes, Donald Hebert, Robert Kloster, C. Vincent Lane Jr., William Lorenz, Edward Madore, George Mattice Jr., Chester Misercola, Robert Ours, Joseph Pace, David Pichette, Albert Proud, James A. Quinn, John Wagner and Jerome Weber.

Among the Syracuse priests who were accused of abuse after they passed away: Thomas Bayley, Robert Bogan, Roger Bowan, John Donovan, Luke Gallagher, Bernard Garstka, Donald Gorman, Ferdinand Hattala, Edgar Holihan, Edward Humphrey, William Lynch, John McCarthy, William Morris, John “Jack” Morse, Thomas Neary Jr., Thomas Powell, Edward George Quaid, Francis Sammons, Martin Tracy and David Walker.

Among the Syracuse priests who asked to be defrocked: Albert Cason, Paul Cloonan, Gerard Guli, Joseph Larrabee, Foster Rogers and Michael Volino.

Among the Syracuse priests whose cases were ‘adjudicated’ within church processes and were given some kinds of consequences for their wrongdoing: Thomas Burr, Thomas Corbett, Robert Hammond, William Lum, Vincent Panepinto, David Simon, Francis Vogt, Robert Winterkorn, Paul Schnacky, Eugene Emo, Dennis Sewar and Dennis Shaw.

Finally, among the Syracuse priests who were accused of abuse but church officials claim they haven’t or can’t resolve the accusations: David Gramkee, Robert O’Neill, John Steger and Conrad Sundholm.

https://www.bishop-accountability.org/diocesan_lists/Rochester/2018_10_Rochester_Dispositions_2002_to_Present.pdf

Other Catholic dioceses and archdioceses across the country have also filed for bankruptcy, including Buffalo and Rockville Centre (August 14, 2021 deadlines).

(Similar bankruptcy deadlines are approaching in other nearby dioceses including Camden NJ diocese on June 30).

So if you want to see wrongdoers exposed, crimes prevented, kids safeguarded and victims healed, please spread the word about these deadlines. And if you’re inclined to prod Catholic officials to reform, feel free to begin by pushing Syracuse church hierarchy to be more honest and inclusive with their ‘credibly accused’ predator priest list.

(NOTE – Bishop Lucia is originally from the Ogdensburg diocese where he held several important positions. In 2019, he replaced retiring Syracuse Bishop Robert Cunningham.)

You Can Help A Sexual Abuse Victim Get REAL Help!

Posted by admin on March 9, 2021

Want to Help a Sexual Abuse Victim in One Simple Way?

It could happen, if you just forward this blog to people you know who are in or grew up in New York & New Jersey.

Relatives, friends, therapists, former classmates. . .literally anyone

The dates below are deadlines by which child sex abuse survivors must speak up if they hope to get compensation from Catholic officials.

Anyone who was abused by any Catholic employee at any time should be aware of these dates:

Diocese of Syracuse – April 15

Diocese Camden – June 30

Diocese of Buffalo – August 14

Diocese of Rockville Centre (Long Island) – August 14

These four Catholic dioceses have sought Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. So a judge has enabled them to set hard and fast deadlines by which those who were hurt must step forward seeking justice and/or money.

Priests, brothers, nuns, seminarians, monks, bishops, parochial school workers, it likely doesn’t matter exactly who the offender was. What DOES matter is the victim stepping forward before these dates.

And remember, child molesting Catholic clerics don’t always victimize kids in their own church. Maybe it’s a Protestant girl who just happened to live next door to the rectory. Or an agnostic boy who was hired to mow the parish lawn or shovel the parish sidewalk.

So don’t just send this blog to current and former Catholics in those two states. Please send it to EVERYONE you know who are or were in New York and New Jersey.

The process involves, of course, filing some paperwork. It doesn’t require an attorney. But we strongly advise any victim who’s even considering moving ahead at least have a phone call with an independent lawyer, preferably one who’s experienced in dealing with sexual abuse and cover-up cases involving the Catholic Church.

We at Horowitz Law aren’t thrilled by the bankruptcy process.

We aren’t convinced that this is the best way to deal with the hundreds of men and women who were traumatized during childhood.

But it’s happening regardless. And many survivors find it healing to get at least some compensation for their pain and some formal acknowledgement of their suffering.

Our goal at Horowitz Law is to make sure that anyone who needs funds – for therapy, drug treatment or any reason, to compensate for years of difficulty – doesn’t miss this opportunity.

“But I don’t know anyone who was molested by a Catholic cleric,” you may be thinking.

And that makes sense, since most people who were sexually assaulted as kids carry the secret to the grave.

The truth is, however, that you may never know if you know such victims. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t spread the word about these opportunities.

And victims can remain publicly anonymous throughout the bankruptcy and beyond. Their names won’t be publicly revealed.

If you want to target your outreach to potential victims, we urge you to think about friends, family and acquaintances who have maybe been addicted, depressed, isolated, imprisoned, divorced, under-employed or shown some other sign of having lived a rocky life. Because no matter how hard a victim tries to ignore or overcome their childhood trauma, it usually manifests itself at some point, often with destructive or self-destructive behavior.

By reaching out to others, by sharing this post, you might just be giving a quietly struggling person a lifeline towards a more healthy and less desperate financial life.