Photo Courtesy of the Center for Migration Studies
Bishop of Brooklyn Nicholas DiMarzio
By Michael V. Cusenza
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn, which serves the boroughs of Brooklyn and Queens, on Friday released its list of 108 members of the clergy who have been credibly accused of sexual abuse of a minor. By credible, diocesan officials believe that the allegations may be true.
The list spans the 166-year history of the diocese, and contains names of clergy who have been convicted, who have admitted to sexual misconduct with a minor, or have had allegations determined credible by the Independent Diocesan Review Board.
“It is my hope that the publishing of this list will provide some assistance to those who are continuing the difficult process of healing, as well as encourage other victims to come forward,” Bishop of Brooklyn Nicholas DiMarzio wrote in a “Letter to the Faithful” also released on Friday. “Sexual abuse is a heinous, sinful crime and we as a diocese are committed to remaining vigilant against such abuse.”
The list features the names of priests who were assigned to such borough Catholic education institutions as Archbishop Molly High School, St. Francis Preparatory School, and Christ the King High School; and Queens parishes, including St. Helen in Howard Beach, St. Camillus in Rockaway Beach, and Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Ozone Park.
Approximately two-thirds of the accused priests are deceased, DiMarzio said.
“We know this list will generate many emotions for victims who have suffered terribly. For their suffering, I am truly sorry,” the bishop added. “I have met with many victims who have told me that more than anything they want an acknowledgment of what was done to them. This list gives that recognition and I hope it will add another layer of healing for them on their journey toward wholeness.”
DiMarzio also noted that he committed to releasing the list at regional meetings he held with the lay faithful late last year where he answered parishioners’ questions about the sex abuse crisis. In those meetings, the diocese outlined the numerous programs mandated by the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People, including, but not limited to, a zero tolerance policy in which any clergy member credibly accused of sexual abuse of a minor is permanently removed from ministry. Since 2002, the diocese has shared all of its files and allegations against clergy with the district attorneys of Brooklyn and Queens, DiMarzio said.
Jeff Anderson & Associates, a law firm that represents victims of childhood sexual abuse, blasted the diocese for releasing a list that is “seriously deficient and raises several public safety issues.”
The firm pointed out that DiMarzio fails to address the percentage of priests on the list “who are NOT in fact deceased, but whose whereabouts the Diocese of Brooklyn has failed to share with the public and its parishioners,” and that the diocese has produced the list as a result of their own internal investigation, not that of a law enforcement agency.
“Without releasing a complete list with a full account of the perpetrators’ histories and their current whereabouts, a public safety imperative remains,” the firm added in a statement issued on Friday.
You can view the list at dioceseofbrooklyn.org/sex-abuse-crisis-response/list/
