Rockville Centre NY Priest Abuse Lawsuit Pedophile Watch
The Diocese, created in 1957, comprises the counties of Nassau and Suffolk Counties (Long Island). The diocese serves 1.3 million Catholics in 134 parishes. In its 52 year history it has had four bishops, most notorious of whom has been the present bishop, Bishop William Murphy, originally from Boston. Murphy became the Bishop of Rockville Centre in 2001. Murphy was one of Cardinal Law’s top lieutenants in Boston and was implicated in the transfer of many sexually abusive priests in the Archdiocese of Boston. Murphy has not changed his ways in Rockville Centre, refusing to provide any pastoral outreach to sexual abuse victims.
Pedophile Priests in Rockville Centre
Rev. Peter Allen
ordained 1971; The Diocese of Rockville Centre called the allegation against him “credible” in 2006. At the time of the allegation, Allen was serving at Our Lady of Good Counsel Church in Mattituck.
Rev. Daniel Babis
ordained circa 1949; Babis abused family members dating back to the 1950’s and 1960’s. He was repeatedly moved from parish to parish before dying in Florida in 1978.
Rev. James Bergin
ordained 1961; Raymond Trypuc was abused by Bergin when he was a young boy. Trypuc later became addicted to drugs and when he reported the abuse years later to the Diocese of Rockville Centre he was offered $25,000 in 1993 to keep the matter out of the public eye. Trypuc died of an overdose.
Rev. Brian Brinker
ordained 1988; abused 14 year old Matthew Moraitis on a plane trip. Bishop Murphy fought to have Brinker return to active ministry in spite of the sexual abuse allegation.
Rev. Michael Carroll
ordained 1985; named in the 2003 Suffolk County Grand Jury Report as having abused numerous children and leaving parishes abruptly.
Rev. William Burke
ordained 1946; abused an elementary school student at St. Lawrence the Martyr in Sayville in the 1970’s.
Rev. John Butler
ordained 1957; accused of “inappropriate conduct with a minor” in the 1950 60’s.
Rev. Gerard Chasse
ordained circa 1971; identified in 2003 Suffolk Grand Jury Report
Rev. Bail Congro
ordained 1978; accused and sued for sodomizing a boy in early 1980’s. He was transferred to Fresno, CA and became a Navy chaplain; then transferred to Charleston, SC. He was accused of sexual abuse in the confessional as well.
Sister Gloria Czarniewicz
abused a young girl while Mother Superior of a religious order in NY in 1968 69.
Rev. Thomas Devita
ordained 1978; publicly confessed to sexual abuse of 16 year old boy in 1978. Auxiliary Bishop Ryan told mother that he would intervene. However, Devita continued as a priest until 2002 in Diocese of Kalamazoo.
Rev. Angelo Ditta
ordained 1986; abused a 9 year old boy in 1997 but kept working without publication of 1997 abuse until 2002. He was identified as priest “H” in 2003 Suffolk Grand Jury Report.
Rev. Peter Duvelsdorf
ordained 1958; molested two brothers in 1978; arrested for public lewdness in 1997
Rev. Matthew Fitzgerald
ordained 1968; abused boy in Rockville Centre before transferring to Diocese of Palm Beach in Florida in 1989 where he was accused four more times in Florida parishes. Identified as priest “B” in Suffolk County Grand Jury Report.
Rev. Michael Hands
ordained 1993; arrested and charged with sexual abuse of a 13 year old. Spent two years in prison on other sexual abuse charges.
Rev. Kenneth Hasselbach
ordained 1966; abused boy in 1974; arrested in January 2009 for internet child pornography.
Rev. Robert Huneke
ordained 1969; abused boys in Rockville Centre and later in Florida where he was transferred. He worked as a high school guidance counselor in Atlanta before his death in 2002.
Rev. William Logan
1969; abused girls in 1970’s 1980’s, reinstated by Bishop in 2006.
Rev. John Mahoney
ordained 1960; abused boy on trip to West Point in 1967. Became Air Force Chaplain.
Rev. Gabriel Massaro OFM Cap
ordained 1966; popular mission preacher who traveled the country, especially Florida. Accused of molesting several Long Island boys; head of Youth Ministry for Northern Province of Capuchins
Rev. Joseph McComiskey
ordained 1970; pastor of St. Edward the Confessor Church, Syosset forced to resign after abuse hotline complaint against him.
Brother Thomas McConaghy
a LaSalle brother abused a student from 1973 1975 prior to his ordination as a priest for the Diocese of Norwich. Norwich ordained him in spite of knowledge of abuse allegation.
Rev. Finnian McGee
abused a 12 year old boy when McGee was his homeroom teacher.
Rev. Brian McKeon
ordained 1977; McKeon abused one boy in 1987 who may have committed suicide. He then began abusing brother of first victim. He abused at least seven other boys and is named in the Suffolk County Grand Jury Report.
Rev. George Michell
ordained 1964; abused youth who came forward 20 years after the abuse.
Rev. Andrew Millar
ordained 1958; Millar was ordained in Ireland but worked in the Diocese of Rockville Centre since 1964; arrested and plead guilty to molesting a developmentally disabled boy in a bathroom. Sentenced 1 3 years in prison.
Rev. James Miller
ordained 1983; abused two boys and sued in 1994. Diocese of Rockville Centre settled the suit against Miller’s will, according to the priest. Miller sent to study canon law after accusations.
Rev. Salvatore Miraglia
ordained 1975; asked teenage boys to undress; worked in Pompano Beach Florida as well.
Rev. John Mott
ordained 1956; molested young girls, some of whom filed suit which were dismissed due to statute of limitations.
Rev. Joseph Mundy
ordained in 1981; groomed a 14 year old boy for sex by telling him how lonely he was. Refused to go to treatment at St. Luke’s Institute
Brother Howard Murphy
Marist brother who abused in 1984 while at St. Mary’s High School in Manhasset. Rev. Kenneth Nee ordained 1953; sexually abused a teen in 1960’s
Rev. Louis Newman
ordained 1958; faculties removed but working in San Diego diocese for 10 years.
Rev. Alan Placa
a civil attorney and the Diocese of Rockville Centre’s point person for sexual abuse allegations was himself accused of abuse. He is a close associate of former NY Mayor Rudy Guiliani and has worked for him. Placa once said that it’s his job to protect the bishop when asked about a sex abuse accusation against a priest.
Rev. Charles Ribaudo
ordained 1967; accused of abusing Rev. Michael Hands, himself a priest abuser. A prolific fundraiser, Hands accused the Diocese of offering him hush money to keep allegations against Ribaudo quiet.
Rev. Brendan Riordan
ordained 1970; abused minor at House of Affirmation in Worcester, MA; Riordan remains an active priest
Rev. Robert Saccacio
ordained 1961; accused of fondling an altar boy in the church sacristy at St. John of God Church in Central Islip in the 1970s
Rev. Thomas Saloy
ordained 1988; pled guilty to possessing over 600 images of child pornography on his church computer. Sentenced to prison for 3 ½ years.
Rev. Richard Schaefer
ordained 1958; 10 year old boy molested Schaefer at St. Philip Neri Church in Northport, at St. Sylvester Church in Medford, and on trips to Coney Island, Jones Beach and Washington, D.C. He said the priest also molested five other boys before a group of parents complained and Schaefer was transferred.
Rev. Alfred Soave
ordained 1948; abused 13 year old altar boy in 1970’s.
Rev. Raymond Stegmann
ordained 1950; fondled and sodomized 17 year old sacristan
Rev. Gerald Twomey
ordained 1981; abused a 10 year old boy in 1994 95
Rev. Nicholas Unterstein
abused two teenage girls; defrocked in 1980
Rev. Eugene Vollmer
gave victims porn video, alcohol and marijuana; admitted to abusing
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