The Archdiocese of Miami was created in 1958 and encompasses the Broward, Miami-Dade, and Monroe County regions. This archdiocese serves about 1.3 million Catholics, and sinceits establishment, the archdiocese has paid out millions of dollars to settle numerous lawsuits over sexual abuse by priests.
As of 2003, the archdiocese’s insurers had paid $9.3 million to settle about 90 claims alleging child sexual abuse by 38 South Florida priests. That following year, the archdiocese agreed to settle more lawsuits for an additional $3.5 million.
As of early 2020, the archdiocese had not released a list of priests credibly accused of sexual abuse, but the watchdog organization BishopAccountability.org has compiled a list of 43 clergies who have been credibly accused of sexual abuse in the archdiocese, including:
- Arnulfo Arandia
- Joseph Calimari
- Francisco Carrera
- Charles Cassetta
- Ricardo Castellanos
- Rolando Castillo
- Benjamin Cieply
- Joseph Cinesi
- Rocco Charles D’Angelo
- Thomas Dennehy
- Neil Doherty
- Christopher T. Eggleton
- Thomas J. Engbers
- Rafael Escala
- Miguel A. Fernandez
- James Flemming
- Rolando G. Garcia
- Ernesto Garcia-Rubin
- Hector Gonzalez-Abreu
- Joaquin Guerrero
- Alvaro Guichard
- L. Yates Harris
- Joseph Huck
- Pedro Jove
- Joseph Kershner
- Gerard T. LaCerra
- Jan Malicki
- Otto Martinez
- Kevin T. McDonald
- Anthony Mercieca
- Gustavo J. Miyares
- Jose Pablo Nickse
- Kevin O’Brien
- Juan Ramon O’Farrill
- Anthony R. Parlangeli
- Cristobal de Jesus Puertas
- Harry Ringenberger
- Sister Joan Marie
- Trevor Smith
- Edward W. Sokol
- Donald J. Walk
- Bryan O. Walsh
- Kenneth Ward.
In 2007, a former parishioner filed a lawsuit against the archdiocese, alleging that former priest Joseph Calimari molested two brothers in the 1960s, two and four years old at the time, at Christ the King in Perrine, Florida. Tragically, one of the boys would go on to take their own life in 2006.
That same year, the archdiocese settled a lawsuit in which the victim, a former altar boy at St. James Church in North Miami, alleged that former priest Anthony Mercieca sexually abused him in the 1970s when he was thirteen years old. The victim alleged that Mercieca took the boy for a bike ride to get ice cream, and then later assaulted him in the church’s bell tower. The church did not disclose the settlement amount, but the original complaint sought $10 million in damages.
Another victim filed a lawsuit against the archdiocese in 2012, seeking $5 million and alleging that the archdiocese knew as early as the 1980s that former priest Rolando Garcia had been accused of sexual abuse, but knowingly chose to do nothing about it, leaving Garcia to continue abusing additional victims. At least three additional victims had already levelled sexual abuse claims against Garcia, and the parties ended up later settling the lawsuit. The archdiocese had indicated that it would allow Garcia to remain in the ministry after he passed a polygraph test, but he voluntarily resigned in December 2012.
In 2015, another alleged victim filed a lawsuit against the archdiocese, seeking more than $5 million for sexual abuse allegedly perpetrated by former priest Harry Ringenberger in 1989. According to the allegations, Ringenberger molested the boy, then 14-years-old, in the rectory of St. Maximilian Church. The lawsuit alleged that the archdiocese allowed Ringenberger to continue working as a priest after knowing that Ringenberger had molested the boy. The archdiocese merely sent Ringenberger away for one year, only to assign him to a new parish in the archdiocese.
The Archdiocese of Miami has failed many of its members. The diocese owed you a duty of care to protect you, and if they failed to do so, you may be entitled to financial compensation. If you or someone you love experienced sexual abuse at the Archdiocese of Miami, contact our legal team at Herman Law today for a free consultation.
- Fr. Arnulfo Arandia
- Fr. Joseph Calimari
- Fr. Francisco Carrera
- Fr. Charles Cassetta
- Fr. Ricardo Castellanos
- Fr. Rolando Castillo
- Fr. Benjamin Cieply
- Fr. Joseph Cinesi
- Fr. Rocco Charles D’Angelo
- Fr. Thomas Dennehy
- Fr. Neil Doherty
- Fr. Christopher T. Eggleton
- Fr. Thomas J. Engbers
- Fr. Rafael Escala
- Fr. Miguel A. Fernandez
- Fr. James Flemming
- Fr. Rolando G. Garcia
- Fr. Ernesto Garcia-Rubio
- Fr. Hector Gonzalez-Abreu
- Fr. Joaquin Guerrero
- Fr. Alvaro Guichard
- Fr. L. Yates Harris
- Fr. Joseph Huck
- Fr. Pedro Jove
- Fr. Joseph J. Kershner
- Fr. Gerard T. LaCerra
- Fr. Jan Malicki
- Fr. Otto Martinez
- Fr. Kevin T. McDonald
- Fr. Anthony Mercieca
- Fr. Gustavo J. Miyares
- Fr. Jose Pablo Nickse
- Fr. Kevin O’Brien
- Fr. Juan Ramon O’Farrill
- Br. Anthony R. Parlangeli
- Fr. Cristobal de Jesus Puertas
- Fr. Harry Ringenberger
- Sister Joan Marie
- Fr. Trevor Smith
- Fr. Edward W. Sokol
- Fr. Donald J. Walk
- Fr. Bryan O. Walsh
- Br. Kenneth Ward