Diocese of Camden ACCUSED PRIESTS
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Camden operates ministries in Atlantic, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Gloucester, and Salem counties in New Jersey. In 2019, after the New Jersey attorney general announced that it was investigating sexual abuse by Catholic priests, New Jersey’s five Catholic dioceses agreed to release the names of all priests determined to be “credibly accused” of sexually abusing children. The dioceses returned with 188 priests’ names, and at least 56 of them, or roughly 30%, worked in the Diocese of Camden. The Diocese states on its website that most of the alleged sexual abuse incidents involved teenage males and occurred in the 1970s and 1980s. However, this is likely untrue, as many more instances of abuse happen frequently but go unreported.
In 2020, the Diocese stopped participating in the Catholic Church’s victims’ compensation fund program, citing significant revenue losses because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Former victims of sexual abuse expressed feeling betrayed when the diocese stopped participating in the program, and numerous lawsuits followed in civil court.Â
In August 2020, for instance, childhood victims filed four lawsuits against the Catholic Church, alleging that the former principal of Gloucester Catholic and St. James high schools and two other priests who taught at the schools sexually abused boys in the 1970s. According to one lawsuit, one of the boys was only 10 when the abuse started. Â
In 2021, the Diocese of Camden declared Chapter 11 bankruptcy. This type of bankruptcy filing means the church can continue to operate while reorganizing its debts to creditors. The Diocese explained on its website that its decision to declare bankruptcy was involuntary due to the financial strains caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and the more than $8 million paid to victims through the victims’ compensation fund. In addition, the Diocese noted that, after the recent repeal of New Jersey’s statute of limitations for filing childhood sexual abuse claims, more than 50 lawsuits followed.Â
The new statute of limitations in New Jersey allows victims to file claims until they reach 55 years old or seven years after they discover injuries from the abuse, whichever is later. The law also provides a look-back window, enabling victims of child sex abuse to file claims against the perpetrators and the institution that allowed the abuse to happen, no matter the victim’s age or how long ago the abuse occurred. This look-back window will expire on November 30, 2021. These changes to the New Jersey statutes of limitations are crucial for victims to have a revived opportunity to seek justice after suffering sexual abuse as a minor.Â
The Diocese’s website lists the following priests who have been “credibly accused” of sexual abuse: Joseph Barber, Claude J. Bender, John P. Bernard, Henry S. Blaszczynski, John F. Bloh, John D. Bohrer, Joseph J. Brennan, William B. Cannon, Gerald P. Clements, Norman T. Connelly, John P. Connor, Michael H. D’Amico, Charles J. Davis, Kenneth Demarest, Vincent A. Doyle, Eldridge T. Evans, Francis J. Flemming, John E. Follett, A. Richard Gerbino, Edward Gillespie, Roy T. Hardin, Thomas M. Harkins, James F. Hopkins, Frank X. Hudson, Edward A. Igle, A. William Johnson, John P. Kelly, Charles E. Kuhl, Dermott F. Lyons, Edward Lucano, Patrick J. Madden, Phillip A. Matthews, Francis A. McCloskey, Charles P. McColgan, John J. McElroy, Joseph McGarvey, Francis J. McLaughlin, Joseph Orsini, Peter J. Osinski, Timothy E. Pisik, Walter T. Reilly, Dennis J. Rigney, Philip T. Rigney, Glendon E. Robertson, James Ryan, Francis L. Salamandra, Robert. J. Schmid, Augustine J. Seidenburg, Joseph E. Shannon, Donal Sheehan, John E. Smith, Walter Smith, Antoine St. Germain, Brendan V. Sullivan, William D. Titmas, and Patrick J. Weaver.
According to a blog called BishopAccountability.org, the Diocese failed to include at least seven priests with credible accusations on its list.
If you or someone you love experienced sex abuse at the hands of clergy members in the Diocese of Camden, contact Herman Law today for a free consultation. You deserve to share your story, expose your abuser, and get the compensation you need to aid in your ongoing recovery.
Diocese:Â Diocese of Camden NJ
Ordained:
Status:Â Sued
Diocese:Â Diocese of Camden NJ
Ordained:
Status:Â Sued
Diocese:Â Diocese of Camden NJ
Ordained:
Status:Â Sued
Diocese:Â Diocese of Camden NJ
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