Priests With Ties To Montclair Named On Church Sex Abuse List – Montclair, NJ Patch
MONTCLAIR, NJ — Church leaders in the Newark Archdiocese released a list of 63 priests “credibly accused” of child sex abuse on Wednesday, some of which have ties to Montclair.
All of New Jersey’s five dioceses were expected to release individual lists of accused priests at the same time. The Newark Archdiocese – which includes parishes and schools in Hudson, Essex, Bergen and Union counties – made its list public on Wednesday morning.
Cardinal Joseph Tobin, the archbishop of Newark, said the list includes all those from New Jersey who were credibly accused of sexual abuse of minors dating back to 1940. Read his full statement here.
According to the Newark Archdiocese, priests with Montclair connections include:
- James A. Carey (deceased) – Born in 1906, ordained in 1936. Served at Immaculate Conception in Montclair. Allegedly abused one victim.
- Dennis Cocozza (deceased) – Born in 1949, ordained in 1975. Served at St. Cassian in Upper Montclair. Allegedly abused one victim.
- Alan Guglielmo – Born in 1942, ordained in 1968. Served as chaplain at Mountainside Hospital in Montclair. Allegedly abused one victim. Has been permanently removed from ministry.
- John Nickas (deceased) – Born in 1940, ordained in 1966. Served at St. Peter Claver in Montclair. Allegedly abused “multiple” victims.
- Robert Svec (deceased) – Born in 1928, ordained in 1954. Served at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel in Montclair. Allegedly abused “multiple” victims.
- Michael M. Walters – Born in 1955, ordained in 1981. Served at St. Cassian in Upper Montclair. Allegedly abused “multiple” victims. Has been permanently removed from ministry.
“The revelations of clergy sexual abuse of minors throughout this past year have provoked feelings of shock, anger, shame, and deep sorrow throughout our Catholic community,” Cardinal Tobin said. “In an effort to do what is right and just, we are publishing the names of diocesan clergy credibly accused of sexual abuse of minors.
“This list of names is the result of an extensive review of Archdiocesan records dating back to 1940. It is our sincerest hope that this disclosure will help bring healing to those whose lives have been so deeply violated. We also pray that this can serve as an initial step in our efforts to help restore trust in the leadership of the Catholic Church.”
Tobin had announced that the Roman Catholic Dioceses in New Jersey were undertaking a complete review of their files so that the names of all priests and deacons who have been credibly accused of the sexual abuse of minors could be made public.
The dioceses are undertaking this action in coordination with the Attorney General of New Jersey’s ongoing task force examining the issue of clergy sexual abuse.
In the same statement, the Archdiocese of Newark and the Dioceses of Camden, Trenton, Paterson and Metuchen said they are committed to the establishment of a “Victim Compensation and Counseling Program.”
This program will provide the resources to compensate those victims of child sexual abuse by clergy and employees of the Dioceses in New Jersey whose financial claims are legally barred by New Jersey’s statute of limitations, according to the statement.
Tobin said the program also will assure that victims who have not received any financial compensation will be paid, regardless of whether their claims meet the time requirements of the statute of limitations.
This article includes reporting by Tom Davis, Patch staff
Learn more about posting announcements or events to your local Patch site here. Send local news tips and correction requests to eric.kiefer@patch.com
Photo: Shutterstock
