Scranton Diocese removes priest from work after abuse allegations from decades ago; SNAP responds

For Immediate Release- September 6, 2024 

After recently receiving a “credible” report of molestation of a child over several years beginning in the late-1970s, the Diocese of Scranton has removed a longtime priest who served at numerous churches in the region, the diocese announced Thursday.

On Aug. 22, the diocese became aware of “a report of inappropriate sexual contact by Father John Ruth with a minor occurring from the late 1970s to the mid-1980s,” according to the announcement. The dioceses listed his prior assignments, without time frames, as follows:

• Pastor, Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary Parish, Jermyn
• Senior priest, Saint Patrick Parish, Scranton

We loudly applaud the brave survivor who reported the abuse, We know that the average age for a child sex abuse victim to come forward is 52, so it is not surprising that this survivor is just speaking out now. We would expect many of the civil suits to be filed due to secular investigations that include victims from the 1970s and 1980s. ‘Any internal investigation is simply a way for dioceses to assess liabilities and minimize accountability’, said Mike McDonnell, SNAP Communications Director.

It is troubling to us that Ruth most likely worked in parishes for decades, and even more troubling that the diocese will not disclose all information. We hope others who may have been harmed step forward.

Previous unknown abusers are being exposed, and today's children are safer because of that exposure. We urge Diocesan officials to immediately add Fr. Ruth to their list of accused priests and to include the full work history of his long career.

 CONTACT:  Mike McDonnell, SNAP Communications Manager ([email protected], 267-261-0578), 

(SNAP, the Survivors Network, has been providing support for victims of sexual abuse in institutional settings for 35 years. We have more than 30,000 survivors and supporters in our network. Our website is SNAPnetwork.org)