Second Lawsuit Filed Against Brooklyn Bishop Accused of Abuse
A second lawsuit has been filed alleging that a prominent Brooklyn bishop abused a child while working as a priest in New Jersey. We hope that the filing of this complaint will help provide hope and healing to this survivor and that it will also inspire others who have been hurt to come forward and make a report.
The lawsuit filed this week alleges that Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio and another clergyman abused an altar boy in the 1970s while the pair worked at St. Nicholas Parish in Jersey City. This is the second lawsuit filed against Bishop DiMarzio. He was sued last month on allegations that he abused a six-year-old child at Holy Rosary Church in Jersey City.
A canonical investigation into Bishop DiMarzio was carried about by New York Cardinal Timothy Dolan and has been sent to Rome for further analysis and a decision. Given Bishop DiMarzio’s high position in the Catholic Church – and especially given the fact that he had been tapped by Vatican leaders to investigate other prelates accused of wrongdoing – we believe true transparency and accountability will need to come from secular officials in New York and New Jersey, not Rome. New York A.G. Letitia James has already been investigating cases of clergy abuse in her state and we hope that the news about this lawsuit will encourage other survivors or witnesses to come forward to her office and make a report of what they saw or experienced.
In the meantime, it is disturbing that Bishop DiMarzio has yet to be suspended from his position despite two allegations against him. At a bare minimum, Cardinal Dolan should remove the Bishop from his position while awaiting the final word from the Vatican. To do otherwise flies in the face of the Church’s “Zero tolerance” policy for abuse.
CONTACT: Brian Toale, SNAP New York ([email protected], 646-657-9278), Zach Hiner, SNAP Executive Director ([email protected], 517-974-9009)
(SNAP, the Survivors Network, has been providing support for victims of sexual abuse in institutional settings for 30 years. We have more than 25,000 survivors and supporters in our network. Our website is SNAPnetwork.org)
Winter Appeal 2023
To our friends,
2023 has been a long year with many ups and downs for us all. As we close out the year, we at SNAP hope that you are feeling like you are on your way to being healthy, fulfilled, and happy. This past year has brought both successes and challenges. Thanks to the support you have shown in the past, we’ve been able to celebrate the good days and weather the stormy ones. Now, we are once again asking for your support as we work to support survivors new and old as we ‘Move SNAP Forward.’
At SNAP we are proud to have hosted a very well-attended conference in August 2023. This event allowed us to gather friends, survivors, advocates, and allies for a weekend of camaraderie and connection. We were so happy to be able to welcome many first-time attendees to gather in person and are already looking forward to the next conference.
To strengthen our movement for justice, healing, and prevention, SNAP will be expanding our peer support and providing more volunteer opportunities in the coming year. Through this great work, we are ensuring survivor voices are represented as we work for significant change that will benefit children and survivors.
Right now, survivors worldwide are getting the help they need from SNAP, and more and more reach out to us daily, but we need your help to keep those programs going and get our volunteers the training they need to thrive.
Your tax-deductible gift to SNAP can help offset the cost of our important mission. If you are not in a position to contribute, you can still support us by sharing this letter with those who can. As we continue to fight for survivors across the globe, your donation or sharing the great work SNAP does will help us continue our work to protect the vulnerable, heal the wounded, and prevent abuse.
Your donation ensures SNAP will be there for those who need us more than ever!
Warmly,
Michael W. McDonnell, C.P.S.
Interim Executive Director
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