The Roman Catholic Diocese of Syracuse on Monday released a list of 57 priests, alive and dead, who have been credibly accused of sexually abusing a minor in Syracuse at some point over the past 70 years.

The list, which was published on the Diocese of Syracuse website and in the diocesan newspaper, includes priests ordained as recently as 1989, and 38 who are deceased. Bishop of Syracuse Robert Cunningham said in a letter released Saturday that he is making the list public in the spirit of the “holy season.”

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Cunningham said that the names of the priests who were credibly accused of sexually abusing a child had been kept confidential to respect victims, but he said this practice has served as a roadblock to further the local church.

“While I am aware that the release of these names will cause pain for some victims, families of the accused, friends and parishioners, I know that we are at a critical juncture in the history of our Church,” Cunningham said in his Saturday email. “It is my fervent hope and prayer that this effort will bring some peace and healing to those who have been directly harmed and to all members of our community of faith.”

In 2002, the Diocese of Syracuse had fully implemented the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People, which established a uniform protocol to handle children’s sexual abuse allegations against Catholic-related adults, according to the document. The charter was promoted that year by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

The charter also prompted USCCB to implement a zero-tolerance policy against sexual abuse. According to the document, the charter includes articles of a comprehensive child and youth protection policy, a safe environment program, a diocesan review board, an office of victim assistance and a memorandum of understanding between the church and district attorneys.

All individuals on the list were either removed from ministry or are deceased. Of the priests identified, 20 were deceased at the time the allegation was reported, according to the document.

Their ordinations to the church go back as early as 1911. Of the priests on the list, 14 were marked as having only one claim of abuse against them. Five priests had died, left the priesthood or resigned prior to 2002, when the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People was put into effect.

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Last month, the Diocese of Buffalo released a list of priests with substantiated claims of sexual abuse of a minor that included a Syracuse priest, James Smyka. In the wake of the release, Syracuse.com reported that Smyka had been on the Diocese of Syracuse website as a member of the clergy until Nov. 12. He had also been in residence at the Assumption of Blessed Virgin Mary Church on Syracuse’s Northside.

None of the priests on the list of clergy credibly accused of sexual abuse of a minor released by the Diocese of Syracuse are listed on the staff page or in the history section of the Syracuse University Catholic Center website.

Below is a list of all priests credibly accused of sexual abuse of a child (an asterisk indicates a priest has died):

Robert Birchmeyer

Paul Brigandi*

John Broderick

Felix Colosimo*

Edmund Durr

Charles Eckermann*

Francis Furfaro*

Thomas Guyder*

John Harrold

James Hayes

Donald Hebert

Leo Heizman*

David Jutton*

Thomas Keating, III*

Robert Kloster

Vincent Lane, Jr.

William Lorenz

Edward “Ted” Madore

George Mattice, Jr.

Chester Misercola

Robert Ours

Joseph Pace

David Pichette

Albert Proud

James A. Quinn

James F. Quinn*

Charles Sewall*

Paul Slavetskas*

John Wagner

Jerome Weber

Thomas Zedar*

John Zeder*

The following, who are all deceased, had died, left the priesthood or resigned prior to the implementation of the charter:

Daniel Casey

Donald Crosby

Edward Kieley

Steven Litz, Jr.

Walter Sinnott

This is a list of priests who were accused after they had already died:

Thomas Bayley

Robert Bogan

Roger Bowen

John Donovan

Luke Gallagher

Bernard Garstka

Donald Gorman

Ferdinand Hattala

Edgar Holihan

Edward Humphrey

William Lynch

John McCarthy

William Morris

John “Jack” Morse

Thomas Neary, Jr.

Thomas Powell

Edward Quaid

Francis Sammons

Martin Tracy

David Walker

Published on December 3, 2018 at 10:08 pm

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