Newark Priest Accused of Sex Abuse Remains in Ministry

Click here to read, “Newark archdiocese stands by ministry of priest accused of sex abuse,” by Carl Bunderson, Catholic News Agency, Feb. 6, 2013

“The Archdiocese of Newark affirmed its decision to allow a priest accused of abusing a minor to remain in ministry, stressing that they are complying with authorities and prohibiting any interaction alone with children.”

And then read, “Archdiocese removes priest from hospital in Newark after learning of molestation history.” by Jeff Diamant, The Star Ledger, Oct. 16, 2009

Editor’s note: How does the diocese defend his earlier assignment? And as Kathy Kane said to me,”What ever happened to the guidelines for removing clergy in the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People.”

22 thoughts on “Newark Priest Accused of Sex Abuse Remains in Ministry

  1. it was my understanding that any priest accused of Abuse would be removed pending investigation and once this was done it would be either creditable or not .If this was the procedure why is this case being treated differently

    1. “After The Star-Ledger alerted hospital officials to Fugee’s background, they requested his immediate removal, and Fugee was recalled from the post, which gave him unrestricted access to patients and visitors of all ages.”

      1. “Rather than retry Fugee, the prosecutor’s office allowed him to enter pre-trial intervention, a rehabilitation program for first offenders. At the same time, the prosecutor’s office secured an agreement that Fugee undergo counseling for sex offenders and have no unsupervised contact with children as long as he is a priest.”

        1. I think I posted the comments in reverse order by mistake. First the offenders program and then the assignment in the hospital,unless I misread the article.

  2. The Catholic newspaper “bears false witness” in their headline, of course, knowing that many Catholics will read it, see “accused”, and ignore it. Devilishly clever.

    The truth is that he admitted to grabbing a 14 year old’s crotch, multiple times, saying he did it intentionally, that it sexually excited him and that he knew it was a “violation,” according to a transcript of his statement to the police.

    All of this is in the article at http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2013/02/priest_who_confessed_to_gropin.html

    The other truths are:

    – that it is almost impossible that he didn’t have other, much worse infractions, for other victims that haven’t come forward yet
    – that the Catholic church couldn’t find someone better than this for this position
    – that the Catholic church protects its pedophile priests like Jesus would protect children

  3. “Also, it’s important to know that the entire case was forwarded to Rome,” he said. “Rome reviewed everything, and said everything was done appropriately, and they were comfortable with Father returning.”

    So why WOULDN’T Rome be comfortable with a boy-wrestling, crotch-grabbing priest? What hospital wouldn’t be proud to have one of these aboard?

  4. I am not surprised by the rcc’s position, I have learned to get on with my life without them. I have the right to examine my existence and try to better understand what the Creator is, which I believe is what the rcc tries to frustrate the faithful from doing, I still pray but no longer pay or obey.

  5. “We have not received any complaints from the prosecutor’s office…since Father has been back in ministry,” said Jim Goodness, the archdiocesan communications director.

    My GOODNESS, if we haven’t received any complaints, I guess everything’s okay, oh GOODNESS.

    This is nearly as good as the one who started all of this…….Cardinal Law (LESS) in Boston.

  6. tThe more I read about this Priest( Man ) the more seems like ThevChurch Diocese & Bishop are putting the general public at risk due to this person previous history .Given all the supports that are suppose to be in place this shouldn’t be happening .However this situation shows that they Bishops due what they want to do and it doesn’t matter that there are procedures in place to deal with this Bssed on this situation my question would be how many more situations due wevhavev iin Newark I believed the time for protecting the Alleged Abuser was over perhaps this isn’t the case I believe based on how this case was handled that all Reported Cases in Newark need to be reviewed in order to see how thee cases were handled and what were the outcomesI for each In addition the whole system needs to be looked at and perhaps overhauled so that all cannot by pass procedure based on there authority

  7. From survivors blog from SNAP year 2002

    “USA Today seeks info on 11 removed Priest from Newark Dioces

    #14
    [url]

    [-]
    Posts: 26

    Oct 19 02 9:22 PM

    Steve Friess is a consultant working for the USA and is looking for the location of 11 priest (list below) from the Newark Diocese. This is for an article that USA Today on the whereabouts of removed priests.

    Steve’s email is :Friesster@aol.com (he is a consultant to USA Today and not an employee) and his cell is: # – 702-301-2844.

    USA Today seeks location info on these priests:
    Michael G. Campanalonga
    James P Chanda
    Robert Coakley
    Edward Eilert
    Michael C Fugee
    William Giblin
    Eugene Heyndricks
    Joseph Rice
    Bruno Ugliano
    Robert Zasacki
    William Dowd”

    year 2002 post 14 – topic Newark Diocese
    http://snapsurvivorsnetwork.yuku.com/topic/1250/Newark-NJ-Diocese?page=1

    Seems that the Dallas Charter and the Praesidium is open to interpretation.

    “Archdiocesan officials said at Resurrection of Our Lord Church Masses during the weekend of Feb. 7 and 8, 2009, the Rev. Joseph Howarth, pastor of Resurrection parish, made an announcement about the sexual abuse allegation against Engelhardt and noted Engelhardt’s denial of the allegation”

    “Oblates spokesman, the Rev. Kevin Nadolski, said Engelhardt has been living in an Oblates community residence in Wyndmoor, Montgomery County where he has been supervised by a religious superior since Jan. 30, 2009. He said it is not a residence for alleged sex offenders. Nadolski said Engelhardt is not required to reside at the Oblates’ retirement facility in Childs, Md., for the order to maintain accreditation from Praesidium, a Texas-based independent abuse risk management agency”

    http://www.delcotimes.com/articles/2011/02/24/news/doc4d65d66270b86211403289.txt?viewmode=2

    USE Today 2002 article:http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/nation/2002/04/27/states.htm

    The SNAP topic has a search engine to investigate other dioceses or religious groups.There are 26 posts on this topic,others are not available when the link is clicked.

  8. Bottom line: they don’t even follow their Mickey Mouse rules they created.

    The Charter is as useful as the people interpreting it. Telling, isn’t it? Corrupt people do not follow Charters. Corrupt bishops don’t have to enforce one thing in that Charter if they don’t want to.

    The rot runs deep.

  9. Thanks everyone for the info on the documentary. Thanks also for the information and links you all have provided which has helped me make important decisions about my relationship with the RCC. I have experienced more tolerance, respect, and fairness while working in secular agencies than in catholic ones, many of which I have found hypocritical and abusive. I am helping in my own small way to support the victims of sexual-abuse by requesting several counseling agencies to promote awareness on the subject of ‘Adult Survivors of Institutional Sexual Abuse’. I have also put in requests for on-line training in the prevention, detection, and treatment of child sexual abuse. I have also requested ‘Employee Assistance Conferences to include workshops and seminars on this topic. I believe public-awareness and voter’s power are key to protecting our children from sexual-abuse. Ongoing public-campaigns will also make for better informed communities. How long can people deny the Truth that children are still being sacrificed at the altars of the gods?

  10. Mahony’s Legacy

    Let’s hear it for Cardinal Mahony!
    Never was one so full of baloney;
    Cunning hypocrite of the first order;
    Priest, whose hypocrisy knows no border.

    Panderer to the pedophile priest
    Let loose the sick, hungry, ravaging beast
    Who gorged upon the innocent flesh
    Of our children; their pure souls to enmesh.

    Roger the dodger spent untold dollars
    Keeping, out of jail, rapists with collars!
    Spending for lawyers to tighten the screws
    On tortured child victims from the pews!

    Protecting at all costs secret files;
    Protecting his black heart with big smiles;
    Protecting his image in the aisles;
    From a paper trail running for miles.

    Mahony has no more a sense of God
    Than an old, dead, smelly, decaying cod
    The cathedral to the great Mahony
    Will be the fact that he was a phony.

    A sepulcher that has been painted white;
    A crystal chandelier without a light
    Upon his name, church and God; he cast blight
    His legacy, “Of his sins we shall write.”

    – Vinnie Nauheimer

    1. Is it too much to ask that the bishop of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia possess the skills to participate in the multi-faceted arena of “Catholic discussion,” today, unencumbered by religious fanaticism, a tendency to speak only in absolutes, an allegiance to the Opus Dei cult, an apparent inferior education, and an obsession with careerism?

      Between the article I cited in my above post and the following article, Chaput (and the like), while momentarily pleasing the Vatican, is doomed.

      http://www.bilgrimage.blogspot.com/2013/02/pat-perriello-french-german-and-us.html#disqus_thread

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