Former Mount Loretto Resident Was Sexually Abused by Priest, Religious Brother, Suit Alleges
By Frank Donnelly
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. – A former resident who was placed in the Mission of the Immaculate Virgin at Mount Loretto more than 60 years ago said he only stayed for a few months. The reason: A priest and a religious brother at the mission sexually abused him multiple times, a lawsuit alleges. So, he ran away back home. Recently filed against the Archdiocese of New York and Catholic Charities of Staten Island, the suit is the latest claim of sexual abuse brought by a former resident of the Pleasant Plains shelter, which for decades was a haven for homeless and destitute children. The litigation was filed in state Supreme Court, St. George, under the Child Victims Act. Enacted last Aug. 14, the law created a one-year window for plaintiffs of any age to sue alleged abusers regardless of when the abuse occurred. The law also allows victims of sexual abuse to sue their alleged abuser any time before they turn 55. Last month, Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed a provision extending the filing period to Jan. 14, 2021, citing the statewide limitation of court functions due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The plaintiff, a Staten Island resident, is listed as John Doe 1. “It is disappointing and unfortunate that another child, who had nowhere else to go and was entrusted to the priests and brothers at Mt. Loretto, experienced the type of extreme sexual abuse as alleged in this case,” said Bradley L. Rice, the plaintiff’s lawyer. “This is just another horrific example that for decades the NY Archdiocese and Catholic Charities of Staten Island supervised institutions where pervasive child sexual abuse could and did occur,” Rice said. “Thankfully, because of the Child Victims Act, men like my client are finally able to come forward and seek justice.” Joseph Zwilling, an Archdiocese spokesman, said the Archdiocese is aware of the suit, and “take(s) all allegations of sexual abuse seriously.” However, the Archdiocese is unable to comment on the specifics of any particular lawsuit, said Zwilling. A civil complaint alleges that around 1959, the plaintiff and several of his siblings were placed in Mount Loretto because their parents were unable to properly care for them. The plaintiff was 13 then. Shortly after his arrival, the boy was “targeted” by both a priest and a religious brother who “repeatedly sexually abused, raped and molested” him, alleges the complaint. The priest would take the teen to a laundry room or dining room where he “forced” the youngster to engage in oral and anal sex, the complaint alleges. Once, the priest sexually molested the boy in his car, alleges the complaint. “This abuse occurred so often that plaintiff is unable to recall the exact number of instances of rape and abuse,” the complaint contends. The molestation was so pervasive the boy ran away from Mount Loretto and returned to his parents’ home, alleges the complaint. The Archdiocese and Catholic Charities “took no steps to prevent or stop plaintiff’s abuse,” the complaint alleges. The plaintiff alleges he suffered “emotional and psychological trauma and humiliation” due to the purported abuse. The suit is one of several filed over the past year in which a number of one-time Mount Loretto residents allege they were abused at the hands of nuns, priests and lay employees at the former orphanage. Some of the alleged incidents date as far back as the 1950s, with the last extending into the early 1990s. As the suits became public last year, several former Mount Loretto residents rallied to the mission’s defense. They told the Advance/SILive.com they were unaware of any sexual abuse that allegedly occurred on the grounds, nor had they ever heard of such incidents. Mount Loretto served as a children’s shelter beginning in the late 1800s and fostered thousands of children over its 100-plus year history. Many were wards of the court, either orphaned or from broken homes and other dire circumstances. By 1964, it was the largest child-care institution in the U.S. The average stay for most youngsters was three years, but some could spend their entire teenage years at the facility. The end of foster-care service was announced in 1994. Today, the campus is run by Catholic Charities of Staten Island and is home to two public schools, a senior and a community center, a food pantry and a day-care facility.
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