NEW YORK
Observer-Dispatch
By GREG MASON / gmason@uticaod.com
A former Utica-area priest and the Syracuse Catholic Diocese each are facing a $25 million lawsuit from a man who claims the priest sexually abused him as a child.
The lawsuit, filed Friday in federal court in Connecticut by California man Matthew Strzepak, accuses former priest Felix Colosimo of molesting Strzepak from 1987 to 1990. Strzepak was between 12 to 15 years old when the acts were committed, according to the lawsuit.
Colosimo’s served in the past at St. Peter’s Church in North Utica, St. Leo’s Church in Holland Patent, St. Anthony of Padua Church in East Utica and Our Lady of the Rosary in New Hartford. Now age 78, Colosimo said he retired as a priest at Our Lady of the Rosary three years ago for reasons unrelated to the abuse allegations, according to a Syracuse.com report.
Colosimo could not be immediately reached for comment Saturday.
Strzepak told Syracuse.com that the abuse began in 1978 or 1979 when he was 4 years old, but New York state’s statute of limitations expired for those claims.
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