BUFFALO (NY)
WKBW TV
August 7, 2019
By Charlie Specht
One day after a 7 Eyewitness News I-Team report about Bishop Richard J. Malone’s alleged cover-up of allegations against a Cheektowaga pastor, the Diocese of Buffalo has removed the priest from ministry.
The Rev. Jeffrey L. Nowak, pastor of Our Lady Help of Christians Church in Cheektowaga, is facing allegations of inappropriate contact with children, harassment of a seminarian and perhaps the greatest Catholic sin of all: violating the seal of confession.
Despite this, Bishop Malone allowed Nowak to remain in ministry until Tuesday’s I-Team report was published.
The bishop issued a statement Wednesday denying reports of a “cover-up” and disputing a seminarian’s mother’s statements that he had “done absolutely nothing” since her son contacted the bishop with written allegations in January.
The diocese said it “has never received any allegation that Fr. Nowak ever engaged in sexual contact with anyone, including any adult.” But the same statement said the diocese had received allegations “that Fr. Nowak engaged in other inappropriate behavior and made inappropriate comments.”
Despite putting the complaints in writing and submitting them to the diocese — and pushing the bishop’s staff for answers — Marie Bojanowski, the seminarian’s mother, said Bishop Malone had never responded to her, and the bishop allowed Nowak to remain pastor of the Cheektowaga parish.
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