NEWARK (NJ)
SNAP - Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests [Chicago IL]
August 5, 2025
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Woodbridge, NJ – August 5, 2025
The Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP), along with our New Jersey Coordinator Mark Crawford, is calling on Church leaders to fully address the deeply troubling leadership record of Auxiliary Bishop Elias R. Lorenzo, O.S.B. We urge that he be excluded from consideration as a successor to Cardinal Joseph Tobin in the Archdiocese of Newark.
Abbot Lorenzo, a monk of St. Mary’s Abbey in Morristown, held multiple leadership roles at Delbarton School, including Director of Liturgy, Director of Monastic Formation, Prior of St. Mary’s Abbey (1995–2002), and Rector of the Abbey Church (1995–2009). In 2002, he was appointed liaison to the Abbey’s review board when procedures for handling sexual misconduct complaints were implemented.
Numerous monks and teachers affiliated with Delbarton have been accused in civil lawsuits of sexually abusing students in the 1970s and 1980s. In 2018, school officials disclosed that 13 monks and one lay teacher had been credibly accused of abusing 30 known victims, that courageously came forward. Earlier lawsuits filed in 2012 named several monks, including Timothy Brennan, Luke Travers, and Benedict Worry, with survivors noting that “some of the same leaders who were running the school back then are still there today” (CBS News).
These lawsuits were settled quietly without remorse or public acknowledgment of wrongdoing. Accused clergy were allowed to remain at St. Mary’s Abbey under undisclosed restrictions. Such actions reflect a systemic failure by leadership to protect children and report abuse.
On February 27, 2020, Pope Francis appointed Lorenzo as one of three new Auxiliary Bishops of the Archdiocese of Newark. He is widely believed to be the leading candidate to succeed Cardinal Joseph Tobin, who will reach the mandatory retirement age of 75 in May 2027. According to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, Bishop Lorenzo spent over three decades in teaching and leadership roles at Delbarton and St. Mary’s Abbey.
His promotion was made despite the obvious implications of Lorenzo’s decades of debauchery at Delbarton, where child sexual abuse occurred under his watch. Lorenzo also served as Canonical Advisor and board member to Praesidium, the same firm used by Delbarton to review and approve its abuse policies. He was appointed Procurator General of the American Cassinese Order in Rome and was a founding member of the International Commission for Benedictine Education, which oversees 180 Benedictine schools worldwide.
SNAP believes no one with such a compromised record on child protection should be elevated within the Church.
“Bishop Lorenzo’s rise cannot erase the pain experienced by Delbarton survivors,” said Mark Crawford, SNAP’s New Jersey Coordinator. “It is unacceptable that someone who held authority during decades when so many students were being preyed upon should now be considered for further promotion. Our members demand transparency and accountability. Under Lorenzo’s watch children were abused by wolves in sheep’s clothing.”
Key Concerns:
- Leadership at Delbarton during the abuse era: Lorenzo served as Prior of St. Mary’s Abbey (1995–2002) and Rector of the Abbey Church during years when survivors allege that monks abused students, and leadership failed to intervene.
- Handling of misconduct cases: In 2002, Lorenzo was St. Mary’s Abbey liaison to the review board managing sexual misconduct allegations. He was complicit in the cover-up at Delbarton.
- Appointment as Auxiliary Bishop: Pope Francis appointed Lorenzo Auxiliary Bishop of Newark February 27, 2020.
- This came after a clerical cleansing process, it is believed that he is being groomed to take over.
- Potential succession to Archbishop: With Cardinal Joseph Tobin being born May 3, 1952 he must submit resignation at age 75 in May 2027. Speculation about any successor should be vetted for past failures, especially concerning the protection of children.
SNAP’s Demands:
1. Independent investigation: SNAP urges the Archdiocese of Newark and the Benedictine community to commission an independent inquiry into how abuse allegations at Delbarton were handled during Lorenzo’s leadership and throughout the crisis at Delbarton that scarred so many innocent boys’ lives. Survivors deserve answers and a full accounting of records documenting all complaints.
2. Public disclosure of findings: The results of any investigation must be made public. Predators have been protected by secrets for too long. Full transparency is the only way to begin to restore trust.
3. Exclusion from succession: SNAP calls on Pope Leo and the Apostolic Nuncio to remove Bishop Lorenzo from consideration for the office of Archbishop of Newark and any higher positions. Survivors and Catholics cannot be expected to accept leadership from those who routinely failed to protect children.
4. Support for survivors: Finally, we ask the church to provide accessible counseling and assistance for Delbarton survivors and to publicly encourage victims of clergy abuse to report to law enforcement.
Too many lives have been irreparably harmed. SNAP stands in solidarity with the brave individuals who have come forward and will continue to advocate for accountability at every level of the Church. We will not rest until survivors are heard, supported, and respected.
Media Contacts:
Angela Walker, SNAP Executive Director
Email: awalker@snapnetwork.org
Phone: (202) 446-8840
Mark Crawford, SNAP New Jersey Coordinator
Email: mecrawf@comcast.net
Phone: (732) 632-7687