Lawsuits alleged priest sex abuse happened under church’s nose

SCRANTON (PA)
Times Leader

August 28, 2019

By Patrick Kernan

Shortly after making a filing in Lackawanna County Court on Wednesday morning, Attorney Kevin Quinn, of Hourigan, Kluger & Quinn, spoke before reporters in a hotel conference room in downtown Scranton. His tone was a somber one, as he’s representing four men who claim they were repeatedly raped by a Roman Catholic priest decades ago.

What’s more, Quinn said, the Diocese of Scranton is directly responsible for decades of cover-ups, with both Bishops James Timlin and Joseph Bambera named as defendants in the suit.

Three of Quinn’s four clients — John Patchcoski, Jim Pliska and Mike Heil — appeared to speak with reporters Wednesday morning. The fourth man chose to file his suit anonymously for the protection of his family, and his suit is filed under the initials “M.A.” Each of the four men have their own, separate suits now ongoing in Lackawanna County.

The four men, who all grew up in the Minooka section of Scranton, each claim they are victims of the same priest: the late Father Michael Pulicare, who worked as the assistant pastor of St. Joseph’s Parish, which has since been renamed Divine Mercy at St. Joseph’s, on Davis Street, Scranton.

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