Ex-Jersey City Priest Accused Of Sexual Abuse

JERSEY CITY, NJ — A former priest was accused of sexually abusing an altar boy while he was a priest in Jersey City in the 1970s.

The Archdiocese received a letter from attorney Mitchell Garabedian regarding an abuse allegation against Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio, the former auxiliary bishop for the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Newark and current bishop of the Diocese of Brooklyn.

The incident, or incidents, in question are alleged to have occurred in the 1970s when Bishop DiMarzio was an archdiocese priest, said Maria Margiotta, spokesperson for the Newark archdiocese, which includes St. Nicholas Church, the Jersey City parish that DiMarzio was assigned when the abuse allegedly occurred.

"The archdiocese has reported the matter to, and is cooperating with, law enforcement," Margiotta said.

Bishop DiMarzio wrote a letter to Brooklyn parishioners Wednesday with a response to a report by the Associated Press regarding the allegation.

"I am just learning about this allegation. In my nearly 50-year ministry as a priest, I have never engaged in lawful or inappropriate behavior and I categorically deny this allegation. I am confidence I will be fully vindicated," Bishop DiMarzio stated in the letter. "I will vigorously defend myself against this false allegation. I am confident I will be fully exonerated."

Garabedian told New Jersey Catholic officials this week that he is preparing to file a lawsuit on behalf of Matzek, The New York Times reported. Matzek claims that Bishop DiMarzio and another priest, Albert Mark, who is dead, repeatedly abused him while he was an altar boy at St. Nicholas Church, according to the report.

Pope Francis last month selected Bishop DiMarzio to investigate a clergy abuse scandal in the Buffalo New York Diocese, The New York Times reported.

Email: daniel.hubbard@patch.com