Former Westwood Priest Accused Of Sex Abuse

WESTWOOD, NJ — A priest who served in the borough was revealed to have been "credibly accused" of child sex abuse, a list released by the Catholic Church Wednesday shows.

The Newark Archdiocese made its list public on Wednesday morning. (See related article: Here's The List Of 63 NJ Priests Accused Of Child Sexual Abuse)

John Morel, who was born in 1929 and ordained in 1955, served at St. Andrew parish. He had multiple alleged victims.

Cardinal Joseph Tobin, the archbishop of Newark, said the list includes all those from New Jersey who were credibly accused of sexual abuse of minors dating back to 1940. Read his full statement here.

The dioceses are undertaking this action in coordination with the Attorney General of New Jersey's ongoing task force examining the issue of clergy sexual abuse.

In the same statement, the Archdiocese of Newark and the Dioceses of Camden, Trenton, Paterson and Metuchen said they are committed to the establishment of a "Victim Compensation and Counseling Program."

Email: daniel.hubbard@patch.com

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