Ex-Wyckoff Pastor Leaves Priesthood After Violating Child Interaction Rule

An ex-Wyckoff Priest who admitted to violating an order to stay away from children has agreed to step down from the priesthood, Bergen County Prosecutor John Molinelli announced in a release Friday afternoon.

Michael Fugee, 52, confessed to two acts of sexual misconduct with a Wyckoff teenager in 2001. Fugee was a priest at the St. Elizabeth of Hungary Church in Wyckoff when the incidents occurred.

In 2007, prosecutors reached an agreement with Fugee and the Archdiocese of Newark that allowed him to return to the priesthood under the condition that he would have no interaction with minors.

According to Molinelli, an investigation began in April after accusations that Fugee violated the terms of the judicial order by attending youth retreats and hearing confessions from minors. He was arrested in May on multiple contempt of court charges.

Fugee admitted to doing both “on multiple occasions,” Molinelli said.

As a penalty for the violation, Molinelli announced Fugee has agreed to obtain laicization from the Roman Catholic Church, or request for the Vatican to terminate him from the priesthood.

“This is a requirement that will eliminate the threat of Michael Fugee, ever again, obtaining the trust of people through his clerical position nor using his ordained position as a Priest to exert improper contact with children,” Molinelli said in the release. 

The punishment was only possible through an agreement, Molinelli said, because the justice system does not have the authority to issue laicization as a punishment.

In his announcement, the prosecutor also came down hard on the Archdiocese for not effectively watching over Fugee after the 2007 agreement was reached.

“It has not appeared that the Archdiocese made any significant effort to adhere to the terms of the [agreement],” he said.

“We no longer have confidence in its ability [to do so]."