Names released of 42 Catholic priests accused of child sex abuse

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) – Forty-two former priests in Buffalo, New York were accused of child sex abuse prior to leaving the church since 1950.

According to a spokesperson for the Buffalo Diocese, the priests were either removed from ministry, retired, or left after allegations they sexually abused children.

Tuesday, the Buffalo Diocese released a list of their names. According to Bishop Richard Malone, releasing the names was needed to begin healing for the survivors and to bring the alleged crimes into the public light.

Thursday, NBC4 learned the locations and years of service of the accused priests. The information is located in Diocesan directory records:

• John R. Aurelio (1967 to 1993): St. Helen’s, Hinsdale; Cardinal Mindszenty High School, Dunkirk; St. Leo the Great, Amherst; West Seneca Developmental Center; St. Catherine of Siena, West Seneca; St. John the Evangelist, Buffalo; and Christ the King Seminary, East Aurora. John Aurelio died in 2009.
• Donald W. Becker (1968 to 2002): St. Mark’s, Rushford; St. Mary’s of the Assumption, Lancaster; St. Bonaventure, West Seneca; SS. Peter & Paul, Hamburg; Nativity of Our Lord, Orchard Park; St. Stephen’s, Grand Island; St. Agatha’s, Buffalo; St. Joseph’s, Fredonia; St. Mary’s, Batavia.
• David M. Bialkowski (1989 to 2011): St. Bernard’s, Buffalo; SS. Peter & Paul, Hamburg; and St. John Gualbert, Cheektowaga.
• Robert J. Biesinger (1963 to 1994): SS. Peter & Paul, Williamsville; St. Mary’s, Lockport; Father Baker High School, Lackawanna; Blessed Sacrament, Delevan; Holy Family, Machias; St. Aloysius, Buffalo; Immaculate Heart of Mary, Buffalo. Robert Biesinger died in 2012.
• James H. Cotter (1962 to 1978): Notre Dame High School, Batavia, and Our Lady of Lourdes, Bemus Point. James Cotter died in 1991.
• Donald S. Fafinski (1968 to 2002): St. Casimir’s, Buffalo; Cardinal Mindszenty High School, Dunkirk; Archbishop Walsh High School, Olean; Youth Ministry, Dunkirk & Fredonia; St. John Vianney, Orchard Park; St. Joseph’s, Fredonia; and St. John’s, Jamestown.
• Douglas F. Faraci (1970 to 2002): St. Elizabeth’s, Cherry Creek; St. Anthony’s, Batavia; St. Joseph’s, Lockport; St. Joseph’s, Niagara Falls; Annunciation, Buffalo; Buffalo General Hospital; Roswell Park Institute, Buffalo; and St. Jude Center, Buffalo.
• Fred G. Fingerle (1966 to 2002): St. Teresa’s, Buffalo; Most Precious Blood, Angola; All Saints, Buffalo; St. John the Evangelist, Buffalo; St. Mary of the Lake, Hamburg; Blessed Sacrament, Andover; St. John, Whitesville. Fred Fingerle died in 2002.
• Michael R. Freeman (1973 to 1989): St. Margaret’s, Buffalo; St. Lawrence, Buffalo; Bishop Turner High School, Buffalo; Sacred Heart, Niagara Falls; St. Mary of the Assumption, Lancaster. Michael Freeman died in 2010.
• Joseph P. Friel (1962 to 1991): St. Aloysius, Buffalo; Our Lady of Victory, Lackawanna; Fourteen Holy Helpers, West Seneca; St. John the Evangelist, Buffalo; Blessed Sacrament, Kenmore; St. Bernard’s, Buffalo; St. Bartholemew’s, Buffalo; St. Patrick’s, Randolph; Allegany State Park; St. Vincent de Paul, North Evans; St. Charles, Niagara Falls; St. Leo’s, Amherst. John Friel died in 1995.
• Mark M. Friel (1966 to 2002): Assumption, Lackawanna; St. John Vianney, Orchard Park; Our Lady of Pompei, Lancaster; Infant of Prague, Cheektowaga; SS. Peter & Paul, Jamestown; St. Mary of the Cataract, Niagara Falls; Niagara Falls Medical Center; Mount St. Mary Hospital, Lewiston;
• Thomas G. Gresock (1987 to 1993): St. James, Depew; St. John Gualbert, Cheektowaga.
• John P. Hajduk (1977 to 1994): Blessed Trinity, Buffalo; Most Precious Blood, Angola; Holy Family, Buffalo; St. Mary’s, Cattaraugus; St. Isadore, East Otto; St. Mary, Little Valley.
• Michael J. Harrington (1962 to 1989): Immaculate Conception, Buffalo. Michael Harrington died in 1989.
• Brian M. Hatrick (1985 to 2007): Fourteen Holy Helpers, West Seneca; St. Vincent de Paul, North Evans.
• James P. Hayes (1962 to 1966): Fort Monmouth Catholic Chapel, Fort Monmouth, N.J.; 97th General Hospital, New York City; Calasanctius Preparatory School, Buffalo. James Hayes died in 1988.
• Louis J. Hendricks (1966 to 1990): New Cathedral, Buffalo; St. Aloysius Gonzanga, Buffalo; St. Martin’s, Buffalo; St. Patrick’s, Randolph; Allegany State Park, Red House. Louis Hendricks died in 1990.
• J. Grant Higgins (1976 to 1997): Sisters of Charity Hospital, Buffalo; St. Albert’s, North Tonawanda; Gowanda Psychiatric Center, Helmuth; Most Precious Blood, Angola; St. Peter Chapel, Angola on the Lake. J. Grant Higgins died in 2016.
• Francis T. Hogan (1962 to 1984): Blessed Trinity, Buffalo; St. Mary’s, Little Valley; Holy Cross, Salamanca; Christ the King, Buffalo; St. Patrick’s, Salamanca. Francis Hogan died in 2010.
• Fred D. Ingalls (1975 to 2004): St. Joseph’s, Batavia; St. Joseph’s, Niagara Falls; St. Margaret’s, Buffalo; St. John the Baptist, Alden; St. Joseph’s, Varysburg; St. Cecilia, Siena.
• Florian A. Jasinski (1962 to 1979): St. Patrick’s, Lockport; St. Josaphat’s, Buffalo; Transfiguration, Buffalo; St. Stanislaus Kostka, Perry. Florian Jasinskidied in 1983.
• Gerard C. Jasinski (1969 to 1986): St. John the Evangelist, Sinclairville; Queen of Peace, Buffalo; St. Stanislaus, Buffalo; St. James, Depew; and St. Mary of the Assumption, Lancaster.
• Richard P. Judd (1975 to 1988): St. Teresa of the Infant Jesus, Niagara Falls; St. Teresa’s, Buffalo; Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Buffalo; St. Mary Manor, Niagara Falls. Richard Judd died in 1988.
• Timothy J. Kelley (1978 to 1983): St. Elizabeth Ann Seton in Dunkirk, then transferred to the St. Petersburg, Fla., Diocese.
• Thomas L. Kemp (1962 to 2004): St. Francis, Tonawanda; St. Francis of Assisi, Tonawanda; Most Holy Redeemer, Buffalo; St. Bonaventure, Buffalo; St. Agatha’s, Buffalo; St. Joseph’s, Buffalo; Our Lady of Victory, Frewsburg; St. Mary’s, Holley; St. Mary’s, Silver Springs; Immaculate Conception, East Bethany.
• Richard J. Keppeler (1962 to 2002): Notre Dame High School, Batavia; St. Brigid, Bergan; St. Michael, South Byron. Richard Keppeler died in 2011.
• John D. Lewandowski (1962 to 1967): St. Stanislaus, Buffalo; Assumption, Buffalo. John Lewandowski died in 1982.
• Bernard M. Mach (1964 to 1993): St. Mary’s, East Arcade; Holy Cross, Buffalo; St. Vincent de Paul, North Evans; St. Gerard’s, Buffalo; St. John Vianney, Orchard Park; Sacred Heart, Niagara Falls; Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Buffalo; and St. Mary’s, Lockport. Bernard Mach died in 2004.
• Loville N. Martlock (1964 to 1994): St. John the Evangelist, Sinclairville; Infant of Prague, Cheektowaga; Holy Family, Buffalo; St. Christopher’s, Tonawanda; Cardinal Mindszenty High School, Dunkirk; St. John de la Salle, Niagara Falls; St. John Fisher, South Dayton; St. Elizabeth, Cherry Creek; St. Mary High School, Lancaster; St. Benedict the Moor, Buffalo; Notre Dame High School, Batavia; and Our Lady of Good Counsel, Darien Center. Loville Martlock died in 2014.
• Thomas J. McCarthy (1981 to 2003): Christ the King, Snyder; Our Lady of Victory Basilica, Lackawanna; St. Mary of the Angels, Olean; St. John the Baptist, Kenmore; All Saints, Buffalo; St. John the Baptist, West Valley.
• Basil A. Ormsby (1962 to 1987): St. Teresa’s, Buffalo. Basil Ormsby died in 1997.
• Norbert F. Orsolits (1966 to 2003): St. Joseph’s, Bliss; All Saints, Buffalo; St. John the Evangelist, Buffalo; St. John Kanty, Buffalo; St. John Gaulbert, Cheektowaga; Our Lady of Czestochowa, Cheektowaga; St. James, Depew; St. James, Buffalo; St. John Vianney, Orchard Park; St. Mary of the Angels, Olean; Sacred Heart, Portville; St. Lawrence, Buffalo; and Buffalo General Hospital, Buffalo.
• Martin L. Pavlock (1968 to 2002): SS. Peter & Paul, Jamestown; Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Silver Creek; Our Lady of Blessed Sacrament, Depew; St. Mary of the Assumption, Lancaster; Mother of Divine Grace, Cheektowaga; St. Barnabas, Depew; St. John Fisher, South Dayton; St. Elizabeth, Cherry Creek; St. Gregory’s, Williamsville; Millard Fillmore Suburban Hospital; Our Lady Help of Christians, Cheektowaga; Holy Trinity, Dunkirk.
• Roy K. Ronald (1962 to 1994): St. Frances Cabrini, Collins Center; St. Mary of the Angels, Olean; St. Mary, Belmont; St. Joseph’s Mission, Scio; SS. Peter & Paul, Arcade; St. Mary, East Arcade. Roy Ronald died in 2013.
• Joseph E. Schieder (1962 to 1976): Marymount College, Arlington, Va.; St. Andrew’s, Kenmore. Joseph Schieder died in 1996.
• James A. Spielman (1970 to 1993): Camp Turner, Allegany State Park; St. Aloysius, Springville; SS. Peter & Paul, Jamestown; St. Patrick’s, Salamanca; Archbishop Walsh High School, Olean; Assumption, Portageville; and St. Mary’s, Canaseraga.
• Chester S. Stachewicz (1972 to 1978): St. Philip the Apostle, Cheektowaga. Chester Stachewicz died in 2010.
• Edward J. Walker (1962 to 1984): St. Joseph’s, Fredonia; Holy Name Jesus, Buffalo. Edward Walker died in 2002.
• William G. Ward (1962 to 1997): Our Lady of Victory, Lackawanna; Working Boys Home, Buffalo; Prince of Peace, Niagara Falls; St. Charles, Niagara Falls; Bishop Burke Manor, Buffalo; Our Lady of Fatima, Elba. William Ward died in 2008.
• William F.J. White (1969 to 1984): St. John the Evangelist, Buffalo; Buffalo Boys Town; Erie County Holding Center; Our Lady of Loretto, Buffalo; Blessed Trinity, Buffalo; Annunciation Hospital, Buffalo; Lafayette General Hospital. William White died in 2016.
• Robert W. Wood (1976 to 2003): Holy Trinity, Dunkirk; St. Thomas Aquinas, Buffalo; St. Francis of Assisi, Tonawanda; Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Elma; St. Joseph’s, Varysburg.

The priests on this list began service with the Diocese as early at 1962; one was active as recently as 2011.

The Bishops of the Diocese of Buffalo during the accused priests’ years of services range from Most Rev. Joseph Burke (1952-1962) up to the Most Rev. Edward Kmiec (2004-2011), who was succeeded by the current Bishop, Most Rev. Richard Malone in 2012.

News 4 spoke to Bishop Malone Wednesday, who explained how the Diocese may have handled such accusations in the past.

“They would not be allowed to function any longer a priest of the Diocese or present themselves as a priest. But sometimes in decades past, it is not that way today, and it would not be the way I would ever do it, they would then be allowed never to function again but… we would retire them or they would go on an extended medical leave.”

The Bishop told News he’s open to releasing more information in the future, but will not publish the accused priests’ personnel files.

“John Paul II, Saint John Paul, has said there is no place in the Church’s ministry for anyone who would abuse the young. And I believe that a thousand percent and that’s the principal we operate on now,” said Malone.

But the Bishop admits, that’s not always how the Diocese operated.

Wednesday, a group of advocates demanded more answers from the Diocese, like those personnel files, which Malone has said are off limits.

“We are here today because of what happened on Feb. 27. It was a 52-year-old man from South Buffalo, Michael Whalen, who came before these cameras and said I was abused by father Norbert Orsolits,” said former priest turned activist, Dr. Robert Hoatson. Hoatson founded the Road to Recovery organization for survivors of child sex abuse.

News 4 spoke to Michael Whalen, who feels Tuesday’s list is an important first step. He hopes, it’s one of many.

“I think there’s a lot more. I’ve heard from victims themselves that, different names that aren’t on the list,” Whalen said.*** Diocesan directory records show no location information for Gerard A. Smyczynski, who died in 1999.