Monsignor removed from parish after admitting misconduct from 30 years ago
BY PETER KADUSHIN and ALISON GENDAR
NEW YORK DAILY NEWS WRITERS
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/ny_crime/2007/12/04/2007-12-04_monsignor_removed_from_parish_after_admi.html
A Brooklyn monsignor has been yanked from his parish after admitting "inappropriate behavior" with up to five young people more than 30 years ago, authorities said.
Msgr. George Zatarga, 65, admitted allegations of sexual misconduct when he was a relatively new priest in the Diocese of Brooklyn in the late 1970s, according to a letter the Bishop of Brooklyn Nicholas DiMarzio sent to Zatarga's flock.
A law enforcement source said investigators also were checking out more recent abuse allegations. Zatarga served as chaplain at Bishop Loughlin Memorial High School in Brooklyn from 1971 to 1979, and chaplain at Archbishop Molloy High School in Queens from 1979 to 1989.
An adult victim broke the silence with a call to the diocese's toll-free sexual assault hotline two weeks ago, authorities said.
Zatarga admitted the misconduct and resigned over the weekend as pastor of the American Martyrs parish in Bayside, Queens, a post he had held for the past two years.
None of the alleged abuse took place at American Martyrs, said diocesan spokesman Frank DeRosa. Diocesan officials declined to name where Zatarga worked when the alleged assault occurred.
"The faith is great but something obviously went wrong," said a parishioner at American Martyrs, who gave his name only as Michael. "There's a problem in the church right now and something needs to be done. It is unacceptable that he could do something like that."
Zatarga is at a counseling center outside of the diocese, and the allegations have been turned over to the Brooklyn district attorney's office for investigation, DeRosa said.
The statute of limitations for sexual abuse is five years, law enforcement sources said.
He has been placed on administrative leave, meaning that he cannot present himself as a priest, wear clerical garb, celebrate the Mass or administer sacraments publicly. He will be allowed to celebrate Mass privately.
Zatarga was ordained in June 1968. He left Archbishop Molloy to serve Christ the King Church in Queens from 1989 to 1999. He served as the vicar for senior priests - ministering to retired priests from 1999 to 2005 before coming to American Martyrs.
Other American Martyrs parishioners said Zatarga was known for taking month-long vacations, including a ski trip to Colorado, and for an offbeat sense of humor.
The article above is complete.
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
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5 comments:
There are more and the abuse was more recent than stated.....I hope more people come foward. Shameful.
I attended Molloy High School from 79-83 and was approached by Father Zatarga on more than one occasion. He tried to convince me that I had problems at home and should talk about them with him in his office. I thought it was weird at the time and told my parents. They forbid me from ever being alone with the priest again. Since he didn't do anything inappropriate at that time that could be brought to the administration of Molloy, nothing happened. I ran into him at a local health club years afterward and he still remembered me. I didn't give him the time of day because by that day, I had learned the meaning of being a predator and knew exactly what his intentions were towards me years before. I pray for him. It is a truly sad that a man who is in a position of trust can take advantage of that trust with impressionable young people.
The sexual abuse should be seriously prohibited, police should concern about this.Laws should also strictly enforced against those who are involving in this.
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shinyallard
http://www.shepelskylaw.com
Does anyone realize that this man was in charge of alter boys at St. Frances de Chantal in Brooklyn during the 1960's?
I attended Bishop Loughlin HS in 1972 I was shocked when I just recently learned some of what this so called priest had do to some young boys. He was the so called spiritual advisor at the school when he took me to his private quarters in the All Saints rectory, he convinced me I needed special counseling, when he told me I should stand in front oh his mirror and strip naked, disgusting!
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