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Monday,
October17,2005 17IeJERSEY
JOURNAL 5

Monsignor'sreassignment came
aftersexallegationfound'credible' church officials until- March
By JASONDELREV again and could not be involved
JOURNAL STAFFWRITER in any unsupervised ministry 2002, when his mother finally
with someone under the age of convinced him to come
Monsignor Peter Cheplic's re- 21," Goodness said. forward. A year later, in April
assignment last year to a Wee- .A priest also was assigned the 2003, Kansky received a brief-
hawken church came after responsibility of overseeing all letter from the archdiocese
archdiocese officials found of Cheplic's actions, Goodness stating that his allegation was
"credible" an accusation of said. credible and offering to pay for
sexual abuse against him, a psychological counseling,
"It wasn't as if there was abso- which he didn't accept.
spokesman for the Archdiocese lute free movement," he said.
of Newark said. "There was no apology what-
Cheplic was allowed to soever to the victim." Kansky,
Cheplic is now under investi- preside over Mass and adminis- 45, said this week. "For a church
gation again after new accusa- ter sacraments, but could not that is supposed to be compas-
tions from two men who said be left alone with altar servers, sionate, you didn't see it."
they were abused by the priest Goodness said. Parishioners and church offi-
in the 1980s and early 1990s. cials at the Hudson County par-
Cheplic voluntarily stepped Kansky, who is now married
ishes where Cheplic worked de-
down in August from his post as and living in Tennessee, said he clined to speak about the alle-
parochial vicar of St. Henry's was never told of the church's ~"'.~~rji-
gations against him on several
Church in Bayonne during the decision to reinstate Cheplic. occasions during the past MARTIN
CEPERLEY JOURNAL PHOTO

investigation, archdiocese He learned Cheplic was still in weeks. ST.ALOYSIUSCHURCHRectoryon WestSideAvenuein JerseyCity.
spokesman Jim Goodness said. the ministry when a relative
-~ ~-
told him of The Jersey Journal's
Cheplic was pastor at St. articles about new allegations
Aloysius Church in Jersey City against the priest. Entermg t.~e
in 2002 when Martin Kansky TI-.i:d ~\li!rnmum
told archdiocese officials that "I hadn't heard anything in
the priest had molested him at two years," he said. Archdioceseof Newark rrodalIl\!!',~ ;n !.uti
Ot :rJs.icn uf
a shore house in 1978, when Kansky was a 12-year-old Oms! d:e Redeerr
Kansk-ywas 18 and Cheplic was altar boy at St. Matthew's Office of the Vice-ChAncellor
pastor of St. Matthew's Church Church in Ridgefield when he
in Ridgefield. first met Cheplic in 1972. Six
Goodness said an "announce- years later, while visiting
ment from the pulpit" was Cheplic at a beach house in La-
made at St. Aloysius to notify vallette, Kansky said the priest
parishioners that Cheplic had served him several mixed drinks
been removed while the archdi- and beers. They went to sleep in
ocese investigated "an allega- separate bedrooms, Kansky April 28, 2003
tion of sexual misconduct," said, but he woke up in the
During the Investigation, middle of the night with the
Cheplic was not allowed to be priest molesting him.
in the ministry, Goodness said. Kansky told his parents about Mr. Martin Kansky
The investigation found the the incident, but didn't tell
allegation "credible," according KnoxvIlle, Tennessee
to a letter Kansky received in
2003, but Newark Archbishop Dear Mr. Kansky,
John J. Mvers decided to rein- Monsignor Peter Cheplic,ordained - .
state Cheplic into ministry in 1972. has worlled at four
I am writing to infonn you that the Archdiocese Response Team has concluded
because it was the first known churches in Hudson County over the
the investigation regarding your accusation against Msgr. Peter Cheplic.
incident against the cleric and last 16 years.
did not involve a minor, Good- 1972-1985 - Parochial vicar, St
ness said. Matthew, Ridgefield The Response Team found your accusation to be credible and the Archdiocese is
1985.1989 - Pastor, Holy Spirit! offering to provide you with counseling if you would find this helpful. Please refer to the
"A single act of abuse of a enclosed policy for receiving counseling.
Our Lady Help of Christians Parish,
minor by a cleric, past. present.
or future, which has been ad- East Orange
mitted or otherwise de- 1989.1994 - Pastor, St. Joseph of On behalf of the Archdiocesan Response Team. 1thank you for your cooperation
the Palisades, West New York and assistance in this matter. Be assured of my prayerful good wishes.
termined, will bring about his
1994-2002 - Pastor, St. Aloysius,
removal from ministry," accord-
Jersey City
ing to the Web site for the Con-
2003 - Out of ministry: Investi-
ference of Catholic Bishops
Charter for the Protection of gated for allegation of sexual abuse.
An archdiocese spokesman said the
Children and Young People. -accusation was .credible" but it
Sincerely in Christ.
Kansky said he was "a couple of
months" older than 18 when
the alleged abuse happened.
"did not warrant removal" because
it didn't involve a minor.
-
2004 Parochial vicar, St. law-
(Lt~
~.
~Robert Emery)-L
.

Cheplic's assignment to St. rence, Weehawken Vic~Chancel1or and'!'


Lawrence's, and later to St. 2004-August 2005 - Parochial Coordinator of the Response Team
Henry's, came with "certain vicar, St. Henry, Bayonne
kinds of restrictions," Goodness Source: Archdiocese of Newark
said. A COPYOFa lettersentbythe Archdioceseof Newarkto Martin Kanskyin responseto his complaintsagainst
Monsignor
PeterCheplic, .
"He could never be a pastor

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