Rev. Randolph "Randy" Nowak, OFM.Cap – Assignment History

Summary of Case: Randolph "Randy" Nowak was ordained for the Capuchin order in 1952. He spent over twenty-five years of his early ministry working with high school-aged seminarians at St. Mary's Seminary in Garrison NY. He appears to have subsequently moved for a brief time to the Capuchin residence in Hawthorne, followed by several years at the Order's Provincialate in White Plains. He returned to the minor seminary in Garrison for five years beginning in 1975, leaving there for a year in Yonkers, where he resided at Capuchin monastery and parish while working as a hospital and nursing home chaplain.

In 1979 Nowak was transferred to Guam. There he was a parish priest, assisting at many Capuchin parishes and pastoring a few, in Agat, San Isidro and Ordot. He was assigned to Hawaii in 1988, assisting and leading parishes in Ewa Beach, Pahala and Waikane. There is a gap in his assignments 1994-1996, after which he is noted in the Official Catholic Directory to be retired in Hawaii until 2001. The following six years show Nowak to be back in Guam, no longer retired, assisting at an Agat parish and as the "Senior Friar" of the Capuchin Fraternity.

In 2008 a man wrote in a letter to the Capuchin's New York provincialate that Nowak molested him when the man was a young seminarian in the 1960s at St. Mary's in Garrison. Nowak, in turn, wrote in an email to his former student, apologizing for "what happened between us." Nowak's accuser also said that he told a Capuchin priest in the 1970s about the abuse, but that nothing was done. In 2008 the priest in question said he didn't "recall such a conversation... ."

According to his Order, Nowak's faculties were removed in 2004 due to past allegations that "arose elsewhere." Nowak has been living in retirement since at least 2007 at the St. Fidelis Friary in Agaña Heights. The Capuchins agreed to pay Nowak's accuser's fees counseling fees, beginning in 2006.

Born: July 21, 1925
Ordained: September 6, 1952

1952

Archdiocese of New York

Archbishop was Francis Joseph Spellman (1939-1967), followed by Terence James Cooke (1968-1983.)

Garrison-on-Hudson (Glenclyffe)

• In a February 2008 letter a man told the Capuchin provincial in New York that Nowak had molested him in the 1960s, when the man was a young student at St. Mary's.

The seminary was also called Glenclyffe High School. It had 111-64 students.

After the provincial spoke to Nowak about the former seminarian's disclosure in February 2008, Nowak emailed the man, writing, "I was glad to finally contact you after my talk with Fr. Mike Banks. Again I apologize for what happened between us. I was fully at fault. Many times I have prayed to die because of my guilt. I am also sorry to hear that it has severely upset your life. I have kept you in my daily prayers and will continue to do so. My life too has hit the bottom. It has been messed up because I went through the same problems. Sincerely, Randolph."

St. Mary's had 53 minor seminarians.

Nowak's accuser said he told Capuchin priest Regis Armstrong about the abuse in the mid-1970s, but that Armstrong did nothing. In 2008 Armstrong said he didn't recall such a conversation at the time."

1979

Diocese of Agaña

Bishop was Felixberto Camacho Flores (1971-1985).

Our Lady of Mount Carmel had an elementary school with 164 boys and 166 girls, and a junior high school with 61 boys and 71 girls.

1988

Diocese of Honolulu

Bishop was Joseph Anthony Ferrario (1982-1993).

1992

Ferrario was succeeded as Honolulu bishop by Francis Xavier DiLorenzo (1994-2004).

2001

Archdiocese of Agaña (elevated to archdiocese in 1984)

Archbishop was Anthony Sablan Apuron, OFM.Cap. (1986-).

Our Lady of Mount Carmel had a CCD program with 315-220 students.

Nowak is not listed in the Directories as retired beyond 2002.

Priests in a Parish: We use the following convention to show a priest's place among the clergy of a parish: 1/2 means that he is the first priest listed in the Official Catholic Directory (usually the pastor) and that there is a total of two priests at the parish. The shorthand 3/4 means that the priest is listed third on a four-priest roster. See our sample page from the Directory.

Source: Official Catholic Directory (Kenedy & Sons, 1953-2016).

• SNAP Names Priest for Alleged Sexual Abuse, By Mindy Aguon, KUAM, March 23, 2010
• SNAP Presents Allegations Of Abuse Committed By Priests Who Served On Guam, By Mana Silva Taijeron, Pacific News Center, March 23, 2010
• Guam Pedophile Priests Identified, By Therese Hart, Marianas Variety, March 24, 2010
• News Release, Archdiocese of Agana, April 22, 2010



Note: The Official Catholic Directory aims to report the whereabouts of Catholic priests in the United States on January 1 of the Directory's publication year. Our working assumption is that a priest listed in the Directory for a given year was at the same assignment for part of the previous year as well. However, Kenedy and Sons will sometimes accept updates well into the year of publication. Diocesan clergy records are rarely available to correct this information. The Directory is also sometimes misleading or wrong. We have tried to create an accurate assignment record, given the source materials and their limitations. Assignment records are a work in progress and we are always improving the records that we post. Please email us with new information and corrections.

This assignment record collates Nowak's career history as it is represented in the Official Catholic Directory with the allegations against him, as reported in the media. We make no representation regarding the truth of the allegations we report, and we remind our readers that the U.S. legal system presumes that a person accused of or charged with a crime is innocent until proven guilty. Similarly, individuals who may be defendants in civil actions are presumed not to be liable for such claims unless a plaintiff proves otherwise. Admissions of guilt or liability are not typically a part of civil or private settlements. For more information, see our posting policy.

This assignment record was last updated on April 28, 2017.