Media Release – July 24-25, 2015

Road to Recovery
July 24, 2015

http://www.road-to-recovery.org/

The two sexual abuse victims and their advocates/supporters will appeal to parishioners of a Flatbush, Brooklyn parish, St. Catherine of Genoa, where Fr. Kenneth Wicks served as pastor from 1983-1991 for information about sexual abuse of children in St. Catherine of Genoa Parish, Flatbush, Brooklyn

Juan Rodriguez and Luis Ramos reported the sexual abuse by Fr. Kenneth Wicks to the Diocese of Brooklyn, New York, in approximately 1993-1995 but the Diocese of Brooklyn did nothing to help the childhood victims of clergy sexual abuse and kept the sexual abuse quiet

What

A demonstration, leafleting and press conference alerting the media and general public of horrific and extensive sexual abuse of minor children by Fr. Kenneth Wicks who served as a Catholic priest and pastor at a number of parishes in the Diocese of Brooklyn, including St. Gabriel Parish in East New York, Brooklyn, and St. Catherine of Genoa Parish in Flatbush, Brooklyn

When

Saturday, July 25, 2015 from 4:00 pm until 6:00 pm (before and after the 5:00 PM parish Mass)

Sunday, July 26, 2015 from 8:45 AM until 1:00 PM (before and after the parish Masses)

Where

On the public sidewalk outside St. Catherine of Genoa Parish, 520 Linden Boulevard, Brooklyn, New York, 718-282-7162

Who

Juan Rodriguez, a community activist and leader of the 75th NYPD Precinct Community Board, and childhood sexual abuse victim of Fr. Kenneth Wicks; Luis Ramos, a social worker in New York City, former priest seminarian and Franciscan friar, indigenous activist, and childhood sexual abuse victim of Fr. Kenneth Wicks; Robert M. Hoatson, Ph.D., co-founder and President of Road to Recovery, Inc., a non-profit charity that assists victims of sexual abuse and their families, and members of Road to Recovery, Inc.

Why

In the 1980s, Juan Rodriguez and Luis Ramos as minor children were sexually abused by Fr. Kenneth Wicks at St. Gabriel Parish in East New York, Brooklyn, New York, and other places. Shortly after Fr. Kenneth Wicks sexually abused children at St. Gabriel Parish in East New York, Brooklyn, the Diocese of Brooklyn appointed him pastor (1983) of St. Catherine of Genoa Parish in Flatbush, Brooklyn, and it is believed that Fr. Kenneth Wicks continued to sexually abuse children at St. Catherine of Genoa Parish in Flatbush, Brooklyn, where he served as pastor until 1991. When Juan Rodriguez and Luis Ramos reported the sexual abuse by Fr. Kenneth Wicks in approximately 1993-1995, at least one of the men was told that Fr. Wicks had died of a heart attack or stroke, when, in fact, he killed himself. Demonstrators will urge other victims of Fr. Kenneth Wicks to come forward to begin their healing and demand of the Diocese of Brooklyn that it compensate sexual abuse victims.

Contacts

Robert M. Hoatson, Ph.D., Road to Recovery, Inc., Livingston, NJ – 862-368-2800

Attorney Mitchell Garabedian, Boston, MA – 617-523-6250