Fr. Keith F. Pecklers

Order: SJ
Ordained: 1991
Status: Settled

Diocese: Archdiocese of Newark NJ

In 12/2010 testimony before the NJ Senate Judiciary Committee a man said he was abused by Pecklers and then-deacon Thomas Stanford while a teenager in 1976 at St. Paul’s in Jersey City. Pecklers was 17 or 18 himself at the beginning and was music director. The abuse occurred for almost a year. Pecklers went on to be a Jesuit scholar on staff at Pontifical Gregorian University Rome. His victim settled with the Diocese in 2008. When asked about the allegation, Pecklers said there was no abuse because he was a minor himself at the time. He remained an active priest as of 7/2014. Included on the Northeast Jesuits list of credibly accused 1/15/2019, which  notes a report received in 2008 of abuse of a minor by Pecklers 1976-1977, prior to his entering the Jesuits. Ministry restricted in 2009.


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