| Assignment Record– Rev. Joseph D. Maurizio Summary of Case: A priest of the Altoona-Johnstown diocese ordained in 1987, Maurizio worked in a number of parishes as an assistant, and was made pastor of a Central City parish in 2003. He also worked as a college and hospital chaplain. From 1999-2014 he directed Humanitarian Interfaith Ministries, through which he traveled often to Central and South American countries to visit and provide 'relief work' to orphanages. In 2009 a staff member at a center for homeless children in Honduras is said to have overheard children arguing over whether to report that Maurizio had solicited them for sex. The agency overseeing the center investigated, and a number of boys allegedly disclosed sexual abuse by the priest. The board's chairwoman said she confronted Maurizio, who denied the allegations. She reportedly also informed the Altoona-Johnstown diocese, the FBI and the Attorney General's office. On September 12, 2014 Homeland Security agents raided Maurizio's rectory and his residence on a Pennsylvania farm. He was placed on leave by the diocese. On September 26 Maurizio was arrested on charges of engaging in illicit sex in foreign countries and possession of child pornography. At a September 29 detention hearing, prosecutors cited new allegations by two Pennsylvania boys, ages 5 and 7. Maurzio was convicted September 22, 2015 of illicit sexual conduct in foreign places, possession of child pornography and international money laundering. Sentenced March 2, 2016 to 16 years, 8 months in prison, and lifetime probation upon release. The sentence was to be reduced by 17 months for time served. Ordained: 1987 |
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| Start | Stop | Parish/Assignment | Town/Accusations | State/Country |
Position | Notes |
1987 Altoona-Johnstown bishop was Joseph Victor Adamec (1987-2011). |
1988 | St. Rose of Lima | Altoona | PA | 3/3 | St. Rose's had a school with 155 students. |
| 1988 | 1990 | Our Mother of Sorrows | Johnstown | PA | 2/2 | Our Mother of Sorrows had a school with 346-350 students. |
| 1989 | St. Michael's | Johnstown | PA | This assignment is per the PA Attorney General's March 1, 2016 Grand Jury Report. | ||
| 1990 | 1991 | St. John Cantius (Polish) | Windber | PA | 2/2 | St. John's had a religious education program with 187 students. |
| 1990 | 1995 | Juanita College | Huntingdon | PA | Director of Campus Ministry/Chaplain | |
| 1990 | 1993 | University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown | Johnstown | PA | Director of Campus Ministry/Chaplain | |
| 1993 | 1995 | Lock Haven University | Lock Haven | PA | Chaplain | |
| 1991 | 1993 | St. Casimir's (Polish) | Johnstown | PA | 3/3 | |
| 1991 | 1993 | St. Emerich's (Hungarian) | Johnstown | PA | 2/2 | |
| 1993 | 1997 | St. Andrew's | Johnstown | PA | 2/2 | St. Andrew's had a school with 225-170 students, and a religious education program with 78-126 students. |
| St. Mary's | Windber | PA | This assignment is per the diocesan newspaper in 2012. Time-frame not specified. | |||
| 1996 | Conemaugh Health System (Good Samaritan Medical Center and Memorial Medical Center) | Johnstown | PA | This assignment is per the PA Attorney General's March 1, 2016 Grand Jury Report. | ||
| 1997 | 2003 | Maurizio is not indexed in the 1998-2003 Directories, nor is he listed in the Directories' Altoona-Johnstown diocesan pages for those years. | ||||
| 1999 | 2009 | Humanitarian Interfaith Ministries | Johnstown • In 2009 a staff member at a center for homeless children in Progreso Honduras is said to have overheard children arguing over whether they should report that Maurizio had solicited them for sex. The children then allegedly disclosed sexual abuse by the priest. Per an affidavit by a Homeland Security officer, the chairwoman of a nonprofit in Honduras that ran the orphanage confronted Maurizio, who denied the allegations. She is said to have also reported the allegations to the Altoona-Johnstown diocese and contacted the FBI and the Attorney General's office. |
PA | Director | Under the auspices of H.I.M., Maurizio traveled to orphanages in Honduras, El Salvador, the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Haiti, Nicaragua, Panama, Mexico, Bolivia, and Peru. Contributions were handled by the Independent Catholic Foundation for the Catholic Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown, which was established by Maurizio. |
2003 Adamec was succeeded by Mark Leonard Bartchak (2011-). |
Sept 2014 | Our Lady Queen of Angels | Central City • At Maurizio's September 29, 2014 detention hearing prosecutors cited new allegations against the priest, by two Pennsylvania boys, ages 5 and 7. |
PA | 1/1 | Our Lady Queen of Angels had a religious education program with 94-33 students. Maurizio was placed on leave by the diocese after Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents searched Our Lady Queen of Angels' rectory and the priest's farm in Windber, PA September 12, 2014. Maurizio was arrested September 25 and charged with engaging in illicit sex in foreign countries and possession of child pornography. |
| Sept 2014 | Mar 2016 | Maurizio was convicted September 22, 2015 of illicit sexual conduct in foreign places, possession of child pornography and international money laundering. He was sentenced March 2, 2016 to 16 years, 8 months in prison and lifetime probation upon release. |
Sources: Official Catholic Directory (New York: P.J. Kenedy and Sons, 1988-2014) • Priest Agrees to Step down in Altoona-johnstown Diocese, We Are Central PA, September 16, 2014
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. |