Assignment Record– Rev. Julian Pagacz

Summary of Case: A priest of the Polish National Catholic Church, Pagacz was charged in 1992 with raping two teenage girls, and for providing them with alcohol. One girl recanted. Pagacz admitted to indecent assault. He was fined for the alcohol offense, and ordered to undergo sex offender treatment.

     

Start Stop Assignment Town/Accusations State Position Notes
  1992 Holy Mother of the Rosary Chicopee MA interim pastor  
1973 1997 St. Valentine's

Northampton

• Pagacz was charged in 1992 with raping two teen-age girls at his home. He had also been drinking alcohol with them. Pagacz admitted to indecent assault on a 17 year old girl. He was fined $300. for providing alcohol to minors and was ordered to undergo sex offender treatment. (Buffalo News [New York]
October 14, 1994)

 MA pastor

Members of Pagacz' parish petitioned church leaders to remove Pagacz as pastor. Prime Bishop Swantek and Bishop Gnat, of the Polish National Catholic Church, were reluctant to remove Pagacz reportedly because the girls changed their stories after Pagacz was charged. (Buffalo News [New York]
October 15, 1994)

A charge of raping one of the girls, who was 16 years old, was dropped when the girl refused to testify. Pagacz is said to have threatened to have the girl deported to her native Poland if she told. (The Union-News
February 14, 1992 )

Pagacz stayed in his position at St. Valentine's until March 1997, when he abruptly left. (The Union-News
March 13, 1997)


Source: News reports.

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.

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This assignment record collates Pagacz' career history as it is represented in the Official Catholic Directory with allegations as reported in the media. We make no representation regarding the truth of the allegation 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 Dec. 27, 2010.