Franciscan Brothers of Brooklyn / Congregation of the Religious Brothers of the Third Order Regular of St Francis

9 Accused in This Religious Order

Br. Antonio F. Antonucci

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Order: OSF
Status: Settled

Died: 11/19/2019
Diocese: Diocese of Worcester MA

Antonucci ran a street ministry for young children. He was charged in 1993 with fondling a 15-year-old boy; acquitted in in 5/1996. He was also named in a civil suit against Fr. Albert Liberatore in Scranton, PA. The suit claimed Liberatore's victim went to Antonucci for help and that Antonucci encouraged him not to tell because it would ruin his (the victim's) life and the lives of others. In 3/2007 the court dismissed the "aiding and abetting claim" against Antonucci, which was part of the suit. In 2019 two brothers claimed in a lawsuit that Antonucci sexually abused them as teenage boys at their home in Shoreham in 1977. They and their mother reported the abuse to their parish, where Antonucci was employed, but nothing was done. The brothers learned in 2019 that another brother was also abused by Antoucci, at age 6. Included on the Rockville Centre diocese's list in 3/2021, which notes alleged abuse in a private home in Port Jefferson. (Per the list, Antonucci was of the O.S.F. order; the lawsuit shows him as an O.S.B. monk.) In 11/2024 the two brothers were included in the Diocese's bankruptcy settlement with 600 survivors. Antonucci died 11/19/2019.

Documents:

John Doe v Liberatore et al 03.19.07

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Br. Harold Harvers

Order: OSF
Status: Sued

Died: 08/24/2004
Diocese: Diocese of Rockville Centre NY

An 18-year-old graduate of St. Anthony High School in South Huntington, where Harvers taught, accused Harvers in a lawsuit in 1/95 of sexually harrassing and abusing her at the school three years prior. She said Harvers would brush up against her in the hallways, grab and kiss her. She also said he told her, among other things, that he was "having unholy thoughts about you." Harvers died 8/24/04. Accused in a lawsuit filed in 8/19 of abuse of a 12-year-old in 1969. The child was a St. Ignatius in Hicksville parishioner.

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Br. Finian Magee

Order: OSF
Status: Sued

Died: 08/27/1993
Diocese: Diocese of Rockville Centre NY

Accused in a 4/03 civil suit of groping and rubbing against a 12-year-old boy in the early 1970s at St. Joseph's in Babylon. He was the boy's 6th grade homeroom teacher at the parish school. The abuse allegedly occurred in the classroom and in Magee's private school office. Died 8/27/93. (Name misspelled McGee in at least one news report.) Included in 3/21 on the Rockville Centre diocese's list of accused.

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Br. Alphonsus Maher

Order: OSF
Status: Sued

Died: 07/19/1999
Diocese: Diocese of Brooklyn NY

Died 7/19/99. Accused in a lawsuit filed in 9/19 under the NY Child Victims Act of abuse of a 16-year-old boy in about 1974, while the boy was a student at Bishop Ford High School.

Sources:

New York Post 09.10.19

Br. Bryan Robert Murphy

Order: OSF
Status: Sued

Diocese: Diocese of Rockville Centre NY

Accused in a lawsuit filed in 9/19 of sexually abusing a girl, ages 15-17, during 1992-94. The girl was a student at St. Anthony's High School in South Huntington, where Murphy was assigned. Murphy hired the girl to do maintenance work at the high school and to work in the summers of 1993 and 1994 at Camp Alvernia in Centerport, where he was Director. Accused in a suit in 8/20 of sexually abusing another girl, age 17, in 1995 at Camp Alvernia. Left the order in 2001. In 2015 was named Pres and CEO of a social service agency serving families and children in Westchester County NY.

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Br. Ben O’Reilly

Order: OSF
Status: Sued

Diocese: Diocese of Brooklyn NY

In a civil suit filed in 6/13, a woman who graduated in 2009 from St. Francis Prep in Queens alleged she was sexually harassed by O'Reilly, a Spanish teacher at the school. She complained to the school; the principal admitted that O'Reilly had a history of harassing girls. O'Reilly was sent for a psychological evaluation which deemed him unfit to work with children. He was removed from the classroom but allowed to continue living on campus.

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Br. Richard Pinke

Order: OSF
Status: Sued

Diocese: Diocese of Brooklyn NY

Joined the order in 1965. Taught grades 7-10 math and science at St. Anthony's High School in Smithtown, L.I.; also taught at St. Brigid's in Bushwick, St. Francis Prep in Fresh Meadows and Bishop Ford High School. In 2015 was living at his order's friary in Bay Ridge. Accused in a lawsuit filed in 9/18 under the NY Child Victims act.

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Br. Dominic Quigley

Order: OSF
Status: Accused

Diocese: Archdiocese of New York NY

Suspended in 9/14 from assignment at American Martyrs parish in Queens after accusation he sexually abused a male St. Francis Prep student in 2003. D.A. launched investigation. Status of case unknown in 5/16.

Sources:

New York Daily News 10.01.14

Br. Francis Rowles

Order: OSF
Status: Accused

Died: 11/12/2019
Diocese: Diocese of Rockville Centre NY

"Brother Fran." Entered the OSF order in 1961. Taught at Bishop Ford HS and Our Lady of Angels School in Brooklyn, St. Anthony's HS. Music Director for several parishes, local college teacher and faculty of NY archdiocese's School of Liturgical Music. Directed community and high school musicals. Named publicly as accused on the Rockville Centre diocese's list in 3/21. Allegedly abused at St. Joseph's in Kings Park, Franciscan Friary in Kings Park, St. Anthony High on Long Island, Philadelphia PA, Washington DC, CA, FL, VT, Bahamas. Died 11/12/19.

Assignments:

Diocese of Rockville Centre List 03.18.21

BishopAccountability.org

Franciscan Brothers of Brooklyn / Congregation of the Religious Brothers of the Third Order Regular of St Francis – OSF

9 Accused in This Religious Order

Br. Antonio F. Antonucci

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Br. Harold Harvers

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Br. Finian Magee

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Br. Alphonsus Maher

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Br. Bryan Robert Murphy

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Br. Ben O’Reilly

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Br. Richard Pinke

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Br. Dominic Quigley

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Br. Francis Rowles

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