Father Gary J. Mercure
Ordained: 1975
Removed: 2008
Assigned as follows:
- 1975-1978: Our Lady of the Assumption Church (Latham, MY)
- 1978-1982: St. Teresa of Avila (Albany, NY)
- 1982-1991: Our Lady of the Annunciation (Queensbury, NY)
- 1982-1999: Adirondack Community College (Glen Falls, NY)
- 1991-1995: St. Mary's (Glen Falls, NY)
- 1991-1995: St. Alphonsus Regional Catholic School (Glens Falls, NY)
- 1996-1997: St. Mary's Catholic Church (Clinton Heights, NY)
- 1997-2008: Sacred Heart (Troy, NY)
- 2009-2019: Unknown
Summary of Sexual Abuse Allegations against Father Gary Mercure:
In 2008, a lawsuit was filed by four victims who alleged that Fr. Gary Mercure sexually abused them from 1978 to 1991. The victims claimed that the abuse began when they were between the ages of 6 and 13-years-old and that they knew of at least three other victims.
A second lawsuit was filed against Mercure in 2008, claiming he had abused a vulnerable adult, and that the Diocese of Albany had known about Mercure's inappropriate contact with children since 1994. That same year, The Diocese found "reasonable grounds" to believe Mercure sexually abused a child in the mid-1980s, and shortly after, he was removed from ministry.
In 2011, Mercure was criminally prosecuted and convicted for the rape of a child and indecent assault. He received 20-25 years in prison, and it has been documented that Mercure has remained a priest while incarcerated. His name also appeared on the Diocese of Albany list of clergy credibly accused while serving, which was released in November of 2018.
In June 2020, Mercure was named in three civil lawsuits filed against the Diocese of Albany under New York's Child Victims Act, which suspended the statute of limitations on sexual abuse claims for a limited window of time.
Horowitz Law is a law firm representing victims and survivors of sexual abuse by Catholic priests and other clergy in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany. If you need a lawyer because you were sexually abused by a priest in New York, contact our office today. Although many years have passed, those abused by Catholic clergy in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany now have legal options to recover damages due to a compensation fund created for victims. Contact us at 888-283-9922 or email us at [email protected].