Father Fabian Oris
Diocese of Greensburg
Ordained: 1942
Retired: 1990
Faculties suspended: 2002
Died: 2007
Assigned as follows:
- 1942 - 1953: St. Mary (Brownsville, PA)
- 1953 - 1955: St. Bernard (Indiana, PA)
- 1955 - 1962: St. Hedwig (Smock, PA)
- 1962 - 1971: St. Florian (United, PA)
- 1971 - 1973: Holy Rosary (Republic, PA)
- 1973 - 1990: St. Mary (Uniontown, PA)
Summary of Sexual Abuse Allegations against Fr. Fabian Oris:
Fr. Fabian Oris was ordained a priest in 1942, who served in multiple parishes in the Diocese of Greensburg. According to media reports, in 2018, he was first named publicly as accused in the PA Grand Jury report. It revealed Bishop Anthony Bosco received a letter in 2002 from an adult female claiming Father Fabian Oris sexually abused her during his time at St. Hedwig. The exact year of the abuse is unknown; however his time at the church occurred from 1955 to 1962. She had also learned recently that her sister was also sexually abused by him. The abuse of the youngest began at age 4 and continued until she was 12.
A memorandum from Father Lawrence Persico described a telephone conversation with the victim's older sister where she revealed Oris had abused her between her third and fifth-grade years at St. Hedwig. She never knew why the abused stopped until her sister told her that he abused her; Persico stopped abusing the older sibling when he moved onto the younger one.
According to Diocese records, Oris claimed he had no recollection of the events but apologized for any harm he may have caused to the victims. He had supposedly been praying to the Lord that he may one day be forgiven by the girls he hurt and the almighty himself, despite his claims that he did not remember doing anything wrong. Oris referred to young girls as, "pretty" and claimed, "they throw themselves at you." He also suggested the girls' mother was somehow to blame for the molestation for letting him spend so much time with him.
Oris, who was retired by this time, was directed that he could not perform any public ministry as a result of the allegations.
In 2014 another victim came forward to claim Oris had kissed her on the lips during a disciplinary visit to his office at St. Mary, during the years of 1977/1978. The alleged abuse occurred when the victim was only eleven years old, however since Oris had passed away in 2007 the Diocese of Greensburg took no further action toward the allegation.
Horowitz Law is a law firm representing victims and survivors of sexual abuse by Catholic priests and other clergy in the Diocese of Greensburg. If you need a lawyer because you were sexually abused by a priest in Pennsylvania, contact our office today. Although many years have passed, those abused by Catholic clergy in the Diocese of Greensburg may have legal options, but filing deadlines will apply so do not delay in reaching out to us.
Contact us at 888-283-9922 or adam@adamhorowitzlaw.com to discuss your legal options today.