Father Ralph Sodano
Diocese of Paterson
Ordained: 1967
Removed: 2002
Died: 2008
Assigned as follows:
- St. Brendan (Clifton, NJ)
- Diocesan Director of Catholic Scouting
- Pope Pius XII High School (Passaic, NJ)
- St. Rose of Lima (East Hanover, NJ)
- Chaplain, United States Navy
- Sacred Heart (Dover, NJ)
- Our Lady of the Mountain (Long Valley, NJ)
Summary of Abuse Allegations against Father Ralph Sodano:
According to media reports, in 2002, Fr. Ralph Sodano was placed on administrative leave, due to accusations he abused two boys in the 1970s. One victim said Sodano drove him to another priest’s Long Island home in 1976 and that there were other boys at the house, wearing only their underwear while watching television. He said Sodano and the other priest told the boy to remove most of his clothes.
In 2003, the Diocese of Paterson deemed the accusations credible and sent the case to the Vatican, requesting a church trial to remove Sodano from the priesthood.
As of April 2008, a total of four accusations were made publicly against Sodano. Two came by way of civil lawsuits filed against the Diocese of Paterson.
Sodano’s name appears on the Diocese of Paterson’s February 2019 list of credibly accused priests. While the Diocese of Paterson confirmed that Sodano has been the subject of “multiple” credible allegations, it did not say how many allegations had been made against him, nor his assignments at the time of the abuse.
Sodano died in 2008.
Horowitz Law is a law firm representing victims and survivors of sexual abuse by Catholic priests and other clergy in the Diocese of Paterson. If you need a lawyer because you were sexually abused by a priest in Paterson, contact our office today. Although many years have passed, those abused by Catholic clergy in the Diocese of Paterson now have legal options to recover damages due to a compensation fund created for victims. Call us at 888-283-9922 or send an email to [email protected] to discuss your options today.