Father John Komar
Archdiocese of Newark
Ordained: 1964
Arrested/removed: 2003
Died: 2017
Assigned as follows:
- St. Matthew (Ridgefield, NJ)
- Englewood Hospital (Englewood, NJ)
- St. Joseph (Bayonne, NJ)
- Valley Hospital (Ridgewood, NJ)
- St. Margaret of Cortona (Little Ferry, NJ)
- Our Lady of Fatima (North Bergen, NJ)
- Jersey City Medical Center (Jersey City, NJ)
- St. Philip the Apostle (Saddle Brook, NJ)
Summary of Abuse Allegations against Father John Komar:
Father John Komar was ordained a priest in 1964 and served in the Archdiocese of Newark. He served in multiple parishes throughout his career. According to media reports, in 2003 he was arrested for viewing child pornography on his work computer. At the time he had been a member of the Archdiocese of Newark for 39 years and served as head chaplain at Englewood Hospital and Medical Center for 10 years. The hospital’s computer technician noticed the websites in the computer history and notified the police. They tracked the addresses and conducted surveillance of the chaplain’s office. Video showed Father Komar accessing the sites.
Father Komar confessed to authorities that it was “for his personal gratification,” said prosecutor John Molinelli. He was found guilty of abusing “multiple” minors. The Archdiocese of Newark placed him on leave. He then moved to St. John Vianney Residence for Retired Priests in Rutherford, NJ where he lived until his death in October 2017.
In February 2019, Father Komar’s name was included on its list of 63 priests “credibly accused” of child sex abuse. He was the subject of “multiple” allegations of child pornography, but no additional details were provided. Presumably, the “multiple” allegations refers to his criminal charges.
Horowitz Law is a law firm representing victims and survivors of sexual abuse by Catholic priests and other clergy in the Archdiocese of Newark in New Jersey. If you need a lawyer because you were sexually abused in the Archdiocese of Newark, contact our office today. Although many years have passed, those abused by Catholic clergy in the Archdiocese of Newark now have legal options, but filing deadlines will apply so do not delay in reaching out to us. Our lawyers have decades of experience representing survivors of clergy sexual abuse in New Jersey and nationwide. We can help.
Contact us at 888-283-9922 or [email protected] to discuss your options today.