Father John Nickas
Archdiocese of Newark
Ordained: 1966
Died: 2008
Assigned as follows:
- St. Peter Claver (Montclair, NJ)
- St. Rocco Community Outreach Center (Newark, NJ)
- St. Rocco School (Newark, NJ)
- St. Rocco Parish (Newark, NJ)
- Essex County Prison (Newark, NJ)
- St. Patrick Pro-Cathedral (Newark, NJ)
- Most Blessed Sacrament (Franklin Lakes, NJ)
Summary of Abuse Allegations against Father John Nickas:
Father John Nickas was ordained a priest in 1966 and served in the Archdiocese of Newark. He served in multiple parishes throughout his career. According to media reports, in May 2013, he was accused of sexually abusing an 8 year old altar boy at St. Rocco’s from 1970-1972. Father Nickas’ accuser said the priest plied him with altar wine before sexually assaulting him in the church and in the rectory. He also said that Nickas threatened to hurt his family and told him that he would be punished by God if he told anyone about the abuse. The Archdiocese of Newark later settled a civil lawsuit with the victim. The settlement came eight months after the review board concluded that the victim’s allegation was not credible due to a lack of evidence.
That same month, a second man told reporters that he testified before the review board regarding his own allegation of abuse by Nickas in 2008. He says he was molested in the early 1980s when he was 16 years old and living at a Newark homeless shelter founded by Nickas. “They owe me an apology,” the man said of the review board members.
In 2005, Nickas retired voluntarily as a priest in good standing. He died in October 2008.
In February 2019, Father Nickas’s name appeared on the Archdiocese of Newark’s list of credibly accused priests. All the Archdiocese of Newark said about Nickas is that he was the subject of “multiple” credible allegations of abuse.
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.