Father Eugene G. Emo
Diocese of Rochester
Ordained: 1961
Administrative leave: 1993
Arrested: 1996
Involuntarily dismissed: 2012
Assigned as follows:
- 1961-1963: St. Patrick Church; Owego, NY
- 1963-1968: St. Cecilia Church; Irondequoit, NY
- 1968-1973: St. Mary; Dansville, NY
- 1973: St. Margaret-Mary Church; Apalachin, NY
- 1974: St. Michael Church; Newark, NJ
- 1975-1982: St. James Mercy Hospital; Hornell, NY
- 1982: St. Mary Church; Geneseo, NY
- 1982-1987: St. Francis De Sales; Geneva, NY
- 1987-1993: St. Januarius; Naples, NY
- 1993: Placed on Administrative Leave
- 1994: Holy Trinity; Webster, NY
- 1994: Mercy Health and Rehabilitation Center; Auburn, NY
- 1994: Placed on limited assignment
- 1995: Part-time chaplain at the Canandaigua Veterans Affairs Medical Center
- 1995: Full-time chaplain at the V.A. Hospital
Summary of Sexual Abuse Allegations against Father Eugene G. Emo:
In 1996, Father Eugene G. Emo was arrested and sentenced to 6 months in prison and 5 years probation for the abuse of 31-year-old mentally disabled man. Emo was placed on administrative leave by the Diocese of Rochester after the bishop was notified that an incident had taken place at Emo’s home in Steuben County. That same day, Emo resigned as a veterans chaplain.
While this was Emo’s first arrest, it wasn’t the first time that he’d been accused of inappropriate behavior. In fact, 3 years earlier, he had resigned as pastor of St. Januarius Church in Naples and entered a residential treatment center in August 1993 after being accused of inappropriate behavior with underaged boys in the parish, according to media reports.
The Democrat and Chronicle reported that Emo had been moved from St. Januarius Church in Naples over concerns about missing money and his behavior with boys, which included wrestling, and the discovery of handcuffs and photographs. It soon came out the Emo had been moved several times to other parishes because of behavioral concerns.
State Police said that a dozen people had contacted the agency about encounters with Emo that had taken place between 10 and 32 years prior. However, no additional charges were filed due to the expiration of the statute of limitations.
Emo served his time in jail, but in 1999 he was charged with violating probation by having contact with a 16-year-old boy. He was sentenced to 1-3 years in prison and released in 2002. He was involuntarily dismissed from the clerical state per a June 2012 statement from Diocese of Rochester, meaning that the Vatican determined he committed misconduct sufficient to warrant his removal from the priesthood.
As of 2018, Emo was reported to be a registered sex offender living in Bushnell, Florida.
Horowitz Law is a law firm representing victims of sexual abuse in the Diocese of Rochester. The Diocese of Rochester in New York filed for bankruptcy protection in 2019. Our lawyers are now offering free legal consultations to discuss a potential lawsuit and your other options as a survivor of sexual abuse by priests and other employees of the Rochester Diocese.
Very strict filing deadlines have now been set by the Bankruptcy Court. Most victims of abuse will never be able to recover damages if they miss this deadline, so please contact us to discuss your case today. Call us at 888-283-9922 or send an e-mail to [email protected].