Skip to content
Call Today: 888-283-9922
Horowitz Law Logo
  • About
    • Adam Horowitz
    • Jessica Arbour
    • Elana Goodman
    • Robin Kissin
    • DeeDee Scheller
    • Eric Cantor
    • Alexandra Slater
    • Attorney Referrals
    • Testimonials
  • Who We Sue For Sexual Assault
    • Churches & Other Religious Organizations
    • Massage Businesses
    • Doctors, Healthcare, & Hospitals
    • Schools & Universities
    • Boy Scouts of America
    • Cruise Ships & Yachts
    • Summer Camp
    • Cheer & Other Youth Sports
    • Sexual Assault By Uber & Lyft Drivers
  • Sexual Abuse Lawyers
    • Child Sexual Abuse
  • FAQ
  • Media Coverage
    • Reported Cases
  • Legal Blog
  • Search
Contact Us

Msgr Robert C. Trupia – Diocese of Tucson

Home  >  Sexual Abuse Law Blog  >  Msgr Robert C. Trupia – Diocese of Tucson

August 25, 2019 | By Horowitz Law
Msgr Robert C. Trupia – Diocese of Tucson

Monsignor Robert C. Trupia

Ordained: 1973

Laicized: 2004

Assigned as follows:

  • 1973-1976      St. Francis of Assisi Parish (Yuma, AZ)
  • 1976-1992      Tribunal (Diocese of Tucson)
  • 1976-1992      St. Thomas the Apostle; Our Mother of Sorrows; St. Francis de Sales (Tucson, AZ)

Summary of Abuse Allegations against Monsignor Robert C. Trupia:

According to media reports, Monsignor Robert C. Trupia began molesting boys at his first parish in Yuma. Reports that Trupia was molesting boys were for years repeatedly dismissed by diocesan officials. In 1976, a lay brother, Ted Oswald, helped several families report Monsignor Trupia to the bishop. He was then transferred to Tucson. Mr. Oswald sent the complaints to Bishop Francis Green, who ignored them, and sponsored Monsignor Trupia, then in his 30s, for membership in the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre, a society of Catholic chivalry. Bishop Green also secured Monsignor Trupia's honorary appointment as a Papal Chamberlain and made him a monsignor.

After Bishop Green retired in 1982, the new bishop, Manuel Moreno, learned that a housekeeper had discovered Monsignor Trupia in bed with a boy. Bishop Moreno let him off with a warning. Monsignor Trupia began spending weekends at his alma mater, St. John seminary, in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. In 1988, the seminary declared him unwelcome for making advances on a student. In 1989, Bishop Moreno allowed Monsignor Trupia to go to Washington to study canon law at The Catholic University of America.

In 1992 Trupia became judicial vicar of Tucson, handling marriage annulments among other canonical duties. At the time, the mother of a boy from Yuma wrote a letter to Archbishop Robert Sanchez of the Archdiocese of Santa Fe, N.M., accusing Monsignor Trupia of abusing her boy when he was 10. When confronted, he admitted the abuse and asked to be allowed to retire.

He was suspended him from ministry and asked to enter St Luke Institute in Maryland, a clergy psychiatric hospital that treats priests with psychological and sexual problems. He refused and resisted efforts by Tucson church officials to discipline him for twelve years. At one point, he attempted to blackmail his bishop.

In 2001, Monsignor Trupia was arrested on seven counts of child molestation in connection with charges that he sexually abused a boy at Immaculate Conception in the early 1970s. He was briefly jailed, but released because the charges did not meet the criminal statute of limitations then in force.

In January 2002, Monsignor Trupia was one of four priests named in the eleven civil suits the Diocese of Tucson settled for a sum estimated as high as $16 million.

"These people should be caught and put in jail. You have no idea what the families go through," said one victim's mother, who has said she felt ostracized by other Catholics when her son filed the lawsuit. "It's a lifetime of pain. It kills everything that's holy and respectful and loving."

The Diocese of Tucson called Monsignor Trupia a "notorious and serial sexual predator" and sought his laicization. In August 2004, he was laicized by the Vatican.

As of 2017, he lives in Maryland and continues to receive $1,200 per month from the diocese. His name appeared publicly on the Diocese of Tucson's list of clergy credibly accused of sexual abuse of minors.

Horowitz Law is a law firm representing victims and survivors of sexual abuse by Catholic priests and other clergy in the Diocese of Tucson in Arizona.  If you need a lawyer because you were sexually abused by a priest in Arizona, contact our office today. Although many years have passed, those abused by Catholic clergy in the Diocese of Tucson 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 Arizona and nationwide. We can help.

Contact us at 888-283-9922 or adam@adamhorowitzlaw.com to discuss your options today.



Safeguard Your Future with Professional Legal Support

"*" indicates required fields

First Name*
Last Name*
How Would You Like To Be Contacted?
Disclaimer | Privacy Policy
Disclaimer*
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Related Blogs

  • How Can a Lawyer Help File a Sexual Abuse Claim Against Organizations?
  • Fr. Bernard Schmaltz – Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux
  • Fr. Gerald Prinz – Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux
  • Father Gerard Kinane – Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux
  • How Do I File a Sexual Abuse Claim Against Clergy?
  • Fr. William Mannion, Jr. – Archdiocese of Baltimore
  • Health Department Issues Order Revoking Tommie James’ Massage Therapy License
  • Finding strength: Overcoming blame and embracing courage
  • Horowitz Law Client Sues Fontainebleau Hotel For Sexual Assault in Spa
  • What counts as a sexual assault during a massage?

Skilled Advocacy

Cycles Of Abuse And Fear Stop Here

The physical and emotional pain that stems from sexual abuse and assault can be devastating and have lasting, catastrophic effects on one’s life. If you or someone you love has been sexually assaulted or molested, contact a lawyer for sexual assault and child molestation victims today at 954-641-2100.

Meet Our Team

Contact Horowitz Law

While this website provides general information, it does not constitute legal advice. The best way to get guidance on your specific legal issue is to contact a lawyer. To schedule a meeting with an attorney, please call the firm or complete the intake form.

 

Cycles Of Abuse And Fear Stop Here

"*" indicates required fields

Name*
How Would You Like To Be Contacted?
Disclaimer | Privacy Policy
Disclaimer*
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Fort Lauderdale, FL
110 E Broward Blvd, Suite 1530
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301
954-641-2100
Horowitz Law Logo
  • About
  • Blog
  • Team
© 2025 Horowitz Law   Disclaimer | Privacy Policy | Sitemap