Father Fabian Maryanski
Diocese of Buffalo
Ordained: 1971
Removed: 2018
Assigned as follows:
- St. Mary’s (Medina, NY)
- St. Philip’s (Cheektowaga, NY)
- St. Andrew’s (Sloan, NY)
- St. Patrick’s (Barker, NY)
Summary of Abuse Allegations against Father Fabian Maryanski:
According to media reports, in May 2018, Father Fabian Maryanski was placed on leave in September 1995, after the Diocese of Buffalo investigated an allegation of sexual abuse of a teen girl in the 1980s. The alleged abuse occurred in the church rectory when Father Maryanski was pastor of St. Patrick’s in Barker, and the girl was ages 15 through 22. The woman said he gave her gifts, got her drunk, and promised to marry her. When she said she was going to tell another priest, he threw her to the ground. At first, Father Maryanski denied having sex with the girl, then acknowledged it, but said she was over the age of 18 when he had sexual contact with her.
Father Maryanski was not removed from active ministry. He was “Absent on Leave” for five years, but lived and said mass at St. Mary’s in Medina. In 2000, the Diocese of Buffalo assigned him to a Cheektowaga parish. In 2005, he was appointed pastor of St. Andrew Church in Sloan, where he served until retiring in 2014. He continued to celebrate Masses at Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church in Clarence. He was not included in a list of 42 priests released by the Diocese in March 2018.
The woman said she had been “victim shamed” by strangers because Father Maryanski is “an extremely popular man who has been serving and abusing for nearly 50 years.”
The day after the news report was released, he was suspended and a new investigation was opened. In June 2018, Father Maryanski was investigated by the Erie County District Attorney after a complaint from a schoolgirl was reported in January 2018. His behavior was found to be “creepy,” not criminal. In December 2018, the Diocese of Buffalo said the allegations by the woman against Father Maryanski were substantiated. St. Andrew Church in Sloan removed his name from the parish center building and stopped listing him as pastor emeritus in the weekly church bulletin. Later that month, a settlement was offered to the victim.
“I know it must be hard for those who love him to understand that even seemingly good people can do bad things, but it is important to be mindful of the victims of these abusers,” she said.
In January 2019, Father Maryanski was added to the Diocese of Buffalo’s list of priests who have been credibly accused of sexual misconduct with children. The statute of limitations, prevents Father Maryanski from being prosecuted.
In April 2020, he was one of 23 priests removed off of the Diocese of Buffalo’s payroll through an agreement it reached with survivors in U.S. Bankruptcy Court.
Horowitz Law is a law firm representing victims of sexual abuse in the Diocese of Buffalo and throughout New York. The Diocese of Buffalo filed for federal bankruptcy protection in February 2020. Anyone sexually abused by a priest or employee of the Diocese of Buffalo may be entitled to file a claim against the Diocese in these bankruptcy proceedings, but very strict filing deadlines apply. Most victims of abuse in the Diocese of Buffalo will never be able to take action against the Diocese of Buffalo if they miss this bankruptcy filing deadline, so it is important that you contact us immediately to discuss your potential case.
Contact us at 888-283-9922 or [email protected] to discuss your legal options today.