Fr. Mark Wolski
Diocese of Buffalo
Ordained: 1967
Retired: 2012
Removed: 2018
Assignments in the Diocese of Buffalo:
- St. Jude (Sardinia, NY)
- St. Barnabas (Depew, NY)
- St. Florian (Buffalo, NY)
- Children’s Hospital chaplain (Buffalo, NY)
- St. Joseph’s New Cathedral (Buffalo, NY) – in residence
- Sheehan Residence (Buffalo, NY) – in residence
- Blessed Sacrament (Buffalo, NY) – in residence
- St. James Major (Westfield, NY)
- St. John the Evangelist (Buffalo, NY)
- SS. Peter and Paul (Hamburg, NY)
- Diocesan Finance Council
- Diocesan Review Board
- Diocesan Council of Priests
Summary of Sexual Abuse Allegations Against Father Mark Wolski:
According to media reports, in May 2018, the Diocese of Buffalo announced that it placed Father Mark Wolski on a temporary leave following an allegation of sexual misconduct with a minor. At the time, he was a retired priest who continued to exercise his ministry. Among his other assignments, Father Wolski served on the Diocese of Buffalo’s internal review board, the mechanism by which the Diocese internally evaluates allegations of abuse to determine if they can be substantiated or not.
The alleged victim reported that Father Wolski sexually abused him over the course of two years, starting in 1968 when the victim was 15. At the time of the abuse, Father Wolski was assigned to St. Barnabas in Depew. The victim said he was also abused at Father Wolski’s cottage in Angola, New York.
In late 2018, the Diocese of Buffalo announced that the allegation against Father Wolski was substantiated. His name now appears on the Diocese of Buffalo’s list of credibly accused priests. According to the Diocese, it is aware of one substantiated allegation against him. His fate as a priest is now in the hands of the Vatican.
In April 2020, Father Wolski 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.