Fr. Francis J. Manzo – Diocese of Brooklyn

| Apr 20, 2020 | Abuser Profiles, Catholic Church

Monsignor Francis J. Manzo 

Diocese of Brooklyn

Ordained: 1962

Removed: 2003

Assigned as follows:

  • 1963-1966: Our Lady of the Cenacle, Richmond Hill (Queens, NY)
  • 1967: St. Anthony (Brooklyn, NY)
  • 1968-1980: Cathedral Preparatory Seminary of the Immaculate Conception (Brooklyn, NY)
  • 1981-1992: St. Catharine of Alexandria (Brooklyn, NY) 
  • 1993-1994: Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Queens, NY) 

Summary of Abuse Allegations against Monsignor Francis J Manzo:

According to media reports, in October 2002, Msgr. Francis J Manzo was one of 12 priests and a religious brother named in a huge lawsuit against the Diocese of Brooklyn, filed by 43 plaintiffs. One man claimed that Manzo violently abused him when he was an altar boy during the early 1990s, while assigned to St. Catharine of Alexandria in Brooklyn, New York. The lawsuit also alleged that the Diocese of Brooklyn intentionally reassigned Manzo to Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary in approximately 1992, after he was accused of child sexual abuse. 

In 1995, Manzo was officially absent on leave. His name is not listed in the Catholic Directory after 2002, but in September 2016, a church bulletin indicated that he was still a priest of the diocese. 

In February 2019, Manzo’s name appeared publicly on the Diocese of Brooklyn’s list of clergy credibly accused of sex abuse of minors. It noted he was permanently removed from ministry in 2003. His current whereabouts are unknown. 

Horowitz Law is a law firm representing victims and survivors of sexual abuse by Catholic priests and other clergy in the Diocese of Brooklyn. If you need a lawyer because you were sexually abused by a priest in Brooklyn, contact our office today. Although many years have passed, those abused by Catholic clergy in the Diocese of Brooklyn now have legal options to recover damages due to a compensation fund created for victims. Call us at 888-283-9922 or send an email to [email protected] to discuss your options today.