Father James J. Rosch
Diocese of Albany
Ordained: 1972
Removed: 2002
Assigned as follows:
- 1973-1978: St. Joseph’s Catholic Church (Scotia, NY)
- 1979-1981: Our Lady of Mt. Carmel (Gloversville, NY)
- 1982: Unassigned
- 1983-1984: St. Paul the Apostle (Troy, NY)
- 1985-1995: St. Madeleine Sophie (Guilderland, NY)
- 1996-1997: Our Lady of the Annunciation (Queensbury, NY)
- 2000-2002: St. Joseph’s Church (Fort Edward, NY)
Summary of Sexual Abuse Allegations against Father James J. Rosch:
Beginning in 2002, Fr. James Rosch was removed from ministry when allegations were found credible of him sexually abusing a teenage boy. The alleged abuse occurred in Schenectady, New York almost 20 years prior. Rosch claimed that he was removed from ministry because he had fondled a 17-year-old girl when he was 23, prior to his ordination. The Diocese refuted the claim and said that he would not have been removed under those circumstances.
In 2020, Father Rosch was accused of repeatedly sexually abusing a boy approximately 13 to 15 years old from approximately 1975 to 1977. At the time of the sexual abuse, Father Rosch was assigned to St. Joseph’s Church in Scotia, New York, where the boy served as an altar boy at St. Joseph’s Church.
The alleged abuse occurred in St. Joseph’s Church and in the rectory affiliated with St.
Joseph’s Church. On at least forty occasions, Father Rosch fondled the boy’s penis and testicles, skin-on-skin; and he repeatedly performed oral sex on the boy. The claim settled in 2020.
Since Father Rosch’s removal, his current whereabouts are unknown. He was last reported to be living in Savannah, Georgia. His name has most recently appeared on the list of “Clergy Credibly Accused While Serving in the Diocese of Albany,” which was released in November of 2018.
Horowitz Law is a law firm representing victims and survivors of sexual abuse by Catholic priests and other clergy in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany. If you need a lawyer because you were sexually abused by a priest in New York, contact our office today. Although many years have passed, those abused by Catholic clergy in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany now have legal options to recover damages due to a compensation fund created for victims. Contact us at 888-283-9922 or at [email protected].