Father Leonard Spanburgh
Archdiocese of Newark
Ordained: 1959
Died: 1983
Assignment History:
- 1960-1963: St. Joseph of Palisades Church (West New York, NJ)
- 1965-1983: St. Catherine of Siena Church (Cedar Grove, NJ)
Summary of Sexual Abuse Allegations Against Father Leonard Spanburgh:
Fr. Leonard Spanburgh was ordained to the priesthood in 1959 and served in the Archdiocese of Newark. He also served as a Boy Scouts chaplain. According to media reports, in 2020, he was named in a lawsuit filed against the Archdiocese of New Jersey. In the suit, he was accused of repeatedly sexually abusing an altar boy on at least eight occasions from 1970 to 1973 when the boy was nine to thirteen years old. At the time of the abuse, Fr. Spanburgh was assigned to St. Catherine of Siena Church in Cedar Grove, New Jersey. The victim alleges that Fr. Spanburgh gave him with alcohol on each occasion and would fondle his penis and testicles. He was also abused during overnight trips to Lake Hopatcong in the 1970s. His case was settled by the victim compensation program involving North Jersey clerics.
Fr. Spanburgh was not on the church’s credibly accused list. He died in 1983.
Horowitz Law is a law firm representing victims and survivors of sexual abuse by Catholic priests and other clergy in the Archdiocese of Newark in New Jersey. If you need a lawyer because you were sexually abused in the Archdiocese of Newark, contact our office today. Although many years have passed, those abused by Catholic clergy in the Archdiocese of Newark 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 New Jersey and nationwide. We can help.
Contact us at 888-283-9922 or [email protected] to discuss your options today.