The 8 Former Ocean City Priests 'Credibly Accused' Of Sex Abuse

OCEAN CITY, NJ — The journalism site ProPublica, a Patch Partner, recently released the most comprehensive list so far of Catholic clergy "credibly accused" of sexual abuse. The list includes eight accused abusers with ties to Ocean City.

All eight have either died or are no longer part of ministry.

The Camden Diocese released a list last year of clergymen "credibly accused" of child sex abuse.

ProPublica's database includes one former Ocean City clergyman who wasn't on that list: John P. Paul, who practiced at a private residence from 2013-15. The Philadelphia Diocese included him on their list.

Read more: Full List Released Of NJ Catholic Clergy Accused Of Sex Assault

Patch included all context into accusations that could be found. Here are the eight priests on the ProPublica list with Ocean City ties:

Michael H. D'Amico

Born 1939, ordained 1964, deceased

D'Amico was removed from ministry in 2005 after allegations that he sexually abused a teenage boy in 1964, according to the Associated Press.

The victim was 13 at the time, according to the Camden Diocese. He was assigned to Most Holy Redeemer Church in Westville.

D'Amico served the following, according to ProPublica:

• St. Augustine, Ocean City
• Most Holy Redeemer, Westville Grove
• St. Michael, Atlantic City
• Holy Spirit High School, Absecon
• St. Francis Cabrini, Ocean City
• St. Peter, Pleasantville

The Associated Press says he also served at Ocean City's St. Augustine Church.

A. William Johnson

Born 1926, ordained 1962, left diocese in 1967, current whereabouts unknown

Reported assignment history:

• St. Ann, Westville
• St. Agnes, Blackwood
• St. Rose, Haddon Heights
• St. Augustine, Ocean City
• St. Gregory, Magnolia
• Sacred Heart, Camden
• St. John, South Carolina

Joseph J. Brennan

Born 1914, ordained 1944, deceased

Reported assignment history:

• St. Augustine, Ocean City
• O.L. Lourdes Hospital, Chaplain
• Holy Saviour, Westmont
• St. Maurice, Brooklawn
• St. Joan of Arc, Camden
• St. Joseph, Swedesboro
• Epiphany, Longport
• St. Mary's, Shelby NC

Francis L. Salamandra

Born 1931, ordained 1961, removed from ministry

Reported assignment history:

• St. Matthew, National Park
• Camden Catholic High School, Cherry Hill
• St. Aloysius, Oaklyn
• St. Ann, Wildwood
• St. Stephen, Pennsauken
• O.L. of Good Counsel, Ocean City
• St. Rose, Newfield

Antoine St. Germain

Born 1945, ordained 1976, deceased

Reported assignment history:

• Corpus Christi, Carneys Point
• Our Lady of Grace, Somerdale
• St. Frances de Sales, Barrington
• St. Martin de Porres, Hammonton
• St. Joseph High School, Hammonton
• Incarnation, Mantua
• St. Augustine, Ocean City
• St. John, Paulsboro
• St. Stephen, Pennsauken

Claude J. Bender

Born 1932, ordained 1965, deceased

A boy alleged Bender abused him in the 1970s, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer. A church settled the claim for $25,000 in October 1993 and said it didn't know about the allegations until after Bender died in 1991. It was not clear where Bender worked when the alleged abuse occurred.

Reported assignment history:

• St. Anthony, Camden
• St. Ann, Wildwood
• St. Gregory, Magnolia
• O.L. Star of the Sea, Cape May
• St. Michael, Gibbstown
• St. Thomas More, Cherry Hill
• St. Matthew, National Park
• St. Teresa, Runnemede
• Our Lady of Lourdes, Glassboro
• St. Michael, Atlantic City
• Queen of the Apostles, Pennsville
• Our Lady of Good Counsel, Ocean City
• St. Rose of Lima, Newfield
• Vianney Villa, Cherry Hill

Augustine J. Seidenburg

Born 1922, ordained 1948, deceased

Five women — all sisters and cousins — said in a lawsuit that the priest repeatedly assaulted them when they were girls, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer. He held each on his lap, fondled their genitals and masturbated as he heard their confessions in Brigantine and Cape May churches, according to the lawsuit.

The women shared a settlement in 2003. Seidenburg denied wrongdoing in court filings.

Reported assignment history:

• Sacred Heart, Camden
• Holy Name, Camden
• US Naval Reserve
• Naval Hospital, Long Island
• F.P.O, San Francisco
• U.S. Naval Air Station, Norfolk
• St. Ann, Wildwood
• St. Joseph, East Camden
• St. James, Penns Grove
• St. James High School, Carneys Point
• St. Raymond, Villas
• Holy Spirit, Atlantic City
• St. Peter, Pleasantville
• Holy Spirit High School, Atlantic City
• St. Gregory, Magnolia
• O.L. Star of the Sea, Cape May
• St. Thomas, Brigantine
• St. James, Ventnor
• St. Augustine, Ocean City

John P. Paul

Born 1946, ordained 1972, laicized

A Maryland woman claimed that Paul sexually abused her in a hotel in Ocean City and at a retreat owned by the Brothers of the Christian Schools, according to The Press of Atlantic City. The abuse started in the early 1980s, when she was a sophomore at a Pennsylvania high school and continued into college, the lawsuit says.

Paul was voluntarily defrocked in 2015.

Reported assignment history:

• Assistant Pastor, St. Alphonsus, Maple Glen 06/1972 - 06/1974
• Faculty, Archbishop Kennedy High School 06/1974 - 06/1975
• Residence: St. Isaac Jogues, Wayne 09/1974 - 06/1975
• Faculty, Bishop McDevitt High School, Wyncote 06/1975 - 06/1986
• Residence: Brothers of Charity (Emeric Hall) 06/1975 - 06/1986
• Faculty, St. James Catholic High School for Boys, Chester 06/1986 - 06/1990
• Residence: St. Robert, Chester 06/1986 - 06/1990
• Faculty, Archbishop Kennedy High School 06/1990 - 06/1993
• Residence: St. Philip Neri, Lafayette Hill 06/1990 - 12/1995
• Residence: Our Mother of Sorrows, Bridgeport 12/1995 - 06/1997
• Faculty, Kennedy-Kenrick High School, Norristown 06/1993 - 06/1997
• Faculty, Archbishop Wood High School, Warminster 06/1997 - 06/2000
• Residence: St. Andrew, Newtown 06/1997 - 06/2000
• Pastor, Our Lady of Calvary, Phila 06/2000 - 11/2013
• Administrative Leave 11/2013 - 05/2015
• Residence: Private Residence (Ocean City, NJ) 11/2013 - 05/2015
• Faculties Restricted 11/2013 - 05/2015

Secondary positions:

• Assistant Pastor, Immaculate Conception, Jenkintown 06/1974 - 09/1974
• Parochial Administrator, Our Mother of Sorrows, Bridgeport (Closed 2001) 12/1995 - 06/1997

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