Gerard J. Chasse
In 1994, Fr. Gerard J. Chasse was named in a lawsuit brought by survivors of child sexual abuse. Fr. Chasse worked at St. Luke’s in Brentwood, New York, when he allegedly sexually abused a child from approximately 1972 to 1976. The civil suit against Fr. Chasse was later dismissed on statute of limitations grounds.
In 2002, a grand jury was convened to investigate the Diocese of Rockville Centre’s handling of clergy sexual abuse allegations. The Suffolk County Grand Jury’s description of Priest I matches public allegations against Fr. Chasse.
Fr. Gerard J. Chasse was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Rockville Centre in 1971 and worked at the following locations:
- 1972: St. Patrick’s, Bay Shore, NY (In residence)
- 1973-1976: St. Luke, Brentwood, NY
- 1977: Mary Immaculate, Bellport, NY
- 1978-1980: On duty outside the diocese – Immaculate Conception, Butte, MT
- 1980: Laicized
In 1977, Fr. Chasse moved to Montana and is believed to have worked at Immaculate Conception in Butte for three years before he was laicized in 1980.
(Sources: The Official Catholic Directory; http://www.bishop-accountability.org/reports/2003_02_10_SuffolkGrandJury/; http://www.bishop-accountability.org/ny-rockvillecentre/accused_priests.htm)