Fr. James E. Russo
Ordained: 1970
Assignments:
- 1971: St. Bartholomew’s, Elmhurst, NY (BRK)
- 1972-1976: St. Thomas Apostle, Woodhaven, NY (BRK)
- 1977: St. Virgilius, Broad Channel, NY (BRK)
- 1978-1979: Holy Family, Brooklyn, NY (BRK)
- 1980-1981: On Duty Outside the Diocese; St. Patrick, Largo, FL (SP)
- 1982: Released From Diocesan Assignment; Cathedral of St. Jude the Apostle, St. Petersburg, FL (SP)
- 1983-1987: Blessed Trinity, St. Petersburg, FL (SP)
- 1984-1985: Eckerd College, St. Petersburg, FL (SP)
- 1988-1997: St. Michael the Archangel, Clearwater, FL (SP)
- 1991-1994: Catholic Charities, St. Petersburg, FL (SP)
- 1995-2019: Unknown
Fr. James Russo was ordained a priest in the Diocese of Brooklyn. In 1997, Fr. Russo was accused of sexually abusing a minor boy in the 1970s. Fr. Russo resigned from ministry in 1997. In 2003, Fr. Russo was named in a civil lawsuit involving 24 priests. In the lawsuit, Fr. Russo was accused of sexually abusing a minor boy in the late 1970s while at St. Virgilius in Broad Channel, New York. Fr. Russo was laicized in 2016. Fr. Russo was named on the Diocese of Brooklyn’s 2019 “List of Diocesan Clergy For Whom the Diocese Received Allegations of Sexual Misconduct with a Minor,” in the subsection “Clergy Members of the Diocese of Brooklyn With Credible Allegations: Credibility Deemed by Diocesan Review Board Determination and/or Admission on Behalf of the Cleric.” Fr. Russo’s whereabouts and whether he has access to children are unknown.