Bruno M. Tucci

Ordained: 1971
Diocese: Diocese of Allentown

From the Report I of the 40th Statewide Investigating Grand Jury for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania:

The Diocese of Allentown became aware of Father Bruno Tucci’s abuse of children in 1991.  A victim called the Chancery and stated he was sexually molested by Tucci when he was 14 years old.  Tucci tickled him and put his hands down the back of the victim’s pants.  On another occasion, Tucci unbuttoned his pants and the victim’s pants.  Tucci pulled them both down and made skin to skin contact.  Tucci normalized the conduct by tickling the victim in front of the victim’s parents.

The victim recalled that Tucci visited the victim while his parents were at Christmas Eve mass and took off his pants and “played with him.”  Later that same evening at the midnight mass, the victim served at the altar for Tucci. During this telephone call, the victim advised the Diocese that he would like to confront Tucci about the abuse.

Soon after the call, a Chancery official met with Tucci, who admitted the allegations and stated that the incidents occurred “exactly as the victim reported.” Tucci said it was “just touching” and clarified he had not engaged in “sodomy.”  The Diocese sent Tucci to The Servants of the Paraclete, Jemez Springs, New Mexico, later that year.  One year later, Tucci return to active ministry as Pastor of two parishes in Nesquehoning.

On November 30, 1993, Chancery officials met with the victim, who expressed his outrage that Tucci was still functioning as a priest. Seeing no action from the Diocese, the victim again expressed his desire to confront Tucci.  On February 11, 2002, Chancery officials met again with Tucci, who reiterated his guilt concerning the victim.  Tucci offered to resign as Pastor.  Four days later, the Bishop accepted Tucci’s resignation.

On May 6, 2002, the Diocese received a letter from another victim stating he was sexually molested by Tucci between 1977 and 1978, when he was a minor. Tucci did not deny the complaint, saying merely that he could not recall the incident. In March 2002, Tucci retired. His retirement came just weeks after the Boston Globe garnered national attention after publishing articles detailing child sexual abuse within the Archdiocese of Boston.

In 2005, Tucci requested to be laicized, a request granted and completed in 2007. Tucci is last known to be a resident of Salisbury, Maryland.

Additional information regarding the widespread sexual abuse of children within the Catholic Dioceses of Pennsylvania and the systemic cover up by senior church officials is compiled in the Pennsylvania Diocese Victim’s Report published by the Pennsylvania Attorney General following a two-year grand jury investigation.  A complete copy of the Report is available on the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s website.