Joseph S. Wichmanowski

Ordained: 0
Diocese: Diocese of Pittsburgh

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

The files provided by the Diocese of Pittsburgh included an April 29, 2004 article entitled “Conway Woman Alleges Priest Abuse.”  This article reported that a victim alleged that Father Joseph S. Wichmanowski repeatedly forced her to perform sexual acts on him beginning when she was 12 years old. The victim alleged that Wichmanowski forced her to perform oral sex on him, provided her with alcohol in the form of church wine, and made her dress provocatively. The victim related that at one point Wichmanowski invited her to New York, where he told her he would/wanted to impregnate her.

On June 23, 2004, a personal and confidential letter was sent from counsel for the Diocese to the Beaver County District Attorney’s Office.  The letter described allegations of abuse by Wichmanowski while “he was at St. Stanislaus Parish in Ambridge, PA.”  This letter appeared to refer to the victim described above.

In an article dated September 17, 2007, it was reported that this victim, along with 31 other victim of abuse, was part of a settlement with the church for payments totaling $1.2 million.

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.