Father Nicholas V. Cudemo

Monsignor Lynn pointed out to Fr. Cudemo that, despite how the priest might view
his actions, what he admitted to was a crime. Despite Fr. Cudemo’s admissions to sexual
behavior with minors and his simultaneous refusal to acknowledge the behavior as sexual,
Msgr. Molloy ended the interview by asking the priest “if he could assure the Archbishop
that there is no overt sexual behavior going on now.” Monsignor Lynn dutifully recorded
that Fr. Cudemo “stated that there is not.”
So assured, the Cardinal still did not remove Fr. Cudemo as pastor at Saint
Callistus.
The Archdiocese is threatened with a lawsuit, then removes Father Cudemo
from his parish.
Totally frustrated, Ruth, Sister Irene, Donna, and their family, wrote to Cardinal
Bevilacqua on Nov. 5, 1991 (Appendix D-7). They criticized Msgr. Jagodzinski, the
Secretary for Clergy, because nothing was done in response to Marion’s information. They
apparently did not know that Msgr. Jagodzinski had, in fact, recommended that Fr.
Cudemo not be given his new pastorate. They told the Cardinal that they thought Marion’s
allegation alone should have been sufficient to suspend Fr. Cudemo. They told the
Cardinal that their complaints, which Msgr. Molloy told them he believed, were surely
sufficient evidence against Fr. Cudemo for the Archdiocese to remove him.
When they wrote their letter, they did not even know that the Archdiocese had
recently also learned of Sister Margaret’s abuse. Or that the Archdiocese had learned from
Fr. Cudemo himself about Isabelle, Sister Nancy, and Sister Catherine. Even so, the
victims had come to realize that lack of credible allegations was not the problem. They told
the Cardinal that priests they had consulted “uniformly tell us that any substantial change
will come only in response to a lawsuit.” And so, the victims in their letter threatened to
name the Archdiocese and the Cardinal in a lawsuit.
A week later, on Nov. 11, 1991, the Cardinal asked that Fr. Cudemo “withdraw
from the parish” until his evaluation was conducted. In making this request, the Cardinal
asked Fr. Cudemo “to consider two things: 1) what is good for Fr. Cudemo; 2) what is
good for the Church.” The priest complied, saying he would do whatever he was asked.
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