Father Nicholas V. Cudemo

from doing. Upon further investigation, it was learned that he had been living and
celebrating Mass at Annunciation parish. On June 17, 1993, Cardinal Bevilacqua restricted
Fr. Cudemo’s faculties to saying private Mass. This was two years after Marion had alerted
the Archdiocese to Fr. Cudemo’s behavior.
Despite the supposed restrictions, Archdiocese files reveal that a year later, Fr.
Cudemo was still acting as a priest, still visiting parishes, and still asking to say Mass.
Without notification to pastors of any restrictions, they were predictably impossible to
enforce. From time to time the Archdiocese was alerted, for example, that Fr. Cudemo was
once again “a frequent visitor to [Annunciation] parish and to parishioners,” or that he was
looking to say Mass.
Although Fr. Cudemo was able to keep himself busy in the parishes of the
Archdiocese by flouting his restrictions, he wanted his faculties to be reinstated officially
so he could minister in Florida, where he also spent a lot of time. On January 30, 1995,
Msgr. Lynn in response wrote that Fr. Cudemo’s faculties had been “restricted for the good
of the Church and the avoidance of scandal” and would remain so “at least until the
resolution of civil litigation.”
That litigation was resolved on August 21, 1995, when it was discontinued because
the statute of limitations had expired. Father Cudemo remained on the books as pastor of
Saint Callistus, but being relieved of his duties there, was free to spend his time visiting
parishes and parishioners all over the Archdiocese.
On October 18, 1995, the parochial vicar at Saint Jude Church in Chalfont notified
the Archdiocese that Fr. Cudemo had been accused of sexual harassment by a woman
doing community service at the church. Father Michael Gerlach asked Msgr. Lynn if Fr.
Cudemo should be spending so much time at the parish. The Secretary for Clergy said that
decision was up to the pastor. There is no indication that he informed the pastor of Fr.
Cudemo’s history, of any restrictions on his faculties, or of the danger he posed to young
women and girls.
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