Syracuse Catholic Bishop Vows to Address Past Abuse

Bishop Douglas Lucia speaks at prayer service for survivors, acknowledges church's failures and need for change.

Apr. 18, 2026 at 12:54pm

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An extreme close-up photograph of a Catholic rosary against a black background, the harsh lighting casting dramatic shadows and highlighting the texture of the beads, conceptually representing the serious and somber nature of the church's reckoning with sexual abuse.The Catholic Church confronts its dark history of sexual abuse, vowing to support survivors and enact reforms to prevent future tragedies.Syracuse Today

In a prayer service organized by a local advocacy group, Syracuse Catholic Bishop Douglas Lucia spoke openly about the church's history of sexual abuse, emphasizing the need to confront the past, support survivors, and ensure such abuse never happens again. Lucia acknowledged the difficulty survivors face in healing and the reluctance within the church to criticize priests, pledging to work with the community on child protection training and restoring trust.

Why it matters

The Catholic Church has faced a reckoning over widespread sexual abuse by clergy, with many dioceses filing for bankruptcy due to lawsuits. Bishop Lucia's remarks represent an effort by church leadership to take responsibility, support survivors, and implement reforms to prevent future abuse - a critical step in rebuilding trust and healing within the community.

The details

The prayer service was organized by Hope, Healing and Solidarity, a local group dedicated to educating people about sexual abuse in the Catholic Church. Around 70 people gathered to pray, listen to a survivor's testimony, and participate in a 'Healing Ritual.' In his remarks, Bishop Lucia emphasized his willingness to work with survivors, acknowledged the church's failures in addressing abuse, and stressed the importance of mandatory child protection training for all church staff and volunteers.

  • The prayer service took place on Friday, April 18, 2026.
  • In February 2026, a federal judge approved a $176 million fund for over 400 people abused by clergy and church staff in the Syracuse Diocese.

The players

Bishop Douglas Lucia

The Catholic Bishop of Syracuse, who spoke at the prayer service and acknowledged the church's history of sexual abuse.

Jim Boone

A sexual abuse survivor who shared his testimony at the prayer service, having been abused by a priest nearly 60 years ago.

Hope, Healing and Solidarity

A Central New York-based organization dedicated to educating people about sexual abuse within the Catholic Church and how to prevent it, which organized the prayer service.

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What they’re saying

“As I come with this group, it's not that I feel I come as bishop, more that I come as one of you.”

— Bishop Douglas Lucia, Bishop of Syracuse

“Sometimes when we face the past, there is part of us that wants to blame ourselves more than anything. You want to pretend it didn't happen. And yet, it did.”

— Bishop Douglas Lucia, Bishop of Syracuse

“This can't happen again. This just cannot happen again, and it happens too often.”

— Bishop Douglas Lucia, Bishop of Syracuse

What’s next

The Catholic Diocese of Syracuse will continue to work with survivors and implement mandatory child protection training for all church staff and volunteers to prevent future abuse.

The takeaway

Bishop Lucia's acknowledgment of the church's failures and his commitment to supporting survivors and implementing reforms represents an important step towards accountability and rebuilding trust within the Syracuse Catholic community.