By: Lea Kahn
Rider University officials expect to play a role in the selection of a priest to replace one of its chaplains, who was removed from his post last week because of sexual allegations.
The Rev. Bruno Ugliano, a Roman Catholic priest, was recalled to St. Mary’s Abbey in Morristown last week after a 38-year-old woman claimed that he sexually assaulted her when she was 14 years old.
The woman claims the assault took place at youth retreats and church gatherings in the early 1980s when she lived in northern New Jersey. The victim now lives in North Carolina. She also has accused two other priests of misconduct.
The Rev. Ugliano was assigned to Rider University by the Diocese of Trenton in 1995, said Anthony Campbell, the college’s associate vice president for student affairs and dean of students.
The students, faculty and staff admire the priest, and the school has never received an allegation of wrongdoing, he said.
Now that the Rev. Ugliano has been dismissed, a new priest will be assigned to Rider University’s Catholic ministry. Dr. Campbell said he likely will have a consultative role in choosing a successor, but it is up to Bishop John Smith, leader of the diocese, to assign a priest to the school’s Catholic ministry, he said.
The Catholic Campus Ministry program at Rider University is funded by the Diocese of Trenton, not the school, Dr. Campbell said. Emmaus House, which is across the street from Rider and serves as the ministry’s headquarters, is owned and operated by the diocese, he said.
Rider University is interested in having an active ministry on campus, Dr. Campbell said. It is important to have a priest who can relate well to the students, staff and faculty at the school, he said. The priest meets the spiritual needs of the campus community and the surrounding community, he added.
The next step for Rider University is to begin discussions with Bishop Smith’s office to find a replacement for the Rev. Ugliano, Dr. Campbell said. Each ministry on campus has an advisory board. The Roman Catholic adult advisory board and the student advisory board will work with the school and the diocese to find a new priest, he said.
After the allegations against the Rev. Ugliano were made last week, the priest was removed from his post at Rider University by Bishop Smith. The bishop asked Abbot Thomas Confroy of St. Mary’s Abbey to recall the Rev. Ugliano to the abbey. The Rev. Ugliano is a member of the Order of St. Benedict, which operates out of the abbey.
The Rev. Ugliano was moved to St. Mary’s Abbey, pending an investigation by the Archdiocese of Newark into the recent allegation against him, according to a statement released by Abbot Confroy.
"No ready role is currently prepared for him at the abbey, and no assignment of duties will be made until the investigation is complete," said Abbot Confroy.
"Father Ugliano has consistently denied the allegations in this complaint," Abbot Confroy said. "We will rely heavily on the results of the investigation by the Archdiocese in determining a proper course of action at that time."
Meanwhile, attorney Michael Critchley, who represents the Rev. Ugliano, said his client has not been notified "except vaguely and broadly" of the nature of the allegations against him.
"I have not been presented with any details," Mr. Critchley said. "It is based on allegations that are two decades old. There are details that I am not familiar with, except for what I read in The Star-Ledger.
"We are in a reactive mode. There is nothing we can do to be proactive, except to ask for law enforcement or the church to move with some alacrity."
The allegations have been disruptive to his client’s life and have tarnished his reputation, Mr. Critchley said. The attorney said he believes his client is innocent, and he will take whatever measures are necessary to "put the lie" to the allegations.
