Advocates for clergy sexual abuse survivors are pressing Buffalo Bishop Michael Fisher to release confidential church records involving suspended priest Jeffrey Nowak, who now faces federal charges involving child sexual abuse material.
“Just release what’s in the canon law files publicly. Let us see what’s in there, what you knew, when you knew it, and what you did about it," said attorney Mitchell Garabedian, who specializes in representing victims of sexual abuse, including clergy abuse.
Garabedian said complaints dating to 2019 should have prompted continued monitoring and releasing the records could protect children and help survivors heal.
“It’s my understanding that, in typical fashion, the Diocese is cutting ties with Father Jeffrey Nowak. Well, who’s going to be watching him after they cut ties with him? The Diocese has an obligation to continue watching Jeffrey Nowak in an appropriate fashion, in an appropriate manner, and not to practice cover-up,” he said.
Nowak was removed from active ministry in 2019 following complaints of inappropriate conduct involving adults. Federal prosecutors now accuse him of possessing child sexual abuse material. He remains incarcerated pending trial.
Robert Hoatson, founder Road to Recovery — an advocacy group for victims and survivors of sexual abuse — said survivors have pushed the Diocese for accountability for years.
“We’re here in 2026 and still the Buffalo victims are still being revictimized and retraumatized,” he said.
Former priest and survivor James Faluszczak criticized the Diocese for continuing to support priests removed from ministry.
"It's hard to stomach that alongside any number of Buffalo priests that are on their list, even their own list that they've put out to the public, that they continue to pay pension to and retirement to and give residence to and everything else," he said.
Faluszczak also said the federal charges against Nowak raise broader questions about the culture in which he was trained. He added that Nowak was formed at Christ the King Seminary under Father Joseph Gatto, who previously faced his own allegations of sexual misconduct involving adults and a seminarian, which he denied. Faluszczak argued diocesan leaders failed to address warning signs within the institution.
“That guy grew out of the same seminary culture that I tried to call to accountability," Faluszczak said. "It makes me sick, but you can understand that Jeffrey Nowak is a product of the sick, twisted culture of Christ the King Seminary and Father Joseph Gatto.”
A spokesperson for the Buffalo Diocese sent the following statement in response to Tuesday's press conference organized by Road to Recovery:
"As we have communicated publicly, the Diocese is fully committed to providing federal investigators and any other law-enforcement officials with any and all background and relevant information pertaining to Jeffrey Nowak that will support their prosecution of the horrendous allegations brought against him. We have shared details of his removal from active ministry, beginning in 2019, and more recent steps to restrict his ability to function as a priest within the Diocese of Buffalo, and also reduce the level of financial support required by canon law for priests removed from active ministry but still technically in the ‘clerical state’.
“Again, the Diocese learned of these horrific allegations at the same time the general public learned of them. Since then, all financial support for Jeffrey Nowak has ceased. Bishop Michael Fisher has furthermore contacted the appropriate Vatican authorities in the effort to now petition his involuntary removal from the clerical state, as allowed for by canon law.”
