John Joseph Jenik | |
|---|---|
| Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus of New York Titular Bishop ofDruas | |
| Church | Catholic Church |
| Archdiocese | New York |
| Appointed | June 14, 2014 |
| Installed | August 4, 2014 |
| Retired | October 10, 2019 |
| Other post | Titular Bishop ofDruas |
| Orders | |
| Ordination | May 30, 1970 by Terence Cooke |
| Consecration | August 4, 2014 by Timothy M. Dolan,Gerald Thomas Walsh, andDominick John Lagonegro |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1944-03-07)March 7, 1944 (age 81) |
| Motto | Defend the poor and needy |
| Styles of John Joseph Jenik | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Reference style | |
| Spoken style | Your Excellency |
| Religious style | Bishop |
John Joseph Jenik (born March 7, 1944) is an Americanprelate of theRoman Catholic Church who served as anauxiliary bishop of theArchdiocese of New York from 2014 to 2018. His ministerial privileges were suspended in October 2018, pending Vatican investigation of a sexual abuse allegation.
On October 10, 2019, Pope Francis accepted Jenik's resignation, a normal practice when a bishop reaches his 75th birthday.
John Jenik was born on March 1, 1944, inManhattan. He was educated at Immaculate Conception School in Manhattan andCathedral College High School in Queens, New York. He studied for the priesthood atSt. Joseph's Seminary in Yonkers, New York.
Jenik was ordained into the priesthood for the Archdiocese of New York by CardinalTerence Cooke on May 30, 1970.[1] He studied Spanish at thePontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico in Ponce, Puerto Rico, and earned aMaster of Education degree fromFordham University in New York City. His pastoral assignments were all parishes in theBronx. They included:
Jenik was named amonsignor by the Vatican in 1995, and served as regional vicar for the Northeast Bronx from 2006.[3]
Jenik was named the titular bishop ofDruas and an auxiliary bishop of New York byPope Francis on June 14, 2014. He was consecrated by CardinalTimothy Dolan inSt. Patrick's Cathedral in Manhattan on August 4, 2014. Auxiliary BishopsGerald Walsh andDominick Lagonegro were the co-consecrators.[1] While auxiliary bishop, Jenik continued as pastor at Our Lady of Refuge Parish and the vicar for the Northeast Bronx.[4]
In 2016, a New York man, Michael J. Meenan, filed a sexual abuse accusation against Jenik andFordham Preparatory School in the Bronx. Meenan claimed that in 1984 Jenik, then a teacher at the school, sexually abused him at age 15 at asleepover. Fordham found the accusation credible and negotiated a settlement with Meenan. Jenik denied the accusations and remained in his ministerial posts. In January 2018, Meenan filed the same complaint with the archdiocese. He was interviewed by the Lay Review Board later that year, which also decided that the allegation was "credible and substantiated" On October 31, 2018, Dolan announced that Jenik was stepping down as pastor of Our Lady of Refuge and from his other public ministerial functions, awaiting review by theVatican.[2][5]
On October 10, 2019, Pope Francis accepted Jenik's resignation as auxiliary bishop of New York, which he submitted as required when he turned 75. His investigation by the Vatican was still ongoing at that time.[6]
