Forced to leave his church after 40 years of service to the Bedford Park and Kingsbridge communities after allegations of an inappropriate relationship with a minor decades ago, Bishop John Jenik offered thanks to some 300 supporters who held a rally in his honor–during a video call on a cellphone.

Jenik, 74, was removed from Our Lady of Refuge after leading the church for more than 30 years. Jenik was named parochial vicar of Our Lady of Refuge on Briggs Avenue by Cardinal Terrence Cooke in 1978, and later named vicar of the Northwest Bronx by Cardinal Edward Egan in 2006.

Jenik’s departure was punctuated with a letter from Cardinal Timothy Dolan that told parishioners, “I regret to once again having to be the bearer of bad news, but I write to inform you that the Archdiocese has received an allegation of sexual abuse of a minor brought against Bishop John Jenik.” The letter went on to say, “and concluded that the evidence is sufficient to find the allegation credible and substantiated.”

Church members sent back a letter to Dolan on Nov. 3, that read in part, “We beg you to do all in your power to clear Bishop Jenik’s name, help remove the stigma of such an unjust charge.”

After protecting their posters of support with plastic sheets, marchers of all ages and races, including at least one elderly woman with a walker, quietly marched towards the Grand Concourse in a steady, cold rain. Jenik often led similar marches against drugs and crime, that has plagued the area for years.

As former and current students and church members arrived for the Nov. 9 march, they were greeted by Robert Hoatson, a supporter of accuser Michael Meenan, 52, and member of the New Jersey-based sexual support group “Road to Recovery,” who held up a sign in bold letters, “Support Jenik’s Victim.”

Hoatson said he was waiting for the 52-year-old victim, who never arrived. Asked about the rally supporting Jenik, Hoatson said, “It victimizes Michael J. Meenan and we think it’s very inappropriate. They should be supporting the victim, not those who may have allegedly abused the victims.” Hoatson was last spotted protesting another priest outside of St. Raymond’s Church more than a decade ago.

“We’re hoping that Bishop Jenik never, ever return to this parish,” Hoatson said. “His case has been sent to the Vatican, we hope that Pope Francis will strip him of his title.”As marchers began to return to Monsignor Nemic Hall, a shouting match broke out across East 196th Street, when Hoatson shouted out, “Cardinal Dolan said he was credibly accused.” One woman fired back, “Where’s your victim?” A second woman added, “He’s waiting for the money… is he going to come up with something another two years from now… and victimize someone else?”

The last comment stemming from Meenan’s 2016 claim that he was sexually assaulted by a Fordham Prep teacher in 1984, an incident that Meenan said he told a Fordham Prep official, who never reported the alleged crime. Both men were fired by Fordham Prep and Meenan was given an undisclosed out-of-court settlement.

Longtime student and recent Our Lady of Refuge graduate Lisbeth Rodriguez, said of Jenik, “He’s a great person. He would pay the tuition for some students and on Thanksgiving and Christmas he’d make stuffing and he’d be here every year.” Rodriguez added that Jenik would also purchase pizza and donuts for all of the volunteers.

“He was a very helpful person,” said current student and Bedford Park resident Arlene Almonte, who added, “He helped people in the community

and held events; he’d help cook the food. He would always be there, if you ever asked for a favor, he would give it to you. I’m shocked and I don’t believe it.”

Meenan recently told the Norwood News, “Jenik began a very inappropriate relationship with a 13-year-old boy (Meenan was referring to himself), that involved drinking alcohol, watching inappropriate movies that included boys that were inebriated and sharing a bed with me after a night of drinking, in which he began to touch me inappropriately.”

Meenan added, “John Jenik also knew I was coming after him and you should find him and ask him that and see what he says… he has been in my sights for many, many years.”

Along with his duties as pastor, Jenik was also chair of the Fordham-Bedford Community Services, a social services non-profit. John Garcia, a parishioner and executive director of Fordham-Bedford Community Services, an affiliate of Fordham-Bedford Housing Corporation, was unequivocally supportive of Jenik and asked he be reinstated.

“[W]e stand with him and we pray for him,” said Garcia.

Members of the church have begun a letter campaign and are currently getting neighborhood residents to sign a petition that will be sent to the Vatican in Rome. There is also plans for their own rally in support of Jenik outside of St. Patrick’s Cathedral.

As the crowd was warming from their march, Garcia pulled out his cellphone, where Jenik briefly appeared ‘live’ and thanked his flock, as the faithful rose to their feet, many threw their hands into the air and shouted with joy to see Jenik. Many began to chant, “No ha terminado,” Spanish for “It’s not over.”

Jenik is said to be recovering at a local rehabilitation center after undergoing a recent hip surgery.

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Welcome to the Norwood News, a bi-weekly community newspaper that primarily serves the northwest Bronx communities of Norwood, Bedford Park, Fordham and University Heights. Through our Breaking Bronx blog, we focus on news and information for those neighborhoods, but aim to cover as much Bronx-related news as possible. Founded in 1988 by Mosholu Preservation Corporation, a not-for-profit affiliate of Montefiore Medical Center, the Norwood News began as a monthly and grew to a bi-weekly in 1994. In September 2003 the paper expanded to cover University Heights and now covers all the neighborhoods of Community District 7. The Norwood News exists to foster communication among citizens and organizations and to be a tool for neighborhood development efforts. The Norwood News runs the Bronx Youth Journalism Heard, a journalism training program for Bronx high school students. As you navigate this website, please let us know if you discover any glitches or if you have any suggestions. We’d love to hear from you. You can send e-mails to norwoodnews@norwoodnews.org or call us anytime (718) 324-4998.