Murdered priest alleged to have sexually abused boys (and maybe his killer)
A law firm that represents survivors of sexual abuse sued the Diocese of Orlando on Friday and planned to reveal 'compelling and concrete new information' to back allegations that a Catholic priest murdered in Brevard County last year had sexually molested boys.
The lawsuit seeks 'not less than $25 million' in damages from the diocese for alleged negligence 'arising from the sexual abuse of a child' by Father Robert 'Bob' Hoeffner, 76, who was shot to death Jan. 28, 2024, in his Palm Bay home.
Hoeffner had spent 25 years in Orlando parishes, including a stint as a teacher at Bishop Moore Catholic High School, before taking a post in Brevard. He retired in 2016.
Palm Bay police said Brandon Kapas, 24, killed Hoeffner, the priest's housemate and sister, Sally Joan Hoeffner, 69, and Kapas' grandfather, William Michael Kapas, 78, who was fatally shot at a separate residence. Kapas also wounded two Palm Bay police officers before they shot and killed him. Police said at the time they had not been able to identify any motive or relationship between Kapas and the priest.
But a 76-page investigative police report now shows the priest had bought Kapas a Nissan Sentra, shared a bank account with him and the two had a 'weird' relationship, according to a characterization Palm Bay police attributed to Hoeffner's surviving sister, Lisa.
After the murders, Kapas' aunt, with whom he'd been living, told police she suspected Hoeffner had sexually abused her nephew, though the young man never told her that, the report shows. Another relative described their relationship as 'unhealthy.'
A 25-year-old man now living in New York also called Palm Bay police after the shootings to tell officers Hoeffner had molested him when he was a boy. That man told police he went to Catholic school with Kapas but did not know if Kapas or other children also had been abused.
It's not clear if the man who called police is the same one named in the lawsuit as his named was blacked out in the police documents.
The lawsuit, filed by the Herman Law firm in Boca Raton, alleges 'Father Bob groomed [a former student at St. Joseph Catholic School] and made him feel special, ultimately making him into a compliant victim.' The Orlando Sentinel is not identifying the victim, who is now an adult. The lawsuit also names a B.K. as a victim. It's not clear if those initials refer to Brandon Kapas.
The law firm is to hold a press conference about the lawsuit on Friday afternoon.
Jennifer Drow, a diocese spokesperson, said in an email today the Diocese of Orlando 'was not made aware of any allegations of abuse during Fr. Robert Hoeffner's pastoral leadership, nor after he retired in 2016. We continue to pray for the Palm Bay and St. Joseph communities and all involved.'
The alleged sexual abuse took place from 2012 when the plaintiff was in seventh grade through 2014 and occurred on multiple occasions and in different locations, including in the school counselor's office, at the priest's Palm Bay home and in the priest's car.
Shootings in Brevard take life of retired Catholic priest who worked in Orlando
According to the lawsuit, the plaintiff frequently spent time in 2013 and 2014 with a friend 'B.K.' at the priest's home.
'There, Father Bob sexually abused plaintiff in his bedroom on multiple occasions. Often, following these abuse incidents, the priest's sister Sally was waiting outside the bedroom with B.K., who would then enter the bedroom with Father Bob while the plaintiff waited outside with Sally.'
The law firm contends the church and diocese' alleged negligence caused their client to suffer and continue to suffer 'severe and permanent psychological, emotional and physical injuries, shame, humiliation and the inability to lead a normal life.'
Hoeffner, ordained in 1973, had moved from service in Orlando in 1998 to Palm Bay, becoming pastor of St. Joseph Catholic Church. Both the parish and an affiliated Catholic school are named as co-defendants in the 12-page lawsuit.
The diocese said he moved to be closer to his parents, who were in poor health.
According to the investigative report, neighbors recalled seeing a male matching Kapas' description at the Hoeffners' home on a number of occasions, 'but it appeared to always be friendly interactions.'
On the day the Hoeffners' bodies were discovered, police said they found no evidence of forced entry at the home and 'nothing appeared to have been rummaged through.'
shudak@orlandosentinel.com
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Asked in an email exchange about the pope's election, Morber replied: 'What a time to be alive!' 'I am hopeful for how he will be able to unite the Church in a time of a lot of division among Catholics and everyone around the world,' Morber added. ___ Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP's collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Yahoo
4 hours ago
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Catholic students find refuge at Princeton University's worship space and cheer new pope
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Today, the chapel hosts interfaith services, concerts and weddings throughout the academic year and is known by the university as 'the bridge between town and gown.' On May 8, Catholic students were worshipping as usual at daily Mass in the side chapel when the service was interrupted by news alerts on their phones. In the Vatican, white smoke billowed from the Sistine Chapel, indicating that a new leader of their faith had been elected. The Rev. Zachary Swantek, Princeton's Catholic chaplain, told the group to gather at the Catholic Ministry office. Together, they watched on TV as the election of the first U.S.-born pope was announced. 'It was electric,' Nelson said, adding there was 'uproar' in the room when Chicago-born Cardinal Robert Prevost became the 267th pontiff. 'It was so cool to see an American pope.' Like other members of the Catholic ministry, he is hopeful that Pope Leo XIV will help bring a revival for Catholicism in America. 'I feel that there's a resurgence of Catholicism today,' said Nelson, who was religiously unaffiliated until last year when he converted to Catholicism. 'You see people who are passionate about their faith. There's a new wave coming, and we're going to have more converts like me, who are coming from the 'nones.'' Across much of the world, the number of people who are nonbelievers or unaffiliated with any organized religion has dramatically increased over the years. The people known as 'nones' — atheists, agnostics, or nothing in particular — comprise 30% or more of the adult population in the U.S., according to a survey by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. Princeton's Office of Religious Life says it supports members of the school community 'of any religious identity or of none.' Being a devoted Catholic on a mostly secular campus can be challenging; Swantek says he's never felt 'more needed as a priest.' He is proud of the tight-knit, welcoming Catholic community that he leads, and how they've helped recent converts come into the faith. A U.S.-born pope becomes a sign of hope for American Catholics News of the first U.S.-born pope was welcomed by Catholics across the ideological spectrum in Pope Leo XIV 's homeland. 'Something that did bring me a lot of hope is Pope Leo has a missionary background,' said Ace Acuna, a Princeton alumni. He recently attended a Mass at the chapel before beginning a nearly five-week Catholic pilgrimage from Indianapolis to Los Angeles. 'In a world where in some places it might look like faith is on the decline, a church that's willing to go out to the margins and evangelize and be on mission, that's going to be so important,' Acuna said. When he was an undergrad at Princeton, Acuna said the chapel became crucial to his college life. On his way to class every morning, he'd pass by the chapel for a silent prayer. He'd return for the noon Mass and again at the end of the day for one last prayer. 'Princeton is a very busy place and there's a lot of noise both externally but also internally because we're so busy and we're always worried about the next thing,' he said. 'Sometimes you just want silence, and you just want a place where you can lay down your burdens.' At the close of one recent Mass, David Kim and his girlfriend Savannah Nichols continued to pray near the altar, holding hands, kneeling or prostrating on the floor in a sign of reverence. Kim, a recent graduate of the Princeton Theological Seminary, converted to Catholicism last year and has been serving as an altar server at the Princeton University chapel. He called the chapel's side altar "an island of Christian life in an unbelieving world.' Princeton University has always had a vibrant religious community and a religiously diverse one, said Eric Gregory, a professor of religion there. 'In a way it's either so secular or even post-secular that it's not threatened by the Christian presence on campus,' he said. "Religious students in our campus are not cloistered from campus. They're also in sports teams, clubs and the newspaper. They're integrated.' Catholics students in Leo's home state cheer his election Catholics at the the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign were elated by his election — and reinvigorated in practicing their faith. 'Being able to live out my faith in this extremely secular campus is such a blessing to me,' said student Daniel Vanisko, a lifelong Catholic, later adding in an email that the pope's election 'really helps me to draw closer to my faith, seeing that someone that grew up in the same state as me, is the successor of Peter in the Church." Cavan Morber, a rising junior, said attending UIUC 'gives me chance to be challenged in my beliefs, think critically about what I believe, and share my faith with others.' 'I am hopeful for how he will be able to unite the Church in a time of a lot of division among Catholics and everyone around the world,' Morber added.
