Diocese: Diocese of Brooklyn
Summary of Assignments:
- 1980-1981 — St. Clare; Rosendale, NY
- 1981-1984 — Our Lady Queen of Martyrs; Forest Hills, NY
- 1984-1985 — St. Margaret Church; Middle Village, NY
- 1985-2003 — Bishop Kearney High School; Bensonhurst, NY
- Unknown — St. Michael’s Church; Flushing, Brooklyn, NY
Notes:
In an October 2002 lawsuit, 4 men came forward to accuse Collins of sexually abusing them as boys at Our Lady Queen of Martyrs, St. Margaret’s, and St. Michael’s between 1970 and 1984. Collins denied the allegations.
In an October 2003 lawsuit, a man accused Collins of sexually abusing him as an altar boy at St. Michael’s School and Church in 1970 and 1971. The man died a week before the case was filed. The man had reportedly written to the Diocese of Brooklyn in 1995, notifying them of the abuse. He reportedly received a response from Msgr. Otto Garcia stating that Collins denied the allegations.
In that same October 2003 lawsuit, Collins was accused of fondling an altar boy in the rectory at Our Lady Queen of Martyrs in 1981.
Collins served as Chaplain at Bishop Kearney, an all-girls school, for 17 years (since 1984) until the Diocese placed him on leave in 2002.
Sources: NY Daily News 04.17.02; Newsday 04.18.02; NY Daily News 04.18.02; NY Times 04.18.02; Newsday 10.16.02; NY Times 10.16.02; USA Today 11.11.02; Newsday 09.25.03; Newsday 10.02.03; Queens Chronicle 10.09.03; http://bishop-accountability.org/