John Joseph Jenik


John Joseph Jenik was an American prelate of the Catholic Church, who in 2014 was appointed as an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of New York. His service was suspended in 2018, pending review of an allegation of sexual abuse. On October 10, 2019, Pope Francis accepted the standard resignation that Jenik submitted for his 75th birthday.

Biography

Jenik was born in Manhattan and was educated at Immaculate Conception School and Cathedral College High School. He studied for the priesthood at St. Joseph's Seminary in Dunwoodie. Jenik was ordained a priest by Cardinal Terence Cooke on May 30, 1970. He studied Spanish at the Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico in Ponce and earned a master's degree in education from Fordham University. His pastoral assignments were all in The Bronx. They included parochial vicar at St. Jerome's parish from 1970 to 1974, St. Thomas Aquinas parish from 1974 to 1978 and Our Lady of Refuge parish from 1978 to 1985. He then served as pastor at Our Lady of Refuge from 1985 until his departure in 2018. Jenik was named a monsignor in 1995, and served as regional vicar for the Northeast Bronx from 2006. At the time he departed from public ministry in 2018, Jenik was serving as both an Auxiliary Bishop of New York and the vicar for the Northeast Bronx.

Auxiliary Bishop of New York

Jenik was named the Titular Bishop of Druas and Auxiliary Bishop of New York by Pope Francis on June 14, 2014. He was consecrated a bishop by Cardinal Timothy Dolan in St. Patrick's Cathedral on August 4, 2014. New York auxiliary bishops Gerald Thomas Walsh and Dominick John Lagonegro were the co-consecrators.
On October 31, 2018, Dolan announced that a "credible and substantiated" allegation was made against Jenik, for sexual abuse of a minor "decades ago". Jenik denied the allegation, but stepped down as pastor of Our Lady of Refuge and out of public ministry, awaiting review by the Vatican.
On October 10, 2019, Pope Francis accepted Jenik's resignation as Auxiliary Bishop of New York, which was submitted as required when he turned 75.

Episcopal succession