NEW MEXICO CATHOLIC CHURCH SEXUAL ABUSE LAWSUITS

Fighting For Survivors Sexually Abused by New Mexico Clergy

New Mexico has been described as an “epicenter of Catholic sexual abuse in the United States,” for the number of allegations of abuse of children there, and also because it hosted Servants of the Paraclete Center in Jemez Springs, New Mexico, which reportedly offered treatment for priests who sexually abused dozens of children in other parishes.

In September 2018, the New Mexico Attorney General opened an investigation into clergy sexual abuse allegations, including the Diocese of Las Cruces, Archdiocese of Santa Fe, and Diocese of Gallup, aiming to uncover and address both past and ongoing abuse within these institutions.

This investigation followed a wave of abuse reports within Catholic institutions. Many victims had remained silent for years due to fear or trauma, but as some began to speak out, others were encouraged to seek justice as well.

At Levy Konigsberg, we are actively investigating clergy sexual abuse in New Mexico. These efforts are crucial in addressing abuse and holding religious institutions accountable. If you or a loved one has experienced abuse by clergy in New Mexico, contact us for free legal help.

History of Sexual Abuse by New Mexico Clergy

Examples of alleged abuse involving New Mexico Clergy include the following:

Diocese of Las Cruces

• In July 2025, Levy Konigsberg’s co-counsel filed eight lawsuits against Catholic leadership in Las Cruces and El Paso, alleging priests in Southern New Mexico parishes committed sexual abuse against young children ranging in ages from 3 to 15 between 1956 to 1990.  The complaints allege abuse in parishes in Las Cruces, Alamogordo, Anthony, Doña Ana, Mesilla park and Ruidoso. The lawsuits name the following priests for alleged acts of sexual abuse: Monsignor Albert Chavez, Father David Holley, Father Emilio Roure, Father Wilfrid Diamond, Monsignor Gonzalo Morales, Father Bernard Bissonnette, Father Joaquin Resma and one visiting priest who was not identified.  Both Holley and Bissonnette were reportedly sent to Servants of the Paraclete Center in Jemez Springs for their previous assaults of dozens of children, according to the lawsuits, and faced prior, credible accusations, but were placed in parishes with no supervision or warning.

• In the 1990s, Rev. Nicholas Galvan allegedly sexually assaulted an 11-year-old girl in Colorado.  

• In the 1980s, Fr. Damian Gamboa allegedly abused a young girl. 

• In the 1990s, Fr. Roderick Nichols allegedly abused a 13-year old boy.

• Between 1974 and 1976, Fr. Marcos Rizzo-Rico, who was the pastor of San Miguel Parish in La Mesa at the time, allegedly abused a young boy.  

• In 2001, Fr. Juan Montoya allegedly sexually abused an 11-year-old girl while serving as the pastor of St. John the Baptist Parish in Roswell.

List of Credibly Accused in the Diocese of Las Cruces

In February 2019, the Catholic Diocese of Las Cruces released a list of 28 clergy members who had served in the diocese and were “credibly accused” of sexual misconduct involving minors.

• Anderson, Joseph K. (deceased)

1994–1997: Holy Family, Deming

• Barfield, Daniel (deceased)

1985–1990: Holy Family, Deming 

1990–2003: St. Jude, Alamogordo

• Bentley, David 

1998–2002 Holy Family, Deming 

• Bissonnette, Bernard (deceased)

1981–1984: St. Eleanor, Ruidoso 

1984: IHM, Las Cruces 

1985–1987: St. Jude, Alamogordo 

1988–1992: Our Lady of Perpetual Help, T or C

• Chavez, Albert (deceased)

1977–1983: Our Lady of Perpetual Help, T or C 

1984–1985: Our Lady of Purification

• Diamond, Wilfred (deceased)

1965–1988: St. Jude, Alamogordo

• Lynch, Richard (deceased)

1967–1970: San Jose, La Mesa 

1975–1977: Our Lady of Health, Las Cruces 

1977–1978: Immaculate Conception, Alamogordo 

1981–1983: Our Lady of Purification, Doña Ana 

1983–1985: St. Thomas Aquinas, Lovington 

1985–1987: Our Lady of Perpetual Help, T or C 

1987–1990: St. Vincent de Paul, Silver City 

1990–1992: Our Lady of Purification, Doña Ana

• Martin, Phillip 

1983–1984: NMMI, Roswell 

• McAllister, Forest (deceased)

1978–1983: St. John the Baptist, Roswell 

1984–1986: St. Peter, Roswell

• Montoya, Juan (deceased)

1996–2009: St. John the Baptist, Roswell 

2009–2012: Immaculate Conception, Alamogordo

• Primavera, Bruno (deceased)

1989–1990: NMMI, Roswell 

1989–1990: Assumption, Roswell

• Resma, Joaquin (deceased)

1978–1983: Our Lady of Health, Las Cruces  

• Tejada, Dennis  

1976–1981: St. Thomas More, Chaparral  

1982–1989: Our Lady of Guadalupe, Hobbs  

1990: St. Genevieve, Las Cruces  

1991: Sta. Rosa de Lima, Las Cruces  

1992–1993: Our Lady of Purification, Doña Ana  

1994–1996: Our Lady of Perpetual Help, T. or C.  

• Vau, Gary  

2015: Holy Cross School, Las Cruces  

• Viramontes, David (deceased)

1985–1988: St. Genevieve, Las Cruces  

1992–1997: St. Joseph, Fairacres  

• Almaguer, Santiago 

1978: Our Lady of Health, Las Cruces  

•  Coyle, Barry (deceased)

1965: St. Peter, Roswell 

• Garcia, Samuel  

1971–1977: Our Lady of Fatima, Bayard  

1979: Infant Jesus, Hurley  

1982–1983: St. Joseph, Lordsburg  

1984–1985: St. Joseph, Fairacres  

1987–1991: St. Martin de Porres, Sunland Park  

1992–1993: St. Joseph, Lordsburg  

• Guillory, Kerry 

1972–1974: St. Edwards School, Carlsbad 

1972: San Jose, Carlsbad 

1975–1978: Catholic Youth Organization, Carlsbad

• Holley, David (deceased)

1972–1975: St. Jude, Alamogordo  

• Klister, Irving (deceased)

Holy Family, Deming 

1968: Our Lady of Perpetual Help, T or C

• Lopez, Rosario  

1974: St. Genevieve, Las Cruces  

• Maramba, Manuel  

1976: St. Francis Newman Center, Silver City  

1976–1977: St. Genevieve, Las Cruces  

• Mazon, Diego

1972–1977: St. John Parish, Roswell  

• Morgan, Arthur (deceased)

1968–1971: Our Lord of Mercy, Hatch  

1971–1991: San Isidro, Garfield  

• Nesome, Richard  

1981: Our Lady of Purification, Doña Ana  

• O’Sullivan, Arthur  

Holy Family, Deming  

• Porter, James (deceased)

1967–1968: OL of Perpetual Help  

1967–1968: St. Ann’s Hospital  

• Pudei, Casilda (deceased)  

1956–1957: St. Edward’s School, Carlsbad  

• Roure, Emilio (deceased)

1956–1964: OLG, Tortugas  

• Tickle, John  

1984: Immaculate Heart of Mary, LC  

1985: St. Francis Newman Center, Silver City  

1985–1993: St. Albert Newman Center, Las Cruces  

1999–2000: Immaculate Heart of Mary, Las Cruces  

• Angeli, Joseph (deceased) 

1971–1973 San Jose, La Mesa 

1973–1981 OL Guadalupe, Tortugas 

1984–1992 Retired With Faculties

• Baldonado, Filipe (deceased)

1969: Holy Cross Retreat Center  

• Boardway, Alphonse (deceased)

1989: Holy Cross Retreat Center  

1989: Supply Priest  

• Cabot, Samuel (deceased)

1956–1957: Holy Cross Retreat Center  

• Calonge, Felix  

1964–1965: Holy Cross Retreat Center  

• Cavagaro, Camillus  (deceased)

1971–1973: St. Josephs, Mescalero  

1989–1990: St. Francis de Paula, Tularosa  

• Dannemfelser, Lambert (deceased)

1962–1968: St. Peter, Roswell  

• Davied, Frank 

1993–1995: IHM, Las Cruces  

• de Silva, Owen (deceased)

1957–1964: Holy Cross Retreat Center  

• Dunn, Kevin (deceased)

1955–1961: Holy Cross Retreat Center  

• Esquivel, Miguel  

1996: La Tuna Prison, Anthony  

• Fountain, Dennis (deceased) 

1992–1995: St. Peters, Pastor  

1992–1999: St. John, Pastor  

1994–1995: ICC, Pastor 

1999–2000: St. Peter, Pastor 

2000–2001: St. Anthony 

2001–2008: St. Helena, Pastor

• Galvan, Lucas (convicted)

1991: St. Genevieve  

• Griego, Sabine

1967–1968: St. Eleanor, Ruidoso  

• Hay, James

1950–1955: Immaculate Conception, Alamogordo  

• Hootka, Gus (deceased)

1955–1974: St. Francis de Paula, Tularosa  

1974–1987: St. Josephs, Mescalero  

• Keegan, Austin

1991: Infant Jesus, Hurley  

• Kirsch, Robert

1965–1967: St. Eleanor, Ruidoso  

• Labreche, Laurier

1962–1968: St. Eleanor, Ruidoso  

• Ladenburger, Louis

1968–1971: Holy Cross Retreat Center  

1969–1970: St. Albert the Great  

• Leining, Mark (deceased)

1951–1953: St. Francis de Paula, Tularosa  

1962–1964: St. Francis de Paula, Tularosa  

1979–1985: St. Josephs, Mescalero  

• Lynn, Clive

1971–1973: St. Rita, Carrizozo  

• Mancuso, Sylvester (deceased)

1952–1955: St. Josephs, Mescalero  

• McDonald, Kevin  

2013–2014: Our Lady of Perpetual Help, T. or C.  

2014–2016: St. Cecilia, Jal; St. Clare, Eunice  

2018: St. Genevieve, Las Cruces  

2018: San Isidro, Garfield  

• Pfalzer, Roman (deceased)

1947: St. Peter, Roswell  

1948: St. John the Baptist, Roswell  

• Riffel, Claude (deceased)  

1968: Holy Cross Retreat Center  

• Schrieber, Lawrence  

 2002–2003: St. Peter, Roswell  

• Sierra, Frank  

1962–1968: Our Lady of Fatima, Bayard  

• Trevino, Robert  

1995: Holloman AFB, Alamogordo

Diocese of El Paso (covered several counties in southern New Mexico prior to 1982)

• As described above, in July 2025, Levy Konigsberg’s co-counsel filed eight lawsuits against Catholic leadership, including in El Paso.

• In the 1960s, Fr. Lawrence Gaynor allegedly abused a boy.

• Between 1959 and 1960, a child was allegedly sexually assaulted on a weekly basis by Fr. Lucio Lopez.

• In 1968, Sister Katherine Marie from Holy Cross Parish and School, and Fr. Pedro Martinez (El Paso priest), allegedly abused a boy during road trips.

Archdiocese of Santa Fe

• In May 2022, a $121.5 million settlement was announced to resolve a New Mexico bankruptcy case stemming from a clergy sex abuse scandal, involving about 375 claimants.

Diocese of Gallup

• In May 2018, reports revealed that the Diocese of Gallup was allocating $21 to $25 million for sex abuse settlements, with some of the 57 clergy abuse survivors set to receive up to $300,000 each.

Do I Have A Case?

You may have a sexual abuse claim against the Catholic Church if:

• You were sexually abused as a minor or an adult within the Church.
• The abuser was a priest, clergy member, or some other Church volunteer or employee.
• Your abuse occurred at any time in the past.

As with civil sexual abuse cases, claims filed with the bankruptcy settlement fund are separate from any criminal proceedings that may arise from abuse. Instead, they focus on holding the Archdiocese liable for damages. This means you may still have a claim even if:

• Your abuser is no longer alive.
• Your abuser was never charged or convicted of a crime.

Determining whether you have grounds to pursue a claim can be challenging, which is why our team at Levy Konigsberg is readily available to help.

Recoverable Damages in Sexual Abuse Claims

In addition to providing accountability and a sense of justice, civil sex abuse lawsuits allow survivors to recover financial compensation for their damages, which may include:

• Past medical and mental health expenses
• Future mental health expenses, including therapy, medications, etc.
• Pain and suffering
• Emotional anguish and psychological harm
• Lost income
• Other economic and non-economic damages

New Mexico Sexual Abuse Attorneys

The statute of limitations for civil sexual abuse lawsuits sets a deadline for victims to bring New Mexico child abuse claims against their abuser.   Survivors of child sex abuse can file until age 24 or within three years of disclosing the abuse to a healthcare provider or counselor, whichever occurs later.

However, a proposed bill (HB 73) introduced in 2025 offers hope for change. This bill would provide better opportunities for victims to seek justice if passed. If passed, the bill would eliminate the civil statute of limitations for sexual abuse cases and open a permanent revival window for victims whose claims expired under the current statute of limitations.

Levy Konigsberg's experienced attorneys can help evaluate claims under these laws, including those for abuse that occurred years or even decades ago, and explain your rights and options.

Levy Konigsberg is actively investigating allegations of sexual abuse by New Mexico Clergy.