Jury Awards $3 Million to Woman in First Verdict Over Alleged Abuse at New Jersey Catholic Retreat

A New Jersey jury has awarded $3 million to a woman who said she was sexually abused as a teenager while volunteering at a Catholic retreat centre along the Jersey Shore. The decision marks the first verdict in a group of lawsuits involving allegations of child sexual abuse connected to the Marianist Family Retreat Center in Cape May Point.

The case was heard in Cape May County, where jurors ruled in favour of the woman, identified in court records only as “Jane Doe RP”. She claimed she was abused during the 1970s while serving as a volunteer at the retreat centre. According to the lawsuit, the abuse took place after she arrived at the retreat as a 14-year-old and stayed there without her parents during the summer of 1974.

The lawsuit alleged that two members of the Catholic religious community, priest John Sheehan and religious brother Albert Koch, sexually abused her during her time at the retreat. Court documents described the alleged conduct as harmful and unwanted sexual contact. Although both men were central to the allegations, neither was listed as a defendant in the lawsuit that resulted in the recent jury verdict.

The Marianist Family Retreat Center has become the focus of several legal claims filed since 2021. Five women have accused Sheehan and Koch of sexually abusing them as children between 1974 and 1982. The recent verdict is the first of those cases to reach a jury, making it an important development in the broader legal proceedings involving the retreat centre.

During the trial, jurors heard testimony from the plaintiff, who shared details of the abuse she said she experienced decades ago. According to her attorney, she first disclosed the alleged abuse in 2000, many years before filing the lawsuit. The legal action was eventually brought after changes in the law allowed survivors of childhood sexual abuse additional opportunities to pursue civil claims.

The jury determined that the Marianist Family Retreat Center was responsible for the damages and awarded the woman $3 million. However, jurors did not find the Marianist Province of the United States, the religious organisation that operates the retreat centre and is based in St Louis, Missouri, legally liable in the case.

Following the verdict, the Marianist Province stated that it remains committed to preventing sexual abuse across its ministries. The organisation said it strongly condemns sexual abuse and has safeguarding policies designed to protect children and vulnerable adults in its institutions.

The woman’s attorney described the verdict as one of the largest financial awards seen in Cape May County in recent years. He said the outcome gave his client a sense of justice after carrying the impact of the alleged abuse for more than five decades.

The legal cases involving the retreat centre involve alleged victims who were between the ages of 4 and 14 at the time of the reported abuse. These lawsuits remain separate, and the recent verdict applies only to the first case that went before a jury.

John Sheehan died in May 2025 at the age of 94. Before his death, he had been identified by the Marianists on a list of members known to have sexually abused minors. According to information released by the religious order, Sheehan served in several locations during his ministry, including assignments in Baltimore, New York, and Pennsylvania.

Albert Koch, who currently lives in Ohio, served at the Marianist Family Retreat Center from 1974 until 2019, according to the retreat’s website. He could not be reached for comment regarding the verdict, while attorneys connected to the case either declined to comment or did not respond to requests.

The Marianist Family Retreat Center is one of the oldest religious retreat facilities in Cape May County. The recent jury decision is expected to be closely watched as additional lawsuits move through the court system.

According to the New Jersey Judiciary, several related cases are still expected to go to trial. While no trial dates have been scheduled for the remaining cases, the latest verdict represents the first major legal outcome in the ongoing litigation involving historical abuse allegations at the retreat centre.

Sources

• New Jersey Judiciary
• Marianist Province of the United States
• Marianist Family Retreat Center