Gregg Siddons, a Western New York native now living in Erie, Pennsylvania, sat down to recount the trauma he endured as a teenager at Saints Peter and Paul Church in Williamsville, a suburb of Buffalo. Siddons, who will turn 67 next week, said the abuse by Monsignor George Zimphfer left him with post‑traumatic stress, nightly nightmares and ongoing medical challenges, including epilepsy.
Survivor’s account
“I suffered for years with this in my head,” Siddson told us. He described how, after his parents sent him to the Gateway Methodist youth home in 1973, he began attending the Catholic parish where the priest repeatedly molested him. “I thought going was gonna help me, and then I met a Catholic priest that I thought was gonna be my friend and be able to talk to, and he just took advantage of me,” Siddson said.
He added that he tried to confide in counselors and his parents, but “no one believed me. A priest is not gonna do this to you,” he recalled. “I grew up in the 60s, and no one believed children. They looked at children as if we’re all liars.”
Legal context
Siddson is one of hundreds of claimants filing under New York’s Child Victims Act, which allows survivors of clergy abuse to bring civil actions that were previously barred by the statute of limitations. The Diocese of Buffalo is negotiating a $327 million settlement that would resolve nearly 900 cases.
In January, survivors, including Siddson, delivered impact statements in federal court while Bishop Michael Fisher listened. Siddson said he hopes the bishop understands how the abuse has left him a “broken man.” He expressed a simple wish: “I want the church to say, ‘Gregg, we’re sorry for what was done to you.’ A phone call, a handshake, a hug would mean a lot, even if I don’t think it will ever happen.”
Survivor’s view on the settlement
Although Siddson voted in favor of the proposed settlement, he stressed that no amount of money can erase his pain. “No money will ever take my pain away,” he said. He continues to see a psychiatrist monthly, takes medication, and lives with seizures, underscoring the lasting impact of the abuse.
Community response
The story has resonated with many in the Buffalo area, prompting renewed calls for transparency and accountability within the Catholic Church. Local faith leaders have expressed sorrow for the victims and pledged to support healing initiatives, while advocacy groups continue to monitor the settlement process to ensure it meets the needs of survivors.
As the Diocese moves toward finalizing the agreement, survivors like Siddson hope that acknowledgment and genuine contrition will accompany the financial resolution, offering a path toward healing for those whose lives were shattered by clerical abuse.
Original reporting: WKBW 7 Buffalo (Buffalo section) — read the source article.
