By Tim Harfmann

All day long, Richmond Hill, Queens residents stopped by the 102^nd NYPD precinct to pay their respects to Detective Brian Simonsen. “All these guys are such good guys. These guys lookout for the community so much. And it was so heartbreaking to hear that,” said Justin Sarabjeet, a local resident. Flowers, candles, and balloons were part of the growing memorial. Haydee Venn stopped to pray. “This is very painful for the community, especially for me, because we have a lot of respect for the officials,” said Venn, who remembered seeing Simonsen around the community he served. “He was a very nice, very nice person. He listened to the people,” said Venn.

The 42-year-old was a 19-year veteran of the department. A Mass of Christian burial will be held February 20th at 10 a.m. at Saint Rosalie Church in Hampton Bays, Long Island.

The loss hits the Richmond Hill community especially hard. Father Christopher Heanue ministers to Catholics at Holy Child Jesus Church, located blocks from the precinct. “As a priest, you feel a sense of fatherly care, pastoral care that you should have for your local precinct.”So Father Heanue and other worshipers escorted students from the parish’s Catholic academy to the memorial, leaving cards and flowers. “It was difficult to see that it was so close, and then to hear that it was a police officer from our own precinct — in our parish boundary — was difficult to hear, as well,” said Father Heanue. “Years ago, the policeman was your friend. We don’t get that as much anymore. We’d say, ‘good day, officer. Good morning, officer. Nice day.’ We want the kids to realize that the police are your friends, and look at the tremendous sacrifice that they do make,” said Maria Turner. She is a parishioner at Holy Child Jesus Church.

Detective Simonsen was shot by friendly fire on February 13th while responding to reports of an armed robbery at a T-Mobile store in Richmond Hill. Residents said they’ll never forget Simonsen’s sacrifice. “Somebody gave their life to protect someone in this neighborhood, a store owner in this neighborhood,” said Turner. “This community is standing behind them 100 percent,” said Sarabjeet.

Holy Child Jesus Church will honor Detective Simonsen with a Memorial Mass on Saturday, February 23rd at 5 p.m. The church is located at 111-11 86th avenue in Richmond Hill, Queens. The Simonsen family asked people to donate to the Healing Haven Animal Foundation in lieu of flowers. You can go online to healinghavenaf.org and click on the donate button

By Emily Drooby

Priests and parishioners across the Brooklyn Diocese also speaking out, after the list of clergy credibly accused of sexual abuse against minors was released.

Parishioner Alayne Cox said, “I think it’s important that the diocese has done this.”

Parishioner Michael said, “I’m happy that the Church and the diocese is doing the best they can to be as open and sincere about responding to the people in their hurt and doing the best they can.”

Father Thomas Doyle, the pastor for Good Shepherd Church, said, “It has a little bit of an impact here because seven of the priests that are on the list were assigned here at one point so it has taken a little bit of breath out of the parish.”

While Father Alonzo Cox, the pastor at St. Martin De Porres Parish reacted with, “It’s tough, you know it’s tough to see something like this but I pray for my brothers and we pray that the Lord will continue to strengthen us.”

The full list can be found on the Diocese of Brooklyn’s website by clicking on a special page made for the clergy sex abuse crisis response. There’s also a video statement by Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio, in which he said, “I have met with many victims who have told me that more than anything, they want an acknowledgement of what was done to them.”

The list covers the 166-year history of the diocese. There are 108 names, one auxiliary bishop, two deacons and 105 priests, less than 5 percent of clergy throughout the history of the Diocese of Brooklyn.

The list was a shock for many, like Father Doyle, “These are priests that I have lived with, priests I have ministered with, these are priests who are friends so it is kind of disheartening, we will be stronger because of it and I think that’s what we can come forth with.”

Almost two-thirds of the accused clergy on the list are dead.

Numbers show that incidents of abuse peaked in the 1960’s and 1970’s. However, most reports came in after both 2002, when the Dallas Charter for the protection of children and young people was enacted, and 2017, after the Brooklyn Diocese started the Independent Reconciliation and Compensation Program, which works to provide healing and closure for survivors of clergy sexual abuse.