Priest Pressured Seminarians Into Swimming Naked
The three reported in December 2019 to the diocese but Cosgrove kept having access to seminarians including a key to the seminary until recently. Last November, Cosgrove took a paid medical leave of absence because of depression and anxiety. This October, he resigned from ministry.
One seminarian, Nick Grismer, claims that he pressured him in June/July 2019 into skinny-dipping at the seminary’s swimming pool and at a lake house owned by a diocesan priest while taking photos and videos even after Grismer asked him to stop.
The priest was Grismer’s friend and mentor telling him that he should expose himself to “be free” or “naked before God.” Cosgrove also encouraged him to drink although Grismer struggled with alcohol problems and tried to convince Grismer to sleep for the night next to him in the house’s living room but he declined.
Two other former seminarians confirmed they were also pressured to swim naked with Cosgrove in summer 2019.
Picture: Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist, Cleveland © wikipedia, #newsRdvtbadhfd
