In 1999, Pastor Mark Vega began working as the chaplain for the New York Yankees. He befriended Hall of Fame pitcher Mariano Rivera, who speaks at Assemblies of God events and helps lead Refuge of Hope Church in New Rochelle, New York. Vargas, Vega’s son, is a former member of the Mariano Rivera Foundation, which partnered with Ignite in 2021 on a youth mentorship program.
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Rivera and his wife, Clara, have been named as defendants in a civil lawsuit filed by a New York girl and her mother. They allege that the girl, then an active member of Refuge of Hope, was repeatedly sexually assaulted while attending a 2018 camp run by Ignite.
According to the lawsuit, the Riveras tried to silence the alleged victim and Pastor Vega failed to protect her from abuse. An attorney for the Riveras said the couple is being “targeted by false allegations.”
ChurchLeaders reached out to Mark Vega and Ignite Life Center for comment and will update this article with any reply.
