Mariano Rivera’s Social Media and Website Show Alarming Affiliations
On January 16, New Rochelle, New York (NY) Refuge of Hope pastors Mariano and Clara Rivera were sued for allegedly covering up child sexual abuse.
The victim traveled from Refuge of Hope to Ignite Life Center (ILC) for their summer internship, where she was sexually abused by a much older minor camper.
Mariano and Clara Rivera allegedly traveled to ILC and had separate conversations with the victim, where they intimidated her to stay quiet.
Ruben Tavarez Jr., the son of Refuge of Hope’s associate pastor, is also alleged to have sexually abused the victim.
Mariano Rivera has been friends with ILC head pastor Mark Vega since 1992. Vega served as the Yankees chaplain while Mariano Rivera played professional baseball.
Mariano Rivera’s social media and websites show strong affiliations between him and ILC pastors.
The Mariano Rivera Foundation Facebook:
In June 2021, the Mariano Rivera Foundation (MRF) started a mentorship program at ILC for young men aged 16-20.
In January 2024, the MRF Facebook page published photos showing Mariano Rivera standing next to Vega’s son, alleged rapist Christian Vargas, and several other MRF students.
The photo was taken before Vargas was arrested but MRF continued using it on social media after his arrest.
Vargas’ arrest report states that he attempted to sexually coerce a 14-year-old girl and raped a 12-year-old girl.
Vargas was arrested in July 2023, and his case is still moving through the court system.
The Mariano Rivera Foundation Website:
The MRF website shows Mariano and Clara Rivera opened the mentorship program standing side by side with Vega’s wife, pastor Lisa Vega, along with ILC associate pastor Esther Omeben and then-ILC associate pastor Jose Cruz.
Jose Cruz left ILC after his son Noel Cruz was arrested for statutorily raping a minor in February 2024.
Another picture on the website includes MRF staff and students, Lisa Vega, Vargas, Omeben, and ILC pastor/public relations manager Nicole Gomez.
Lisa Vega’s LinkedIn states she worked as the MRF executive director from March 2020 to August 2023.
The Mariano Rivera Foundation Instagram:
On June 14, 2021, the MRF Instagram page posted a picture with Mariano Rivera standing next to Noel Cruz.
The MRF Instagram contains several of the same photos posted on the MRF Facebook.
The Mariano Rivera Foundation Youtube Channel:
In January 2021, the MRF Youtube channel hosted a series called “Moe 653,” which has testimonies from ILC pastors.
The Moe-653 series appears to have served as promotional material for the MRF’s Save-653 Mentorship program.
Omeben said she grew up with a single mom and that kids would bully her because she is Black. Omeben said, “What I found in this place, in this community, is a sense of direction, a sense of acceptance.”
Gomez said, “I found people that truly believe in who I was made to be. I went from a person who had no purpose, no future, and no hope, to somebody who encountered a place and found hope, leadership, and guidance.”
ILC pastor Maria Perkins-Godinez said she lost her mom and brother to AIDS at a young age and never knew the meaning of unconditional love. Perkins said, “When I found the [MRF] Foundation, I was shown mentorship and what a family looked like.”
Mariano Rivera’s son and former Ignite School of Ministry (ISM) student Jafet Rivera also gave a testimony.
Jafet Rivera said, “When you’re told you’re clinically depressed and suicidal, it sort of changes your whole perspective on life. I was so lost in depression and prescribed pills that I didn’t know how to get out. I just found myself going deeper and deeper every day until the moment came where I decided enough was enough. I was gonna end my life. A life that at one point I found so worthless now means so much to me.”
Mariano Rivera’s Personal Instagram Account:
On November 29, 2024, Mariano Rivera made an Instagram post showing him celebrating his birthday with his friends and family.
Mark and Lisa Vega can be seen in one of the photos sitting across from Mariano and Clara Rivera.
Judge William Davis granted Vargas an order “to travel with his parents to New York, New York, from November 29, 2024, until December 2, 2024.”
Vargas was ordered to abide by court orders in NY, which include no unsupervised contact with minors.
Vargas isn’t anywhere to be seen in Mariano Rivera’s birthday photo, and it’s unclear where he was at the time.
GnvInfo has been reporting on ILC since July 2023.
GnvInfo has been reporting on Mariano Rivera’s connections to ILC since March 2024.
More information on ILC can be found in the investigation below.
