Sexual Abuse Allegations Against Fr. Dennis Wagner

This page summarizes the assignments, credible or criminal allegations, and institutional actions against Fr. Dennis Wagner, as part of Injury Lawyer Team’s representation of Michigan survivors of clergy sexual abuse. 

• Primary Entity Name: Dennis Wagner
• Common Variations / Aliases: Fr. Dennis Wagner, Father Dennis Wagner, 
• Role/Title at Time of Incident: Assistant priest, priest
• Current Status: Laicized

Public Identification and Clergy Status

Fr. Dennis Wagner was publicly identified as a credibly and criminally accused by multiple organizations, including:

• The Diocese of Grand Rapids
• Muskegon County Circuit Court
• The Michigan State Attorney General’s Office (2025 report)

Wagner pleaded guilty to gross indecency between males and assault and battery in 1983, following an allegation made by a 13-year-old boy during a tubing trip on the Muskegon River. There were multiple other allegations against him, one of which was substantiated but not pursued due to statutory limits. Following pressure from the Diocese of Grand Rapids, Wagner requested laicization in 2004. 

• Entity that Listed Him: Diocese of Grand Rapids; Vatican (laicization); Michigan Attorney General (2025 report)
• Reason for Listing: Multiple substantiated allegations of child sexual abuse, including one guilty plea for indecent contact; laicized by the Vatican in 2004

Key Status Facts

Ordination Year: 1976

Years in Active Ministry: 1976–2002

Locations Where He Served: Diocese of Grand Rapids

Restrictions: Removed from ministry in May 2002

Criminal Convictions: Pled guilty in 1983 to assault and battery of a 13-year-old boy

Laicization: April 5, 2004

Public Disclosure: Public guilty plea in 1983; named in multiple public reports and the Attorney General report in 2025

Reported Survivors: Six substantiated allegations, as noted in public reports

Assignment History

Primary Diocese: Diocese of Grand Rapids

Parish Assignments (as documented in public reports):

• St. Jude’s — Diocese of Grand Rapids, MI (dates not publicly available)
• St. Stephen’s — Grand Rapids, MI (dates not publicly available)
• St. Michael’s — Coopersville, MI (1983)
• Holy Family — Caledonia, MI (1984 –1987)
• Assumption — Belmont, MI (1987–1992)
• St. Adalbert — Grand Rapids, MI (1992–1993) – reported but not conclusively documented
• St. Pius X — Grandville, MI (1993–2002)

Non-Church Assignments: Before the 1983 no-contest plea, Wagner served as a Boy Scout mentor. He was also an assistant priest at St. Joseph’s school.

Known Allegations

Fr. Dennis Wagner was the subject of six substantiated allegations spanning multiple decades and parishes. The first resulted in a no-contest plea at the Muskegon County Circuit Court for assault and battery on a 13-year-old boy. Wagner had invited the child to join him for a tubing trip on the Muskegon River, during which time he fondled the boy multiple times and masturbated in front of him. 

Wagner was sentenced to two years’ probation, during which time he was required to report regularly to Bishop Joseph McKinney. He was moved to Holy Family Parish, where he was strictly forbidden from any contact with children while working as a marriage counselor. Despite this, Wagner was identified as having unauthorized contact with children multiple times, including asking a 13-year-old boy to play racquetball with him and scheduling swimming outings with young boys around parishes.

In 2002, following Wagner’s removal from ministry, several men came forward claiming that Fr. Wagner abused them at St. Jude’s parish while serving as a Boy Scout guide. One victim stated that Fr. Wagner and Fr. Gene Alvesteffer repeatedly abused him while he was training to become an Eagle Scout.

One victim stated that Fr. Wagner choked him to unconsciousness when he said he would disclose the abuse. When he woke up, Wagner threatened to kill him if he reported. This occurred at the rectory at St. Joseph Seminary, where the two would play racquetball. 

While the prosecutor’s office investigated these claims, the statute of limitations had passed, and no further action was taken. 

Summary: Fr. Dennis Wagner pleaded no contest to assault and battery, with several other cases referred to the prosecutor’s office; he accepted laicization in 2004. 

Overseeing Authorities During Key Periods:

• Bishop Joseph McKinney — Diocese of Grand Rapids
• Bishop Joseph Breitenbeck — Diocese of Grand Rapids
• Bishop Robert Rose — Diocese of Grand Rapids

Institutional Actions and Review

Internal Church documents incorporated into the 2025 Attorney General’s report show that the Church was aware of Fr. Wagner’s behavior well before he was included in the list of accused clergy in Michigan. 

Wagner was sent to St. Luke Institute in Silver Spring, MD, in 1986. St. Luke Institute is a private mental health treatment center that provides psychiatric assessments to priests, including those accused of sexual abuse. He was also sent to the Catholic University of America in Washington, DC, to study Canon Law, with Church documents demonstrating this was to limit his interaction with children.

Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, Church documents show memos detailing supervision requirements for Fr. Wagner, including strict prohibitions on contact with children. His supervisors also reported that he had joined a support group for sex offenders in Lansing and Grand Rapids.

WOOD-TV ran a segment regarding the allegations surrounding Fr. Wagner in 1993, prompting more victims to come forward and negotiate with the Church. He was then sent to St. Luke Institute for another evaluation.

Supervisors in the Church repeatedly gave “stern cautions” to Fr. Wagner, prohibiting him from any contact with children. One priest, Fr. John F. Porter, noted that Fr. Wagner had a “serious addiction” and recommended residential treatment. They also remained in contact with several of Fr. Wagner’s alleged victims and paid several settlements for therapy expenses.

In 2002, one victim publicly shared his story, prompting the Diocese to share a press release stating that Bishop Rose had relieved Fr. Wagner of all priestly faculties. They forwarded the allegations to the Kent County Prosecutor, but these cases were not pursued due to statutory limits.

Between 2002 and 2004, the Diocese of Grand Rapids remained in communication with multiple victims, paying settlements for residential treatment and psychological care. Bishop Rose urged Fr. Wagner to petition for laicization in 2003; Pope John Paul II granted it in April 2004. 

Timeline

1976 — Ordained at St. Andrew’s Cathedral in Grand Rapids, Michigan

1978 — Alleged sexual abuse at St. Stephen’s Parish

1983 — Pleaded no-contest to assault and battery, given two years’ probation

1984 — Removed from parish ministry, ordered not to contact minors

1986 — Sent to St. Luke Institute for psychiatric treatment

1993 — WOOD TV releases a segment, prompting more allegations

1993–1994 — Fr. Wagner in treatment at St. Luke Institute

1993–2002 — Church negotiates with multiple victims

2002 — Fr. Wagner is relieved of priestly faculties

2004 — Laicized by Pope John Paul II

Speak With an Attorney

If you or someone you know was abused by Fr. Dennis Wagner in Michigan, you may have a legal claim. Injury Lawyer Team provides confidential legal representation to survivors of clergy abuse in the Diocese of Grand Rapids and across the state. Contact a Michigan clergy abuse lawyer today for a confidential, free consultation about your legal rights. 

Sources

This page is based on public records, official Church disclosures, legal filings, and survivor reports, including the following:

• The Michigan Attorney General’s 2025 report on the Diocese of Grand Rapids, which listed Fr. Wagner as a credibly and criminally accused priest.
• Fr. Dennis Wagner’s profile on BishopAccountability.org, which compiles public records and Church documents regarding the allegations against Wagner.
• A WZZM-13 article detailing the timeline of accusations against Wagner.  
• State of Michigan v. Dennis Wagner, 1983, detailing his guilty plea for assault and battery against a minor. 

No criminal conviction is implied unless explicitly stated in public court records or official Church reports.

All content undergoes thorough legal review by experienced attorneys, including Jonathan Rosenfeld. With 25 years of experience in personal injury law and over 100 years of combined legal expertise within our team, we ensure that every article is legally accurate, compliant, and reflects current legal standards.