Minnesota Catholic Diocese Priest Sex Abuse List

Archdiocese of St. Paul & Minneapolis, MN

Sebastian (Joseph) Angers

• Accused
  

Removed from ministry after allegations of sexual abuse, Angers was sent for counseling prior to his death in 1978. He was later named on the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis list of credibly accused clergy and was also included in the Illinois Attorney General’s Report. His clerical service ended before public disclosure of the allegations.

Stephen P. Baker

• Settled
  

Baker was accused of molesting boys and girls while providing massages for injuries. He was removed from ministry in 2000 following allegations originating in Michigan and placed under supervision. Civil claims related to the abuse were resolved through settlement, and he did not return to active pastoral duties.

Joseph L. Baglio

• Sued
  

A woman filed a civil claim alleging that Baglio molested her during childhood. The allegation surfaced after his death in 1997. The case proceeded within the civil system, addressing claims tied to his period of clerical service in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis.

J. Jerome Boxleitner

• Sued
  

Boxleitner, a monsignor, was accused of molesting a boy between 1975 and 1980 while assigned to St. Joseph’s Home for Children in Minneapolis. A civil claim was filed addressing the alleged abuse. He died on March 14, 2013, before resolution through criminal proceedings.

Greg (Brother Greg)

• Settled
  

Identified publicly as Brother Greg, he was accused of grooming an individual for approximately one year and then raping him on multiple occasions. The allegations were resolved through a settlement. The abuse occurred during his service within the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis.

John T. Brown

• Sued
  

A man alleged that Brown sexually abused him during sex education examinations conducted in Waverly, Minnesota, in the 1960s. Court filings indicated that church officials were aware of Brown’s examination practices as early as 1966. The claims were pursued through civil litigation.

Ramon Jerome Buckley

• Sued
  

Buckley was accused of sexually abusing a boy between the ages of 12 and 14 in the Sacred Heart parish hall during 1978 and 1979. A civil claim was filed addressing the alleged abuse, which occurred while Buckley was serving in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis.

John J. Bussman

• Accused
  

The Archdiocese announced in August 2016 that allegations of sexual abuse involving Bussman dated to the 1980s, when he was still in active ministry. He had been on leave since 2003. The disclosure identified misconduct occurring during his clerical service.

Michael Joseph Charland

• Settled
  

Charland sexually assaulted a 17-year-old boy during confession at a Teens Encounter Christ retreat in St. Paul in 1981. Earlier, he had been removed from a seminary position in Illinois in 1977 but continued abusing boys during counseling sessions. He left the order in 1984, married, and was laicized in 1989. Claims were settled.

Eugene S. Corica

• Settled
  

Corica was included among 17 priests identified by the Archdiocese in October 2014 as part of a settlement involving substantiated claims of sexual abuse of minors. He left ministry in 1995 and was living in Minneapolis at the time of public disclosure.

Leonard P. Cowley

• Sued
  

A man filed a claim alleging that Cowley molested him in 1968, when he was 15 years old, during a trip to northern Minnesota. The allegation was pursued through civil litigation addressing abuse during Cowley’s period of service.

Joseph Damiani

• Sued
  

Damiani’s two younger brothers alleged that he abused them between 1967 and 1970, when Damiani himself was a teenager. Damiani filed suit against his brothers and SNAP. The Archdiocese reopened its investigation and ultimately determined he was fit for ministry.

Richard de Ranitz

• Accused
  

De Ranitz was removed from public ministry in 1990 after self-reporting that he had sexually abused minors. His disclosure led to immediate removal from clerical duties within the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis.

Gilbert J. DeSutter

• Settled
  

Despite allegations being raised by a victim’s father, DeSutter remained active for six years afterward. Two civil lawsuits alleging sexual abuse were settled out of court, while a third suit was dismissed on statute of limitations grounds. His ministry continued for a period following initial reports.

Patrick Joseph Dinya

• Sued
  

A woman alleged that Dinya abused her during marital and emotional counseling sessions in 1968. She also alleged abuse of a mentally challenged teenage girl during the same period. The claims were pursued through civil litigation addressing misconduct during pastoral counseling.

Donald Dummer

• Settled
  

Dummer served as a parish pastor in South Dakota and as a hospital chaplain in St. Paul. Child pornography was discovered in his room in 1997 and 1998 and destroyed by church officials. He was later listed as credibly accused and laicized in 2006, with public identification occurring in 2022 and 2023.

Timothy Dolan

• Accused
  

Dolan, pastor of St. William in Fridley, was removed from ministry in February 2016 during an investigation into alleged possession of child pornography. He admitted to police to having pornography that month. The Archdiocese authorized his return to ministry on July 27, 2020.

Paul V. Dudley

• Accused
  

While serving as a bishop, Dudley was accused of fondling an altar boy during the 1950s. The allegation surfaced decades later and prompted a church investigation. After review, investigators concluded there was no evidence to substantiate the complaint. Dudley was retired at the time the allegation became known, and no criminal or civil proceedings followed.

Gerald Dvorak

• Reinstated
  

In May 2015, the Archdiocese announced a credible allegation of sexual abuse of a minor dating to the 1970s against Dvorak, who had been pastor of St. Peter Parish in Richfield since 2011. He was placed on leave and law enforcement was notified. On September 2, 2015, the Ministerial Review Board determined the allegation was not substantiated, and he was reinstated to ministry.

Alphonsus P. Ferguson

• Sued
  

Ferguson served as a priest in Minnesota, New York, Nebraska, Iowa, and Ireland. He was accused in a civil claim of anally raping an altar boy at Guardian Angels Church in Hastings, Minnesota, during the early 1950s. The allegation included references to additional victims. The claims were addressed through civil litigation rather than criminal prosecution.

Ambrose R. Filbin

• Accused
  

In 2013, two women reported that Filbin sexually abused them while they were students at St. Pius X School in White Bear Lake. The allegations were reviewed by the Archdiocese and led to his inclusion on its public list of accused clergy released in October 2014. The reported abuse occurred during his assignment connected to the school.

Robert Fitzpatrick

• Reinstated
  

Fitzpatrick, ordained in 1973, was placed on voluntary leave in August after an allegation of sexual abuse of a minor dating to the 1980s while serving in parish ministry. Law enforcement reviewed the allegation and closed the case citing insufficient evidence and the statute of limitations. An Archdiocesan Ministerial Review Board later determined there was no reasonable basis to substantiate the claim, and he was reinstated to ministry in March.

Joseph Thomas Forcelle

• Reinstated
  

Forcelle served in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis from 1980 to 1984 and later in the Diocese of Sioux Falls from 1984 to 1988. He was placed on administrative leave in September 2016 pending an independent investigation into an allegation of misconduct. Following review, the diocesan review board determined that the asserted facts did not substantiate the allegation, and he was returned to ministry.

Edmund Frost

• Settled
  

Frost was assigned to St. Albert the Great Parish in Minneapolis from 1964 to 1975. Allegations later emerged that he abused one or two boys during 1972 and 1973. He was removed from ministry at his parish in the fall of 1974 and left the archdiocese in 1975. The matter was later resolved through a settlement addressing claims tied to his period of ministry.

Joseph G. Gallatin

• Accused
  

Gallatin was removed from parish ministry in Mendota in December 2013 after an external review of personnel files identified a reference to inappropriate conduct with a minor around 1998. Evaluations, counseling, and monitoring were ordered, and the matter was reported to criminal authorities. A subsequent review was conducted by the archdiocese following these findings, and he was removed from active clerical status.

Gerald Funcheon

• Settled
  

Funcheon worked in multiple states, including Minnesota, Nebraska, Indiana, Florida, Hawaii, California, Texas, and abroad. He was barred from ministry in Indiana after concerns involving plans to molest minors. Five men filed civil suits alleging abuse in the 1970s and 1980s, which were later settled. He was removed from the priesthood and resided at the Vianney Renewal Center following disciplinary action.

Kenneth John Gansmann

• Accused
  

A man reported that Gansmann abused him as a child, with the allegation provided to the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis in 2007. Gansmann was later included on the Diocese of Nashville’s list of accused clergy in 2021 and was also named in the Illinois Attorney General’s Report released in 2023. The allegations relate to misconduct during his period of clerical service.

Gerald Grieman

• Accused
  

In the early 1990s, a man alleged that Grieman abused him at age twelve. The claim was later reviewed by the archdiocese and determined not to be credible. Grieman retired from ministry in 1999 following his years of service. The allegation remains part of the historical record associated with his tenure, despite the internal finding regarding credibility.

Gilbert J. Gustafson

• Convicted
  

Gustafson pleaded guilty in 1983 to abusing a boy over a five-year period during the 1970s. He was sentenced by church authorities to a life of prayer and penance following the conviction. The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis provided him with a pension after his removal from active ministry, reflecting the disciplinary outcome tied to his criminal conduct.

David Haas

• Accused
  

Haas was identified in 2020 as having engaged in long-term sexually predatory behavior toward young women during his ministry. Allegations included the rape of a thirteen-year-old girl during a religious retreat in Minnesota, which he denied. Reports indicated he altered his conduct by targeting individuals after they turned eighteen. The disclosures prompted public acknowledgment of misconduct linked to his clerical role.

Robert L. Hazel

• Accused
  

A woman filed a police report in 2003 alleging sexual abuse by Hazel. Law enforcement reviewed the complaint and closed the case in 2004 without charges. Hazel denied ever sexually abusing anyone. The allegation and investigative outcome remain part of the documented record associated with his ministry within the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis.

Louis Joseph Heitzer

• Sued
  

At least three men reported to the archdiocese that Heitzer abused them during their youth. Personnel records reviewed in September 2014 showed that, following assault allegations, Heitzer was assigned in 1969 as a chaplain at a nursing home in the Diocese of New Ulm. Civil litigation later addressed claims tied to his assignments and the handling of prior allegations.

Steven Henrich

• Accused
  

Henrich served in multiple locations, including Indiana, Minnesota, New York, Illinois, Michigan, Maryland, Arizona, and Rome. Allegations emerged of inappropriate touching of minors in Minnesota during the late 1970s. In 2017, he was placed under permanent restrictions from ministry as a result of these claims, ending his ability to function publicly in a clerical role.

Rudolph M. Henrich

• Sued
  

A man reported to the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis that Henrich abused him as a child, though Henrich’s name was not publicly released at the time. He was permanently removed from ministry in 1976 following concerns related to misconduct. Henrich died in 1992. The allegation later became part of the archdiocese’s internal record of clergy misconduct.

William F. Hough

• Accused
  

Hough retired from ministry in 1991 and died on August 15, 1994. In September 2016, the archdiocese publicly released his name and assignments after determining that a claim of sexual abuse of a minor between 1964 and 1966 was substantiated. The disclosure occurred decades after his retirement and death, following internal review of historical allegations.

Richard H. Jeub

• Settled
  

A woman alleged that Jeub abused her when she was fifteen years old. At the time, Jeub was already under investigation by the archdiocese for issues involving adult women. He was permanently removed from active ministry in 2002. The claim was later resolved through a settlement addressing the allegation tied to his period of clerical service.

Paul Kabat

• Accused
  

Kabat served in the Dioceses of Duluth, Crookston, Belleville, Illinois, and the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. His religious order released his name publicly in 2015, and he was added in 2017 to a list of nineteen priests and brothers associated with abuse allegations. The disclosures concerned misconduct during his years of ministry across multiple dioceses.

James M. Johnston

• Settled
  

In 2004, a man came forward alleging that Johnston abused him during the 1960s when he was a minor. The claim related to Johnston’s assignments during that period. A civil settlement of $42,000 was reached in 2004, resolving the allegation without litigation proceeding to trial.

Robert Kapoun

• Settled
  

Known publicly as the “Polka Padre,” Kapoun was accused of sexually abusing a twelve-year-old boy over a two-year period from 1973 to 1974, along with claims of clergy malpractice. He was permanently removed from the priesthood in 2002. As of 2014, he was receiving medical pension support from the archdiocese following disciplinary action.

Michael Jerome Keating

• Sued
  

Keating was ordained at age forty-six and later placed under restrictions after a woman filed a civil suit alleging he sexually abused her over a two- to three-year period in the late 1990s. He denied all allegations. Keating resigned from his position at the University of St. Thomas following the lawsuit.

Dennis C. Kampa

• Sued
  

Kampa was sued in 1995 over allegations that he abused a girl between the ages of thirteen and sixteen from 1981 to 1984. He retired from ministry in 2002 and was permanently removed from ministry in 2003. At the time of reporting, he was living in Victoria, Minnesota, at approximately eighty-one years of age.

Thomas Kemp

• Sued
  

A man filed a civil suit alleging that Kemp abused him for several years during the 1980s while presenting himself as a deacon at St. Agnes Parish. The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis issued a statement asserting that Kemp had never been a deacon. The lawsuit focused on the alleged abuse rather than official clerical status.

Jerome C. Kern

• Settled
  

Kern was accused of abusing a boy in a seminary swimming pool in 1977 and of grabbing the genitals of two boys in 1969. Following the allegations, he was transferred to another parish and remained active in ministry for years. He took medical disability leave in 2002, after which the claims were addressed through settlement.

Marvin J. Klaers

• Sued
  

Klaers was ordained and served in multiple parishes within the archdiocese before retiring in 2002. He was later accused in a civil suit of abusing an adolescent boy during the late 1970s. The allegation related to his pastoral assignments during that period of ministry.

Michael G. Kolar

• Settled
  

Kolar was accused of sexually assaulting at least three girls while counseling them at a Catholic Youth Center. Despite the allegations, he remained on staff for a period. He was removed from his position in 1988 after a civil lawsuit was settled for $6,000, resolving claims tied to his counseling role.

Lee D. Krautkremer

• Sued
  

In 2002, a man filed a lawsuit alleging that Krautkremer abused him at age ten in 1977. In 2003, the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis paid $20,000 toward Krautkremer’s personal loans. The civil action addressed allegations connected to his period of ministry in the late 1970s.

Kenneth LaVan

• Settled
  

A woman sued the archdiocese in the late 1980s alleging that LaVan abused her between 1960 and 1965 when she was between twelve and seventeen years old. LaVan was diagnosed with compulsive sexuality disorder in 1989. Despite the diagnosis and allegations, he was not removed from ministry. The claim was later resolved through settlement.

Ronan Charles Liles

• Sued
  

Liles, also known as Charles R. Liles, was accused of abusing two brothers in the early 1970s. The civil case was dismissed due to the statute of limitations. His name appears in records associated with the Dominican St. Albert the Great Province, which contains an inaccurate ordination date listed as 1971.

Robert Loftus

• Accused
  

Loftus was laicized in 1977. His name appeared on the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis list of priests with credible allegations of sexual abuse of minors released on December 5, 2013. He died in 2022 at the age of ninety-one, decades after leaving the clerical state.

Alfred C. Longley

• Accused
  

Longley was included on a list of priests with credible allegations of sexual abuse of minors released by the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis in 2013. He was later also named on a similar list issued by the Diocese of Memphis in 2020, reflecting allegations tied to his service across diocesan jurisdictions.

Harry Majerus

• Accused
  

Majerus was ordained for the Diocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. He remained in office for many years despite concerns and was not removed from ministry until 1987. His name later appeared in diocesan records associated with allegations of sexual abuse of minors during his period of service.

Timothy P. McCarthy

• Accused
  

McCarthy was removed from ministry in 1991 following allegations involving abuse of two minor boys and an abusive relationship with a college student. In 1999, he lost his job after being accused of criminal sexual conduct with a seventeen-year-old, separate from his earlier clerical removal.

John E. McGrath

• Settled
  

McGrath was accused of molesting a girl in 1963 or 1964 during his first assignment at Nativity Church in St. Paul. He denied the allegation, though it was later deemed credible. Despite the finding, he continued to serve as pastor at Sacred Heart in Robbinsdale. The matter was later resolved through settlement.

Thomas Gregory Meyer

• Accused
  

Meyer worked across multiple dioceses, including Belleville and Springfield in Illinois, Springfield–Cape Girardeau in Missouri, Green Bay in Wisconsin, St. Paul and Minneapolis, and Duluth in Minnesota. His religious order released his name publicly in 2015, and he was added to the St. Paul and Minneapolis archdiocesan list in 2017.

Wendell J. Mohs

• Settled
  

Mohs served as a recruiter for the Crosiers and left the Order in 1982. He was named in a civil lawsuit filed in 2006, which was settled for $1.2 million. Mohs stated that he himself had been abused by a member of the Order in 1964, a claim included in court records.

Antonio Molina

• Sued
  

Molina was accused of sexually touching a thirty-two-year-old woman. He was also identified in records as having reported that he himself was abused as a girl by Rev. Michael Kolar. The allegation against Molina was pursued through civil litigation.

Francisco Montero

• Sued
  

Francisco Montero Monar, a priest from Ecuador, fled to Ecuador after a woman alleged that he molested her four-year-old daughter. Church officials informed the Vatican of Montero’s prior history. The allegation was raised in a civil action after his departure from the United States.

Orville Lawrence Munie

• Accused
  

Munie was publicly named by his religious order as credibly accused in July 2015. His name was subsequently added to multiple diocesan lists of clergy with substantiated claims of sexual abuse of a minor associated with their ministry.

James Robert Murphy

• Sued
  

Murphy’s name was included on a list of priests with substantiated claims of sexually abusing a minor. He left ministry in 1990. The allegation against him was addressed through civil proceedings rather than criminal prosecution.

James B. Namie

• Sued
  

Namie was included on a list released by the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis identifying clergy with substantiated claims of sexual abuse of a minor. He died on August 17, 2010. The claim against him was pursued in civil court.

John C. Nienstedt

• Accused
  

Following an investigation, the Vatican barred Nienstedt from ministry in Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota. Church authorities concluded that he had taken imprudent actions but did not violate canon law. The determination limited his activities without formal canonical penalties.

Paul Palmitessa

• Accused
  

Palmitessa’s name appeared on the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis list of priests with credible allegations of abuse of minors released on December 5, 2013. He retired in 1998 and was reported to be living in the San Diego area, no longer engaged in ministry.

Joseph Pinkosh

• Accused
  

Pinkosh was named on the archdiocesan list of priests with credible allegations of abuse of minors released on December 5, 2013. He was permanently removed from ministry in 1992. He was last known to be living in Columbia Heights, Minnesota.

Charles E. Potocki

• Settled
  

Potocki was included among seventeen priests identified by the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis in 2014 as having substantiated claims of sexual abuse of minors against them. The claims involving Potocki were resolved through settlement.

Francis J. Reynolds

• Sued
  

Reynolds was named in a civil lawsuit filed in December 1993, alleging sexual abuse of a teenage girl over a period from 1972 through 1984. He died in 1988, prior to the filing of the suit.

Charles A. Rose

• Settled
  

Also known as Raimond Rose, he was accused of abusing a fourteen-year-old boy in early 1982. The claim was resolved in late 2004 through a settlement totaling $1.1 million.

Patrick Joseph Ryan

• Accused
  

Ryan was accused of sexually abusing a minor in 1961. An investigation did not find evidence sufficient to substantiate the accusation, and no further action was taken based on available records.

Noel Shaughnessy

• Sued
  

Shaughnessy was identified on February 11, 2015, as accused of the sexual abuse of a minor or minors in a notice of claim filed with the archdiocese and its insurers. The allegation proceeded through civil channels.

Marcene Schlosser

• Settled
  

A first-grade boy accused Schlosser of sexually abusing him two or three times per week during the 1978–1979 school year. The allegation was later resolved through settlement.

Urban Schmitt

• Accused
  

Schmitt admitted to sexually abusing a girl in 1969 and was sent to St. Luke’s Institute for evaluation. He took early retirement in 1994 but continued to work part-time in Nebraska for several years afterward.

Jonathan P. Shelley

• Accused
  

Records indicate that the archdiocese allegedly possessed images of child pornography retrieved from Shelley’s former laptop. He took a sabbatical from St. John the Baptist Parish in Hugo, Minnesota, on June 15, 2012, and later returned to limited ministry as a prison chaplain in January 2018.

Richard Francis Skluzacek

• Accused
  

Skluzacek was listed on the archdiocesan roster of priests with credible allegations of abuse of minors released on December 5, 2013. He retired in 1998 and was permanently removed from ministry in 2005. He was accused of fondling a sixteen-year-old boy in 1975 and died on February 25, 2012.

Matthew Stafki

• Guilty plea
  

Stafki, a priest of the Society of St. Pius X, was on sabbatical when he was criminally charged with sexually assaulting a girl between the ages of nine and eleven from January 2019 through May 2022. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to ninety months in prison.

James P. Stark

• Accused
  

Stark was permanently removed from ministry in 1986. He died in 1999. His name was later identified by an independent review group during examination of archdiocesan personnel files.

Michael John Stevens

• Convicted
  

Stevens pleaded guilty in 1987 to sexual misconduct with a minor and was sentenced to five years probation, fined, and ordered to undergo treatment in New Mexico. In 2002, Archbishop Flynn acknowledged that Stevens had been working on the archdiocese’s computer services team after his conviction.

Thomas S. Stitts

• Settled
  

Two men filed lawsuits alleging that Stitts molested them in the late 1960s and early 1970s at two separate churches. Four men later filed suit asserting that the archdiocese knew of Stitts’ history before or during the time the abuse occurred. The claims were resolved through settlement.

Emil Twardochleb

• Sued
  

Originally from Romania, Twardochleb was publicly named on February 11, 2015, by both Attorney Jeff Anderson and the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis among clergy with claims of sexual abuse of minors filed against them.

James A. Vedro

• Accused
  

Vedro served in assignments across Nebraska, Minnesota, Indiana, and Michigan. He was removed from ministry in 1991 for misconduct involving adults and left his religious order in 2008. His name was included on the St. Paul and Minneapolis archdiocesan lists released in 2014 and 2015.

Raymond Frederick Walter

• Accused
  

Walter was a religious order priest who served within the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. Credible allegations of sexual abuse of minors were later raised in connection with his ministry. As a result of those allegations, he was permanently removed from ministry in 2003 and did not return to any clerical assignment thereafter.

Joseph Wajda

• Settled
  

Wajda was accused of sexually abusing at least two boys, including one who had sought counseling from him. He was placed on leave following the June 2002 Bishops’ Conference in Dallas. After review and civil proceedings, he was permanently removed from ministry in 2003, and the claims against him were resolved through settlement.

Harold E. Whittet

• Accused
  

Whittet was identified in an internal August 2002 memorandum to Archbishop Flynn as one of seventeen priests with known abuse histories. Despite this inclusion, his name was omitted from the public list of accused clergy released by the archdiocese in December 2013. The allegations concerned misconduct with minors during his period of ministry.

Mark H. Wehmann

• Reinstated
  

Wehmann was removed from St. Boniface Parish in Minneapolis in December 2013 after a personnel file review referenced several inappropriate incidents involving minors. He underwent professional counseling and spiritual direction during the review process. After evaluation, he was reinstated to ministry under conditions determined by the archdiocese.

Curtis Carl Wehmeyer

• Convicted
  

Wehmeyer was arrested and convicted of sexual assault involving minors. He was sentenced to five years in prison and removed from parish ministry after two years. Following disclosure of his abuse of three minors, three brothers filed a civil lawsuit against the Vatican, alleging institutional responsibility related to his clerical assignment.

Anthony Joseph Wilhelm

• Accused
  

Wilhelm, a member of the Paulist order, was publicly named as accused in 2019. The allegation involved sexual abuse occurring in 1964 during his period of ministry. His name was released as part of the order’s disclosure of clergy with substantiated or credible claims of abuse of minors.

Vincent Worzalla

• Accused
  

Worzalla, a monsignor, served at Holy Cross in Minneapolis from 1915 to 1951 and at Holy Trinity in St. Paul from 1951 until his death in 1962. Decades later, his name was included on the archdiocese’s November 3, 2017 list of clergy with substantiated claims of sexual abuse.

Francis Zachman

• Accused
  

Zachman’s name was first released on May 22, 2014, on a revised list of accused priests and brothers. He worked in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis from 1973 to 1982. He was accused of sexually abusing a minor female during his period of assignment.

Diocese of Crookston MN

James Bernauer

• Accused
  

Bernauer was named publicly by the Diocese of Crookston as credibly accused of sexual abuse of a minor or minors. He was also sued by a woman in 1991 in connection with allegations of abuse.

Robert Bester

• Accused
  

Bester was named publicly as credibly accused of sexual abuse of a minor by the Diocese of Duluth, with disclosure occurring sometime after September 21, 2017. He was laicized on December 15, 2006, and died on January 2, 2019.

Stanley C. Bourassa

• Accused
  

Bourassa was included on the Diocese of Crookston’s list of accused clergy released on January 24, 2014. Prior to that disclosure, he was not publicly known to be accused. The diocese did not provide details regarding the nature or timing of the allegations.

Richard Boyd

• Convicted
  

In 1984, Boyd was convicted of possessing a large quantity of child sexual abuse materials, including magazines, photographs, and albums depicting teenage boys under the age of 18. He completed a two-year probation sentence and underwent six months of treatment at a Catholic facility in Massachusetts.

Victor Cardin

• Accused
  

Cardin was named publicly as credibly accused of abuse of a minor by the Diocese of Crookston on a list released after September 21, 2017. He served as pastor of St. Peter Parish in Gentilly from 1960 to 1983, retired in 1983, and died on November 10, 1992.

Henry G. Carriere

• Convicted
  

Carriere pleaded guilty in December 1991 to three counts of child sexual abuse. He had retired from ministry in July 1990 and died in November 2003.

Lawrence Davis

• Accused
  

Davis was named publicly as credibly accused of abuse of a minor by the Diocese of Crookston after September 21, 2017. A priest of the Diocese of Saginaw, he served in East Grand Forks in 1952 and in Argyle from 1952 to 1953. He died on November 15, 1979.

Gerald K. Foley

• Accused
  

Foley admitted to sexual misconduct during the 1970s and early 1980s involving women in his pastoral care. He was laicized on September 22, 2006. During the 1960s and 1970s, he served as Director of the Catholic Social Services Association in Crookston. He was transferred to the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis in 1985 and later served as a hospital chaplain until about 2004.

Charles J. Gormly

• Sued
  

Originally from Ireland and ordained for the Diocese of Cheyenne, Wyoming, Gormly left Wyoming in the mid-1940s. He later served in parishes in the Diocese of Duluth from 1960 to 1961. He was accused of sexual misconduct with a child in the early 1960s, removed from ministry, and sent to a psychiatric hospital in Milwaukee.

Roger Grundhaus

• Settled
  

Grundhaus was accused of abusing a 16-year-old boy in 1971. When the victim later disclosed the abuse while seeking formation as a deacon, Bishop Hoeppner required him to sign a letter retracting the allegation. The matter later resulted in a settlement, and Bishop Hoeppner was forced to resign under the Vatican’s Vos Estis process.

Joseph Palanivel Jeyapaul

• Convicted
  

Jeyapaul, a priest from India, sexually abused girls in his care. He was arrested, extradited to the United States, and pleaded guilty to one count of sexual assault. He was sentenced to one year in prison.

Aaron Kaiser

• Accused
  

Kaiser, a deacon, was assigned to St. Joseph’s Parish in Bagley and later named a pastoral associate for the diocesan Formation in Discipleship Office in October 2019. He was placed on leave in June 2021 following allegations of child sexual abuse.

Stephen Murawski

• Accused
  

Murawski, a priest of the Diocese of Pueblo, was named publicly as credibly accused by the Diocese of Crookston after September 21, 2017. The allegations involved abuse that occurred outside the Crookston diocese.

Michael O’Reilly

• Accused
  

O’Reilly was named publicly as credibly accused of abuse of a minor by the Diocese of Crookston on a list released after September 21, 2017. The diocese noted that the credible claims involved abuse that occurred outside its jurisdiction.

Casimir Plakut

• Accused
  

Plakut, also known as Fr. Francis J. Michael Plakut, was added in 2017 to St. John’s Abbey’s list of individuals likely to have offended against minors. He died in 1988.

James Rellihan

• Accused
  

Rellihan was named publicly as credibly accused of abuse of a minor by the Diocese of Crookston after September 21, 2017. He worked in the diocese from 1986 to 1992.

Francis R. Reid

• Accused
  

Reid was included on the Diocese of Crookston’s list of accused clergy released on January 24, 2014. He had not previously been publicly identified as accused, and the diocese did not release details regarding the allegations.

Joseph D. Richards

• Accused
  

Richards was included on a Diocese of Crookston list released after September 21, 2017, identifying individuals accused of sexual abuse of minors. No additional details were provided by the diocese.

Augustine John Strub

• Accused
  

Strub was a monk whose name was added to St. John’s Abbey’s list of those most likely to have offended against minors. He died in 1961.

Patrick A. Sullivan

• Reinstated
  

Sullivan was placed on leave in April 2016 following an allegation of abuse. In December 2017, the Diocese of Crookston determined the allegation was not credible and reinstated him. He was placed on leave again in February 2019 due to alleged boundary issues.

Diocese of Duluth MN

Roland Joseph Antus

• Accused
  

Antus was removed from ministry by the Diocese of Duluth after credible accusations of sexual abuse were received. His priestly faculties were revoked following the determination, and he was barred from ministerial service within the diocese. No further details regarding dates, locations, or specific assignments were released publicly.

Kirby Blanchard

• Accused
  

Blanchard was included on a list released by the Diocese of Duluth identifying 17 clergy credibly accused of sexual abuse of young persons. He served for approximately 40 years in parish and hospital assignments within the diocese before the allegations were disclosed publicly.

Louis Brouillard

• Sued
  

Brouillard, an extern priest from the Diocese of Agana in Guam, sexually abused multiple boys while serving as a priest and Boy Scout leader in Guam. He was later included on the Diocese of Duluth’s list of credibly accused clergy released on December 31, 2013. He died on October 10, 2018, and was deposed at age 96.

Victor Lucien Chateauvert

• Convicted
  

Chateauvert was accused of molesting two boys over a three-year period while assigned to a parish near Bull Dog Lake. He was removed from ministry, returned to his religious order, and convicted in criminal proceedings. He received a six-month jail sentence for the offenses.

Leonard Colston

• Accused
  

Colston was named on the Diocese of Duluth’s December 31, 2013 list of 17 clergy who had been credibly accused of sexually abusing young persons. The diocese did not release further information regarding the nature or timing of the allegations.

Raymond Cossette

• Accused
  

Cossette was publicly identified as credibly accused on the Diocese of Duluth’s list released December 31, 2013. He worked in high schools and served as the diocesan Superintendent of Schools. He retired on January 1, 1995, and died in Brainerd, Minnesota, on June 25, 2016.

Frederick Fox

• Accused
  

Fox was removed from ministry in 1988 after being credibly accused of sexually abusing young persons while serving in the Diocese of Duluth. The diocese later included his name on its public list of accused clergy. No additional details were released.

John Golobich

• Accused
  

Golobich was included on the Diocese of Duluth’s list of 17 clergy credibly accused of sexual abuse of young persons. He retired from ministry in 1993. The diocese did not disclose specific information about the allegations.

Ralph Goniea

• Accused
  

Goniea was named on the Diocese of Duluth’s December 31, 2013 list of clergy credibly accused of sexual abuse of young persons. He died in 2003. No further information about assignments or allegations was publicly provided.

William C. Graham

• Reinstated
  

Graham, pastor of St. Michael’s in Duluth, was accused of sexually abusing a boy aged 15 to 16 during 1977 to 1978. He denied the allegation and sued his accuser, who was ordered to pay damages for interfering with his ministry. In March 2024, his name was removed from the diocesan list and he was reinstated.

Cornelius Kelleher

• Accused
  

Kelleher, a retired priest from Ireland, was accused of sexually abusing a minor female while serving as pastor of St. Joseph Church in Chisholm, Minnesota. His name was publicly associated with the allegation by the Diocese of Duluth.

Robert William Klein

• Convicted
  

Klein was arrested in 1987 and charged with four counts of criminal sexual misconduct involving minors. He was found guilty after pleading not guilty and was named in at least four civil lawsuits. He died in 2000 and was later included on the Diocese of Duluth’s list of accused priests.

Brian M. Lederer

• Indicted
  

Lederer was arrested in 2015 on suspicion of sexual misconduct with a minor and later charged with criminal sexual conduct involving a fourth minor. He was acquitted of the charges but was laicized in 2020 following church proceedings.

Thomas Gregory Manning

• Accused
  

Manning was named on a list released by the Diocese of Chicago identifying 17 clergy credibly accused of sexual abuse of young persons. He also had ties to the Diocese of Duluth. No additional public details were provided.

Mark J. Makowski

• Guilty plea
  

Makowski pleaded guilty to fourth-degree sexual misconduct after a 16-year-old boy was molested in a parish rectory in 1995 following the provision of alcohol. He was sentenced to six months in jail and seven years of probation.

John Nicholson

• Settled
  

Nicholson was accused by a man who reported being abused as a boy, resulting in a settlement in 1995. A second man filed suit against the diocese in 2003, which was settled in 2006 for $250,000. Nicholson’s name was associated with substantiated claims.

Robert Reitmeier

• Accused
  

Reitmeier was publicly named as credibly accused by the Oblates of Mary Immaculate in July 2015. He was laicized in 2007 and later added to the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis list of accused clergy in September 2018.

Dennis Puhl

• Convicted
  

Puhl was convicted of fourth-degree sexual assault of a 15-year-old boy. He had received treatment in 1977 for sexual problems prior to the abuse and resigned from ministry in 1986 following the conviction.

Thomas Stack

• Accused
  

Stack was included on the Diocese of Duluth’s list of 17 clergy accused of sexual abuse of young persons. He died in 1987. A man’s sister later stated that Stack sexually abused her brother when he served as an altar boy.

Joseph Thibaudeau

• Accused
  

Thibaudeau was named on the Diocese of Duluth’s December 31, 2013 list of clergy credibly accused of sexual abuse of young persons. He was assigned to St. Jean’s Parish in Duluth during his service.

Stephen F. Toporowicz

• Accused
  

Toporowicz was included on the Diocese of Duluth’s list of 17 clergy members credibly accused of sexual abuse of young persons while serving in the diocese. No further details were released publicly.

Angelo Zankl

• Accused
  

Zankl was named on the Diocese of Duluth’s December 31, 2013 list of clergy credibly accused of sexual abuse of young persons. The diocese did not provide additional information regarding assignments or allegations.

Diocese of New Ulm MN

Cletus Altermatt

• Accused
  

Altermatt was included on the Diocese of New Ulm’s list of priests credibly accused of child sexual abuse. He was suspended from ministry in 1952. He died in 1978. No additional details regarding assignments or specific allegations were released publicly.

Edward Ardolf

• Sued
  

Ardolf was accused of sexually abusing a boy between the ages of 7 and 10 while assigned to St. Raphael’s Parish in Springfield, Minnesota, during the period from 1978 to 1980. The allegations were raised through civil litigation.

Joseph J. Balent

• Sued
  

Balent was named publicly as credibly accused by the Diocese of New Ulm in June 2021. He died on May 24, 1986. The diocese did not release further details regarding the nature or timing of the allegations.

Dennis E. Becker

• Accused
  

Becker’s name was released publicly for the first time by the Diocese of New Ulm in March 2015. He was accused of child sexual abuse occurring decades earlier. Becker retired from active ministry in 2000.

Gordon Buckley

• Accused
  

Buckley was named publicly by the Diocese of New Ulm in February 2016 as having credible accusations of sexual abuse made against him. No further public details regarding assignments or allegations were provided.

Robert Clark

• Accused
  

Clark was among 17 accused priests named on a list released by the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. He was ordained for the Diocese of New Ulm and later served as a religion teacher at St. Agnes High School in St. Paul.

John G. Cooney

• Sued
  

Cooney was accused in at least one civil lawsuit and was later named publicly as credibly accused by the Diocese of New Ulm. The diocese did not provide additional information regarding the allegations.

James Devorak

• Reinstated
  

Devorak retired in July 2015. In August 2017, Bishop Levoir announced an allegation involving a single incident of sexual abuse, and Devorak was removed from public ministry pending investigation. After review, he was reinstated on October 20, 2017.

John L. Gleason

• Accused
  

Gleason was ordained for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and later incardinated into the Diocese of New Ulm. He was accused of sexually abusing a 9- to 10-year-old girl while assigned to St. Michael’s Parish in Morgan, Minnesota.

Richard Gross

• Sued
  

Gross was accused of sexually abusing a boy between the ages of 12 and 13 while assigned to St. Mary’s Parish in New Ulm during 1965 to 1966. He was removed from active ministry and later returned to limited ministry in 2003.

Michael Guetter

• Accused
  

Guetter was accused of improper conduct involving minors. Authorities found insufficient evidence to support criminal charges. Guetter filed civil actions seeking to identify the source of the allegations.

Germain Kunz

• Accused
  

Known as Jerry Kunz, he served as a priest in the Diocese of New Ulm from 1957 to 1968. He was laicized in 1971 and died in 2016. His name was associated with allegations of abuse.

Francis Xavier Markey

• Charged
  

Markey was arrested at age 81 in South Bend, Indiana, on a warrant from Ireland related to the sexual abuse of a 15-year-old boy. He had been suspended from ministry multiple times and underwent treatment on several occasions, including at Paraclete facilities in New Mexico in 1981. He died in September 2012 while awaiting trial.

William Joseph Marks

• Sued
  

Marks was named in a civil lawsuit filed by four men who alleged sexual abuse in the late 1950s and early 1960s while he was assigned to St. John’s Parish in Hector, Minnesota.

John M. Murphy

• Accused
  

Murphy’s name was added to the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis list of priests with substantiated claims of sexual abuse of a minor on November 3, 2017. He had been ordained for the Diocese of New Ulm.

David A. Roney

• Settled
  

Roney was ordained for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and incardinated into the Diocese of New Ulm at its formation in 1957. He was sued by two women who alleged abuse during childhood. He was removed from active retirement in 2002 and died in January 2003 in Guatemala at age 82.

Douglas L. Schleisman

• Sued
  

Schleisman brought a civil lawsuit alleging abuse by a priest. The accused priest was laicized in 1994. Schleisman’s case contributed to the public record of abuse within the diocese.

Michael G. Skoblik

• Sued
  

Skoblik was ordained for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and incardinated into the Diocese of New Ulm in 1957. He served as pastor of St. Joseph’s Parish in Silver Lake from 1965 to 1988. He died in 1989.

Charles Stark

• Sued
  

Stark was accused of sexually abusing an 11-year-old boy in 1969 while assigned to St. John’s Parish in Darwin, Minnesota. He was named as credibly accused, and an additional lawsuit was anticipated involving abuse at another parish.

Bernard Steiner

• Sued
  

Steiner was accused of sexually abusing a boy between the ages of 9 and 10 during 1971 to 1972 while assigned to St. Paul Parish in Comfrey, Minnesota. The allegations were raised in civil litigation.

Sam Wagner

• Accused
  

Wagner was investigated by New Ulm police in January 2017 following allegations of inappropriate conduct. Authorities stated they were unable to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. Wagner was placed on leave pending the outcome of a diocesan Review Board investigation.

Diocese of Saint Cloud MN

Thomas Andert

• Reinstated
  

Andert was investigated for an improper sexual relationship with a minor student at St. John’s Preparatory School. Later review determined the investigation was inadequate and that an inappropriate sexual relationship did occur. The former student died by suicide in December 2014. Andert was returned to ministry following the initial handling of the allegation.

Timothy Backous

• Accused
  

Backous served as headmaster of St. John’s Preparatory School from 2006 to 2013. He was named in two lawsuits alleging abuse, one involving a student age 16 at St. John’s Prep and another involving abuse at ages 12 to 13 during a choir trip to Europe in 1990. The Abbey stated the allegations were without merit.

Andre Bennett

• Settled
  

At least two students accused Bennett of abuse while he was associated with St. John’s Abbey. He later received treatment for prescription drug abuse and lived at the Abbey under restrictions until his death. His case was resolved through settlement.

Michael Bik

• Sued
  

Allegations raised in 1997 accused Bik of inappropriate sexual conduct with two teenagers during the 1970s, prior to his ordination. A later lawsuit filed in 2016 alleged abuse of a boy age 15 or 16. The claims were pursued through civil litigation.

Robert Blumeyer

• Accused
  

Blumeyer was accused of molesting a teenage boy many years before the allegation became public. His name appeared on multiple lists of monks identified as likely to have offended against minors.

Michael L. Brennan

• Accused
  

Brennan was named among 33 clergy released by the Diocese of St. Cloud as likely involved in the sexual abuse of minors. No additional public details regarding assignments or allegations were disclosed.

Lawrence S. Brey

• Sued
  

Brey was accused of sexually abusing a girl during the 1970s and 1980s at Holy Innocents Catholic School in Waite Park, Minnesota. He was listed in the 1988 Official Catholic Directory as serving outside the Diocese of St. Cloud at the time.

Paschal James Brisson

• Settled
  

Brisson was one of ten individuals included in a settlement reached by St. John’s Abbey of Collegeville. His name was among 17 accused priests identified in a letter sent to the St. John’s community as part of the resolution.

Anthony Michael Canu

• Accused
  

Canu was included on the list of 33 clergy released by the Diocese of St. Cloud on January 3, 2014, identifying individuals involved in likely claims of sexual abuse of minors.

Matthew P. Chernick

• Accused
  

Chernick was named publicly as accused by the Crosier Order on December 6, 2023. He had taken a leave of absence from 1967 to 1969, was dispensed from the priesthood on January 4, 1969, and died on June 20, 2014. The allegation was received after his death.

John Lloyd Caskey

• Convicted
  

Caskey admitted to writing inappropriate letters to an 18-year-old male and was later arrested for possession of child pornography. He was sentenced to one month in prison and five years of probation.

Isaac Connolly

• Sued
  

Connolly, a former dean of students at St. John’s University, took a leave of absence from St. John’s Abbey after being accused of sexual misconduct occurring more than ten years earlier. The matter proceeded through civil litigation.

Cosmas Dahlheimer

• Settled
  

Dahlheimer received treatment for psychological issues in the 1960s and was later accused of abusing as many as four youths. He lived under restrictions at St. John’s Abbey until his death on February 21, 2004, at age 95.

Cornelius DeVenster

• Accused
  

DeVenster, originally from the Netherlands, was accused of abusing minors in multiple states. The allegations became public after his death.

Harold Joseph Dimmerling

• Accused
  

Dimmerling, a priest of the Diocese of St. Cloud, was accused of sexually abusing a minor. The bishop determined the allegation to be credible, though no criminal disposition was noted.

John Eidenschink

• Accused
  

Eidenschink, a former Abbot, was living under restrictions at St. John’s Abbey in 2002 after admitting to sexually abusing two monks.

Richard Eckroth

• Settled
  

Allegations involving abuse of boys and girls were made public in 2002. Two victims filed a lawsuit in 1993, and Eckroth was later named in additional lawsuits filed in 2014 against the Diocese of St. Cloud, his order, and St. John’s Abbey.

Neil J. Emon

• Accused
  

Emon worked in Nebraska, Michigan, and Minnesota before relocating to Phoenix in 2000. He was removed without privileges in 2002 after additional information emerged and was living under a safety plan in Phoenix as of 2014.

John W. Eccleston

• Convicted
  

Eccleston was included on the Diocese of St. Cloud list released January 3, 2014, and on the Washington, D.C. archdiocese list in October 2018. He was arrested and convicted in Minnesota in 1982 and was later involved in a settlement in the Diocese of Charleston.

Roman Fleischhacker

• Accused
  

Fleischhacker was named publicly as accused by the Crosier Order on December 6, 2023. The allegation was received after his death.

Francis Trenkenschuh

• Accused
  

Also known as Frank Trenkenschuh, he was named publicly as accused by the Crosier Order on December 6, 2023. He worked in Indiana, Colorado, and Indonesia, died on March 27, 1998, and the allegation was received posthumously.

Sylvester L. Gall

• Accused
  

Gall was among the 33 clergy members identified by the Diocese of St. Cloud as involved in incidents of likely claims of sexual abuse of minors.

William Nicholas Garding

• Convicted
  

A 20-year-old man accused Garding of sexually abusing him as a boy over a three-year period. Garding pleaded guilty and was sentenced to six months in jail with a ten-year stayed sentence.

Raoul Gauthier

• Arrested
  

Gauthier served as a hospital chaplain in the dioceses of Crookston and St. Cloud. He was charged with fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct in 1979, confessed, fled to Canada shortly afterward, and was never extradited.

Joseph Gleeson

• Accused
  

Also known as Dominic Gleeson, he was named publicly as accused by the Crosier Order on December 6, 2023. He professed vows in 1953, worked in Nebraska, Indiana, Minnesota, New York, and was dispensed from vows on July 25, 1965. The allegation was received after his death.

Thomas Gillespie

• Accused
  

Gillespie was named in a 2002 lawsuit alleging abuse of a boy at St. John’s Abbey during 1977 to 1978. He was also listed among 17 priests identified in a 2002 memo to Archbishop Flynn.

Stanislaus Goryczka

• Accused
  

Goryczka was included among the 33 clergy members named in a report identifying likely involvement in the sexual abuse of minors.

Paul A. Gopaul

• Settled
  

Gopaul worked in multiple states and served as a visiting professor at St. John’s Abbey in 1970. He was accused of drugging and raping a student. The student died by suicide in 1971. The matter was resolved through settlement.

Gabriel Guerrero

• Settled
  

Guerrero was accused of abusing two minors across several states, including Minnesota and Arizona. He was removed from public ministry in Arizona in 2002, later lived under restrictions, and died in 2023.

Eugene Hambrock

• Accused
  

Hambrock was a member of the Crosier Order (OSC) and was included on the Diocese of Saint Cloud’s list of individuals identified as having credible claims of sexual abuse of minors. He worked in Indiana, New York, Minnesota, and Nebraska during his ministry. Hambrock died on January 30, 1999. His name appears on the Crosiers’ updated list dated March 8, 2014, identifying current, former, and deceased members with one or more credible claims of sexual abuse of minors. The available records do not specify the location of his assignment at the time of the alleged abuse or when the allegations were received.

Arthur Hoppe

• Indicted
  

Public identification occurred in May 2022 when the Diocese of Saint Cloud included him on its list of clergy considered likely to have abused minors. The disclosure formed part of a broader diocesan release addressing historical abuse allegations. Hoppe had died before the announcement, passing away on September 26, 2019, at the age of 98. No clerical restrictions or legal proceedings followed due to his death.

Francis F. Hoefgen

• Acquitted
  

Allegations involved sexual abuse of a 16-year-old boy who lived with him as a foster son. In 1984, Hoefgen admitted sexual encounters to church authorities and was sent for treatment. After approximately six months, he was reassigned to a new parish. He remained in ministry for several years before being permanently removed from clerical duties in 2002.

Leo J. Hohmann (Othmar)

• Accused
  

During the 1960s, allegations arose that he sexually abused girls while serving as pastor of St. Joseph’s in St. Joseph, Minnesota. The Abbey overseeing his assignment took no disciplinary action at the time the abuse was alleged to have occurred. Hohmann continued in his clerical role until his death in 1980, with no recorded restrictions imposed during his lifetime.

Raymond Jacques

• Accused
  

He was publicly identified when the Diocese of Saint Cloud released a list naming 33 clergy associated with incidents involving likely claims of sexual abuse of minors. The disclosure was part of a diocesan acknowledgment of historical misconduct. No additional details regarding dates, locations, or assignments connected to the allegations were provided in the public release.

Thomas Johnson

• Accused
  

Public acknowledgment occurred on December 6, 2023, when the Crosier Order included him on its list of clergy accused of abuse. Johnson had died earlier, on February 10, 2018. The disclosure did not specify when or where the alleged abuse took place, and no clerical restrictions were imposed during his lifetime due to the posthumous nature of the allegation.

Dominic Joseph Keller

• Accused
  

He was listed as a monk who may have abused minors, with acknowledgment made by a sub-prior in 2011. The identification occurred within internal monastic disclosures addressing historical misconduct. No further details regarding assignments, dates, or locations of alleged abuse were provided in the acknowledgment.

James Kelly

• Accused
  

St. John’s Abbey publicly identified him as a monk considered likely to have offended against minors. He left the priesthood in 1973, ending his formal clerical role. The disclosure did not include specific allegations, dates, or locations connected to the alleged misconduct.

John Kelly

• Settled
  

A former student at St. John’s Preparatory School accused him of sexual abuse occurring over a three-year period. Following the allegation, Kelly took a leave of absence from the brotherhood. He was no longer a monk after the matter was resolved through settlement.

Lawrence Kerich

• Accused
  

Public identification occurred on December 6, 2023, when the Crosier Order included him on its list of accused clergy. Kerich had worked in Minnesota, Indiana, Illinois, and Florida. He died on April 5, 1989, and the allegation was received after his death. No information was released regarding when or where the alleged abuse occurred.

Valentine J. Klimek

• Accused
  

The Diocese of Saint Cloud identified him as accused of sexual abuse of minors and included his name in the Minnesota Attorney General’s Report. The disclosure formed part of a statewide review of clergy abuse allegations. No additional public details regarding assignments or dates were released.

Reginald M. Krakovsky

• Sued
  

A civil lawsuit filed in the mid-1990s alleged he sexually molested a minor between 1961 and 1964 while assigned to a parish in Little Falls, Minnesota. His clerical work included assignments in Oregon, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, and multiple overseas locations. The allegation entered the public record through litigation.

Joseph C. Kremer

• Accused
  

On January 3, 2014, the Diocese of Saint Cloud released a list naming 33 clergy accused of sexual abuse of minors, which included Kremer. The disclosure did not provide specific details regarding the timing, location, or circumstances of the alleged abuse.

Richard Kujawa

• Sued
  

He was accused of sexually abusing an altar boy over a period spanning 1954 to 1961. Kujawa retired from ministry in 1985. He died in 1991, with the allegation entering the public record through civil litigation after his retirement.

Kenneth LaPan

• Accused
  

A Franciscan friar and member of the T.O.R. community in Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania, he was accused of sexually molesting altar boys. Despite the allegations, he was allowed to remain in ministry in Pennsylvania. LaPan died in December 2019 while still associated with clerical life.

Joseph Lendacky

• Accused
  

His clerical work occurred primarily in Minnesota, with additional service in Nebraska. Lendacky died in 1989. The disclosure identifying him as accused did not include details regarding specific allegations, dates, or assignments connected to the misconduct.

Gregory Madigan

• Settled
  

He was accused of molesting at least six boys during the 1960s and 1970s. Parents confronted him in the mid-1970s, after which he agreed to seek treatment. In the 1980s, Madigan admitted to abusing a 14-year-old boy. The matter was later resolved through settlement.

Henry M. Lutgen

• Accused
  

On January 3, 2014, the Diocese of Saint Cloud released a list of 33 clergy accused of sexual abuse of minors that included Lutgen. He was already deceased at the time of the disclosure. No further details regarding his assignments or the allegations were publicly released.

Brennan Maiers

• Settled
  

In 1992, a civil lawsuit alleged he abused a child in 1966 when the victim was nine years old. Maiers admitted the abuse. In 1984, he had also been arrested for soliciting an undercover officer at an adult movie theater. The abuse claim was resolved through settlement.

Antonio F. Marfori

• Sued
  

He was accused of engaging in unpermitted sexual contact with a boy approximately 15 years old in 1978 while working at Cathedral High School, where he served from 1978 to 1980. Following the allegation, the diocese removed his faculties and initiated an internal investigation.

Finian McDonald

• Settled
  

A teacher at St. John’s University who later served as dean of men and vice president for student affairs, he was accused of molesting more than 200 boys. McDonald died in 2012. His name appeared in a 2002 lawsuit identifying eight clergy members from the abbey accused of abuse.

Ron Melancon

• Accused
  

He professed first vows in 1972 and spent most of his clerical career at the Crosier Seminary in Onamia. Melancon was dispensed from his vows in 1989, formally ending his religious affiliation. The disclosure did not specify the nature or timing of the alleged abuse.

James A. Mohm

• Accused
  

Originally a German soldier, he later became a United States citizen and served in clerical assignments in Pierz, Brushvale, Maine, and Osakis. He was publicly identified as accused, with no further details released regarding dates, locations, or circumstances of the alleged abuse.

Dunstan Moorse

• Settled
  

Two civil lawsuits alleged he abused two boys while teaching at St. John’s Preparatory School in Collegeville in 1984. Church leadership was aware of the allegations that same year but did not intervene. The claims were later resolved through settlement.

Doug Mullin

• Sued
  

He was accused of sexually abusing a 15-year-old boy in 1993. Following the allegation, Mullin went on leave from public ministry. He remained employed as a vice president at St. John’s University despite the pending civil litigation.

Richard N. Ohlemacher

• Accused
  

He taught at Our Lady of the Lake Seminary and Crosier Seminary and assisted at local churches after retirement. In 2002, he was removed from ministry following allegations of sexual abuse. No additional details regarding assignments or dates were publicly released.

Michael Paquet

• Accused
  

Removed from ministry on November 18, 2002, he was later dismissed from his religious order on September 16, 2005. Paquet appeared on the March 8, 2014, updated list of Crosiers identified with one or more credible claims of sexual abuse of minors.

Kenneth M. Opat

• Sued
  

He served in multiple roles at Crosier Seminary, including faculty member, registrar, vice-rector, counselor, facilities director, and provincial treasurer. Opat also founded the Central Minnesota Teens Encounter Christ program. Allegations against him entered the public record through civil litigation.

James Phillips

• Accused
  

He professed vows as a Benedictine brother in 1970. In 2002, St. John’s Abbey placed him on restriction following allegations of abuse involving two youths. Despite the restrictions, he continued to associate freely with a woman whose family included an autistic grandson.

Gregory H. Poser

• Unsubstantiated
  

In May 2016, he was suspended from ministry following a report of sexual abuse. The Crosier Order’s Review Board later determined there was insufficient evidence to substantiate misconduct. No further disciplinary action was imposed following the board’s finding.

Jerome Reisinger

• Sued
  

He was publicly named by the Diocese of Saint Cloud on February 23, 2021, as having been involved in abuse-related litigation. Reisinger had died in 1994. The disclosure noted that lawsuits existed but did not make a determination regarding the credibility of the allegations.

Jerome Plourde

• Accused
  

Public identification occurred on December 6, 2023, when the Crosier Order included him on its list of clergy accused of sexual abuse of minors. The disclosure was made as part of a broader release addressing historical misconduct within the Order. Plourde had died decades earlier, on October 23, 1984. No clerical restrictions or legal proceedings followed due to the posthumous nature of the allegation.

Donald W. Rieder

• Convicted
  

During the 1980s and 1990s, he molested three girls in the 1980s and one additional girl in the 1990s. Rieder admitted to the abuse and was convicted in the later case, receiving a one-year jail sentence. A related civil lawsuit was resolved through a settlement totaling $500,000, concluding the legal proceedings connected to the allegations.

Anthony Salzbrunn

• Accused
  

He was publicly named on December 6, 2023, when the Crosier Order released a list of accused clergy. Salzbrunn had served in assignments across Indiana, Minnesota, and North Dakota. He died on May 11, 1999. The allegation was received after his death, and no information was provided regarding the timing or location of the alleged abuse.

Anton Schik

• Accused
  

His clerical service included teaching roles at Crosier Seminary and Monastery in Onamia, Minnesota, and at Wawasee Preparatory School in Syracuse, Indiana. Allegations of sexual abuse surfaced after his death. Schik was deceased at the time the claim was made, and no disciplinary action occurred during his lifetime.

David Sheldon

• Accused
  

Public acknowledgment occurred in February 2021 when the Diocese of Saint Cloud released a list identifying clergy accused of sexual abuse of minors. Sheldon’s name appeared as part of that disclosure. The announcement did not include specific details regarding dates, locations, or assignments associated with the alleged misconduct.

Paul Shurek

• Sued
  

Ordained for the Society of the Divine Word in 1920, he served in parishes in Pierz, St. Anna, Morrill, Harding, and Elmdale. Shurek died in 1963. Allegations against him entered the public record through civil litigation many years after his clerical service had ended.

Peter D. Snyers

• Accused
  

On January 3, 2014, the Diocese of Saint Cloud released a list naming 33 clergy accused of sexual abuse of minors, including Snyers. His assignments included multiple roles within the diocese, among them serving as a Boy Scouts chaplain. He retired on July 2, 2001, and died on January 19, 2012.

Robert A. Smith

• Accused
  

He was included among 33 clergy publicly identified by the Diocese of Saint Cloud as being involved in incidents involving likely claims of sexual abuse of minors. The disclosure occurred as part of a diocesan acknowledgment of historical allegations. No additional information regarding assignments, dates, or outcomes was released.

Allan P. Speiser

• Accused
  

His name appeared on the January 3, 2014, list released by the Diocese of Saint Cloud identifying 33 clergy accused of sexual abuse of minors. The public disclosure did not provide details regarding the timing, location, or nature of the alleged misconduct.

Aloysius Steines

• Accused
  

He was publicly identified on December 6, 2023, when the Crosier Order released a list of accused clergy. Steines served in assignments in Indiana and Minnesota. He died on June 25, 1950, at the age of 38. The allegation was received after his death, and no further details were disclosed.

Mel Taylor

• Accused
  

A young man publicly confronted him during Mass, alleging that Taylor had pursued a sexual relationship with him over the prior year and a half. Following the confrontation, a pending new assignment was suspended. Taylor subsequently returned to Ireland, ending his service within the Diocese of Saint Cloud.

Allen Tarlton

• Settled
  

Allegations involved sexual abuse of a student connected to St. John’s Preparatory School and St. John’s Abbey. After an initial accusation, a second civil suit was filed in 1985, prompting his removal from clerical duties. The claims were later resolved through settlement.

James A. Thoennes

• Settled
  

In a deposition, he admitted to molesting at least four young people between the 1960s and 1980s. After 1993, Thoennes worked in the diocesan archives under supervision. He was later removed from the list of clergy in January 2009, following resolution of claims through settlement.

Roger Vaughn

• Sued
  

He was dismissed from the Crosier Order on September 27, 2001. Vaughn was later included on the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis list of credibly accused clergy released on December 5, 2013. A civil lawsuit naming him was filed in July 2015, placing the allegations into formal litigation.

Daniel J. Ward

• Indicted
  

By October 2012, complaints had been made by five men and two women regarding alleged misconduct dating back to the 1970s. One complainant was a minor at the time, while others were college students. The allegations led to formal indictment proceedings connected to the reported abuse.

Justin K. Weger

• Accused
  

His clerical work spanned Minnesota from 1953 to 1972, Indiana from 1973 to 1974, and later assignments in Phoenix and Tucson through 1976. Weger was removed from ministry without faculties in 1976. He later lived under restriction in a long-term senior care housing facility.

Michael Willard Weber

• Settled
  

A former seminary student and deacon, he participated in various public service and community activities until resigning from most roles in 2011. Multiple accusers later came forward alleging sexual abuse. The claims were resolved through settlement, concluding civil proceedings related to the allegations.

William J. Wey

• Accused
  

He was named on the January 3, 2014, list released by the Diocese of Saint Cloud identifying 33 clergy accused of sexual abuse of minors. His assignments included service in St. Cloud, Brooten, Sedan, Tinath, Dent, Dumont, and Collis. Wey died on July 18, 1988.

Joseph Bartholome Wiersgalla

• Sued
  

Public identification occurred in February 2021 when the Diocese of Saint Cloud named him as accused. Allegations against Wiersgalla entered the public record through civil litigation. No determination regarding the credibility of the claims was made in the disclosure.

Pirmin George Wendt

• Settled
  

He was one of ten individuals included in a settlement reached by St. John’s Abbey of Collegeville involving clergy considered likely to have abused minors. Wendt’s name was subsequently added to a list maintained by the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis identifying accused priests and religious brothers.

Bruce Wollmering

• Settled
  

His name was publicly released on July 29, 2006, in connection with two allegations of sexual misconduct occurring in the early 1980s. Additional civil suits were filed in December 2009. The claims were resolved through settlement in March 2011, and he was listed among monks likely to have offended against minors.

Adalbert Wolski

• Accused
  

On January 3, 2014, the Diocese of Saint Cloud publicly released a list naming 33 clergy with claims of sexual abuse of minors, which included Wolski. He had been assigned to hospital ministry during his clerical service. At a later point, he faced criminal charges related to child endangerment and conspiracy, placing his conduct into both ecclesiastical and legal scrutiny.

Vincent Arthur Yzermans

• Accused
  

Public disclosure occurred on January 3, 2014, when the Diocese of Saint Cloud released a list identifying 33 clergy involved in incidents described as likely claims of sexual abuse of minors. Yzermans was included among those named. The disclosure did not specify locations, dates, or assignments connected to the alleged abuse.

Francis J. Zilkoski

• Accused
  

On January 3, 2014, the Diocese of Saint Cloud released a list naming 33 clergy accused of sexual abuse of minors, including Zilkoski, whose surname also appeared under an alternate spelling. His assignments included Foreston, Flensburg, Little Falls, and Opole, and he later served as diocesan chancellor. Zilkoski died on May 19, 1978, prior to the public disclosure.

Diocese of Winona-Rochester MN

Thomas Adamson

• Settled
  

Abuse occurred in Winona prior to his transfer in 1975 to the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis. In October 2018, Adamson was named by four men in a civil lawsuit filed against the Vatican. Financial arrangements associated with the resolution included a monthly pension along with medical and dental coverage for the remainder of his life.

Sylvester F. Brown

• Accused
  

He was publicly identified when Bishop Quinn released a list of 13 priests with credible allegations of abuse involving minors. Brown was accused of misconduct dating back as early as 1985. The disclosure marked the formal acknowledgment of allegations associated with his clerical service.

Joseph C. Cashman

• Settled
  

Following a court order, Bishop Quinn released a list of 13 priests with credible allegations of abuse involving minors, which included Cashman. He was accused of sexually abusing a male student at Lourdes High School. The matter was resolved through settlement, and the allegations were included in the diocesan disclosure.

Louis G. Cook

• Accused
  

His name appeared on a list of 13 priests released by Bishop Quinn identifying clergy with credible allegations of abuse involving minors. The disclosure represented the first public notice that Cook had been accused of abuse. No additional public details regarding dates or assignments accompanied the release.

William D. Curtis

• Accused
  

Curtis was included on Bishop Quinn’s list of 13 priests with credible allegations of abuse involving minors. As part of the response to the allegations, he was sent to St. Luke Institute for treatment. The disclosure did not provide further details regarding the timing or location of the alleged misconduct.

Thomas E. Duane

• Accused
  

A woman reported that Duane sexually abused her during her childhood in the late 1940s. The complaint was made to Bishop Harrington. Duane’s name was later included on the diocese’s list of credibly accused priests released pursuant to a court order.

John Richard Feiten

• Accused
  

He was publicly named when Bishop Quinn released a list of 13 priests with credible allegations of abuse involving minors. Feiten was accused of misconduct occurring in 1969 and again in 2006. The disclosure consolidated multiple allegations spanning several decades.

Joseph C. Haley

• Accused
  

Public identification occurred on September 26, 2019, when the Diocese of Winona-Rochester released a list of accused clergy. Haley had gone on a leave of absence in July 1974 and did not return to ministry. He was formally laicized in March 2016.

Richard H. Hatch

• Accused
  

On December 16, 2013, Bishop Quinn released a list of 13 priests with credible allegations of abuse involving minors that included Hatch. He had previously been removed from ministry in 1963 for personal financial mismanagement and for disregarding directives issued by the bishop.

Eugene H. Hubert

• Sued
  

He was publicly accused in May 2019 of sexually abusing at least five boys between 1968 and 1971 while he was a seminarian and student at St. Mary’s College in Winona, Minnesota. After leaving Minnesota, Hubert worked for approximately 30 years as a janitor in Catholic and public schools in Albany, New York.

Ferdinand Lloyd Kaiser

• Convicted
  

On December 16, 2013, Bishop Quinn released a list of 13 priests with credible allegations of abuse involving minors that included Kaiser. The disclosure marked the first public acknowledgment that he had been accused of abuse. His inclusion followed criminal proceedings resulting in conviction.

Leo Charles Koppala

• Guilty plea
  

A priest of the Diocese of Nellore in India, he was accused of kissing and fondling an 11-year-old girl. Koppala entered a guilty plea and received a sentence of 25 years of probation. He was ordered deported to India and was later transferred to Indian authorities.

Jack L. Krough

• Accused
  

Following a court order, Bishop Quinn released a list of 13 priests with credible allegations of abuse involving minors that included Krough. The disclosure represented the first public notice that he had been accused of abuse during his clerical service.

Michael J. Kuisle

• Accused
  

He was included on a list of 13 priests released by Bishop Quinn identifying clergy with credible allegations of abuse involving minors. The disclosure was made pursuant to a court order and did not provide additional details regarding the alleged misconduct.

James W. Lennon

• Accused
  

Bishop Quinn released a list of 13 priests with credible allegations of abuse involving minors that included Lennon. He was later laicized after admitting to sexually abusing a 17-year-old girl. The admission resulted in permanent removal from clerical status.

Gerald A. Mahon

• Settled
  

Mahon was accused of improprieties involving two seminarians. The matters were resolved through out-of-court settlements in the early 1990s. The agreements were sealed, and no further public proceedings followed.

Joseph Mountain

• Sued
  

Monsignor Mountain was accused of child sexual abuse occurring between 1988 and 1995. At the time the allegations became public, he was no longer in ministry. Mountain died in 2019 while the claims were part of civil litigation.

Harold B. Mountain

• Accused
  

A man alleged that Mountain fondled him during childhood after forcing him to pull down his pants. The abuse reportedly occurred when the victim was in second or third grade. Mountain served as a priest in Medford and at Corpus Christi during his clerical career.

Leland J. Smith

• Accused
  

His name appeared on a list of 13 priests with credible allegations of abuse involving minors, marking the first public acknowledgment of accusations against him. Smith’s ministerial privileges were indefinitely suspended in 1994, ending his active clerical service.

Georgene Stuppy

• Settled
  

She was accused of sexually abusing a girl between the ages of 13 and 17 at a parish school. Stuppy denied the relationship. The matter was resolved through settlement. She later died at the age of 70.

Robert H. Taylor

• Accused
  

On December 16, 2013, Bishop Quinn released a list of 13 priests with credible allegations of abuse involving minors that included Taylor. He was suspended from ministry in February 1995. The disclosure formally acknowledged the allegations associated with his service.

Minnesota Priests Accused of Abuse

The Catholic Church is a large community where many people feel safe, but it has a troubling history with clergy abuse in Minnesota and other dioceses throughout the country. Abuse within the Roman Catholic Diocese often goes unreported due to abuse survivors being fearful of the backlash or not knowing how to file a report. Sometimes, child victims are scared to say anything about clergy members.

Additional instances of the Catholic church covering up child sexual abuse or clergy abuse in other states may make victims feel as though they won’t be heard. However, Minnesota has taken strides to help protect victims and prevent child sexual abuse, including abuse from the Catholic church. For example, the Minnesota Child Victims Act and mandated reporting make it safer for clergy abuse victims to come forward.

The importance of reporting child sexual abuse among clergy cannot be understated for abuse survivors. Injury Lawyer Team has dedicated itself to fighting for clergy abuse survivors’ rights and helping them find a sense of closure, even if it’s years after the abuse occurred.

List of Accused Priests in Catholic Dioceses in Minnesota

Understanding Clergy Abuse

Clergy abuse is sexual abuse by clergy members within the Catholic Church. It’s an inappropriate and illegal sexual conduct by religious leaders toward their congregation. Church officials have been known to abuse adults within the church, but the majority of clergy abuse is child sexual abuse.

The impact of child sexual abuse on the child victims and survivors is serious. It can cause emotional and psychological trauma that they’ll deal with for the rest of their lives. Many child sexual abuse survivors develop trust issues, such as no longer feeling safe in a Catholic church, trauma, PTSD, and lasting problems with their mental health.

That’s why reporting any criminal sexual conduct to the police and then filing a civil lawsuit is so important. It can’t erase clergy abuse, but it can be a step on the path to closure and healing because they’ll be held accountable, and it can stop the cycle of child sexual abuse.

Injury Lawyer Team is prepared to guide you along the way, focusing on the needs of many child sexual abuse survivors. We’ll help you file the lawsuit, gather evidence, and fight for the settlement you deserve in negotiations or at trial.

What Laws Govern Priest Abuse in Minnesota?

Minnesota provides several guidelines to ensure that abuse survivors get justice, such as the Minnesota Child Victims Act. These rules and regulations determine how long abuse survivors have to file a civil claim, what constitutes abuse, and more.

Civil Claims and the Minnesota Child Victims Act

Minnesota’s civil statute addressing claims for sexual abuse is codified at Minn. Stat. 541.073, commonly called the Minnesota Child Victims Act. It generally allows a civil action for sexual abuse of a person who was under 18 at the time of the abuse to be commenced at any time before the victim is 24.

Claims against institutional or supervisory defendants can be subject to different timing rules. The Minnesota Child Victims Act often sets the timeline for these cases as six years after the abuse survivors turn 24 if the abuse happened before the victim was 18.

The Minnesota Child Victims Act further states that if the alleged abuse happened to a person over the age of 18, the statute of limitations for a civil lawsuit is six years.

The timeline will also be suspended during periods of disability. Learning and keeping up with the statute of limitations and updated laws regarding a civil lawsuit against clergy members can be complex. It’s best to speak with one of our experienced attorneys to determine if you can still file a civil lawsuit.

Mandated Reporting

Minnesota law identifies several people as mandated reporters. The professionals are required to report suspected neglect, physical abuse, or sexual abuse immediately to local social services, police, or tribal agencies. It requires a mandatory investigation if there are accusations of sexual abuse. Mandated reporters include, but are not limited to:

• Law enforcement
• Anyone who practices medicine, including psychiatrists
• Educational workers
• Child care employees
• Clergy members or employees of the clergy

For example, a janitor at Cathedral High School may be considered a mandated reporter because an educational facility employs them. If a person suspects abuse, yet fails to report it, they are often considered liable for the child victim’s injuries in a civil lawsuit. They can also face criminal charges for failing to report.

Clergy Members and Privileged Communication

Although Minnesota recognizes clergy members as mandated reporters, there are certain situations in which clergy members are not permitted to disclose sexual abuse, such as during a confession.

Minnesota law recognizes confession as confidential communication. The law specifically states:

“A member of the clergy or other minister of any religion shall not, without the consent of the party making the confession, be allowed to disclose a confession made to the member of the clergy or other minister in a professional character, in the course of discipline enjoined by the rules or practice of the religious body to which the member of the clergy or other minister belongs; nor shall a member of the clergy or other minister of any religion be examined as to any communication made to the member of the clergy or other minister by any person seeking religious or spiritual advice, aid, or comfort or advice given thereon in the course of the member of the clergy’s or other minister’s professional character, without the consent of the person.”

So, clergy members can confess to sexual abuse during confession, but a priest cannot testify to this during a civil lawsuit. The clergy members who confessed will not face consequences, and the priest is not supposed to tell a soul, unless the person who admitted to the crime permits them to do so. This is one loophole that Minnesota dioceses try to use to avoid testifying in a civil lawsuit, but our experienced attorneys have experience dealing with situations like this.

Age of Consent

The age of consent is when a person can legally consent to sexual activities with another. This law can determine whether child victims can file a civil lawsuit against accused clergy members, and whether the crime was considered sexual abuse. Minnesota clearly defines the age of consent as 16.

It is also a crime to commit what would be considered sexual activity of any kind with an individual who is under 14, if the person is at least 14 but the other person is more than 36 months older than them, or if the person is a person of authority.

For example, a 14-year-old can have sex with a 15-year-old, and it’s legal. However, if a 14-year-old and a 20-year-old engage in consensual sexual activity, it can be considered abuse. Likewise, if a 17-year-old participates in consensual activities with a coach, teacher, priest, or person of authority, this can also be regarded as sexual abuse.

There are several provisions to these laws, and various things law enforcement will consider, such as whether coercion was used. The age of consent laws can determine whether child victims can file a civil lawsuit. Our attorneys will work with you to help you learn how the age of consent applies to your situation.

Legal Support for Child Sexual Abuse Survivors in Minnesota

Injury Lawyer Team understands what it takes to fight and win child sexual abuse cases. We pride ourselves on providing excellent legal and emotional support to many survivors and their families throughout the lawsuit. When you work with our clergy abuse lawyers, you’ll have our unwavering support as abuse survivors navigate the legal landscape.

Filing a Sexual Abuse Lawsuit Against Credibly Accused Clergy Members in Minnesota

Reporting sexual assault by clergy members isn’t easy to do. Reporting the clergy abuse to the police is only part of the process. When you want to explore your legal options and file civil or criminal charges against the church member who abused you, it’s best to know what the legal process will look like:

• Initial Attorney Consultation: Meet with an attorney with a proven track record in clergy abuse cases. They’ll hear your case and determine how to proceed with filing an official complaint.
• Evidence Gathering: Collect as much evidence as possible that can strengthen your clergy abuse case. This includes testimonies, witness statements, and any documentation of the abuse, if applicable.
• Filing the Complaint: Officially file a complaint against the involved party or parties. Our lawyers will file the clergy abuse complaint for you, so you don’t have to worry about it.
• Discovery Process: Both sides of the lawsuit will have the opportunity to exchange information and review any new evidence before negotiations begin.
• Settlement Negotiations or Trial: Settlement negotiations will start. Often, a settlement can be reached without going to trial. If it can’t, then the sexual assault case will go before a judge. We understand how challenging a trial can be for abuse survivors. Our compassionate attorneys will work with you through the process, helping protect child victims and addressing clergy members, so you can focus on healing.

Support Resources for Abuse Survivors in Minnesota

For those who have been abused by Catholic Bishops, Priests, or other clergy members from religious orders, such as Saint Paul, Holy Trinity, and the Diocese of Saint Cloud, or others, there are several great support resources that Minnesota offers.

Abuse survivors have access to crisis hotlines, specialized counseling services, and various support groups to help them process what happened. Child victims dealing with trauma years later can utilize the same resources that other abuse survivors use. Some organizations that provide support are:

• Cornerstone
• The Sexual Violence Center
• Minnesota Coalition Against Sexual Assault (MNCASA)

Notable Cases and Outcomes in Minnesota

Over the years, there have been several substantiated claims and credible accusations of clergy abuse within the Minnesota Diocese. Here’s a look at some of the most notable cases and their outcomes, as reported by the press :

• Holy Innocents Catholic School: The Sis holy family is accused of abusing a former student. In 2018, this student came forth to speak about the consistent abuse by the Sis family, who lived on the school’s property in the 1970s and 1980s. She is Jane Doe, 596 of the 596 people who were abused at the school. A judge dismissed four of the six claims from abuse survivors, and the case is set for a jury trial.
• St. Paul Minneapolis Archdiocese: Reverand Richard Thurner is a credibly accused clergy member whose abuse occurred while working at St. Joseph Catholic Church in St. Paul. Defendant Jane Doe sued the St. Paul Minneapolis Archdiocese for not keeping her and others safe from abuse by clergy members, even though they knew the priest had been admitted to inappropriately touching teenage boys in the 1960s and 1970s. Her case was settled for an undisclosed amount.
• St. John’s Abbey: St. John’s Abbey is one of the largest Benedictine monasteries in the country, and there are more than 15,000 pages of information about 18 priests accused of clergy abuse. The documents state that these 18 are “likely offenders” with abuse histories dating back to the 1960s. All 18 clergy members were permanently removed from ministry, and 8 of them are deceased.

The attorneys at Injury Lawyer Team have reviewed public and private settlement data related to Minnesota clergy abuse settlements. Depending on the circumstances regarding your civil claim, these cases can receive settlements between $400,000 and $950,000. In the case of extreme sexual misconduct from clergy members or if the case goes to a jury trial, it can be $1 million or more.

Why Choose Injury Lawyer Team

Injury Lawyer Team has the expertise and compassion to help clergy abuse survivors, especially under the Child Victims Act and against the Minnesota Diocese, bring their abusers to justice. Our sexual abuse lawyers have a track record of winning our cases and helping our clients receive fair settlements under the circumstances.

We’ll not only provide you with the best legal care but also guidance on how the process works, understanding that many abuse survivors and child victims need support to find closure.

Those who are survivors of clergy abuse in Minnesota need a legal team behind them through every step. Contact Injury Lawyer Team today by filling out the form on our website or by giving us a call for your free consultation and to hear more about how we’ll fight for the justice you’re seeking.

Phone: 866-757-6452

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.