Sexual Abuse Allegations Against Felix Bak

Father Felix Bak was a Catholic priest who served in multiple locations, including Michigan, California, Illinois, and Vatican City. He was accused of sexually abusing at least one victim during his assignments, but there is no record of institutional actions against him for his conduct. 

• Primary Entity Name: Felix Bak
• Common Variations / Aliases: Father Felix Bak, Fr. Felix, Fr. Bak, Felix Bak
• Role/Title at Time of Incident: Parish Priest
• Current Status: Deceased 2002

This page summarizes the history of abuse allegations against Father Felix Bak, his ministry assignments, and the institution’s response to his behavior.

Public Identification and Clergy Status

There are very few records of Felix Bak’s ministry career and sexual abuse allegations. Although he was assigned to ministry positions in multiple states, the following entities are the only organizations that have identified Bak publicly as a sexual abuser:

• The Archdiocese of Chicago, IL, on October 14, 2022
• The Attorney General’s office in Illinois, in a 2023 report on clergy abuse in the state

These entities named Bak due to substantiated claims of sexual abuse of minors during his ministry career. It is unclear when or where the claim of sexual abuse took place. 

Key Status Facts

Ordination Year: 1949 by the Order of Conventual Franciscans at St. Bonaventure Province (OFM)

Years in Active Ministry: Unknown, beginning in 1949

Locations Where He Served: Detroit, MI, Chicago, IL, California, and Vatican City

Restrictions: None

Criminal Convictions: None

Laicization: N/A

Public Disclosure: October 14, 2022, in the Archdiocese of Chicago

Assignment History

Primary Diocese: Archdiocese of Chicago

Parish Assignments (as documented in public reports):

1949 – Ordained by the Order of Conventual Franciscans

1952 – St. Hedwig in Detroit, MI

Unknown – St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City

Non-Church Assignments:

Unknown – St. Mary Minor Seminary in Crystal Lake, IL

Unknown – Bishop Montgomery High School in Torrance, CA

Known Allegations

There are very few details about the sexual abuse allegations against Father Felix Bak. In 2018, the Office of the Attorney General in Illinois began an investigation into clergy abuse in the state. This investigation lasted for years, during which state investigators spoke to many diocese officials, victims, bishops, and other entities to uncover numerous accused priests in the state. 

In 2023, the Attorney General’s report was made public. In this report, Father Felix Bak was mentioned due to substantiated claims of sexual abuse. The report indicates that there is one victim who suffered at the hands of Bak, though the date and location of the abuse are unknown. It is unclear whether the misconduct occurred in Michigan, California, or Illinois. 

Although Bak passed away in Michigan in 2002, he was publicly identified as a sexual abuser by the Archdiocese of Chicago. On October 14, 2022, the diocese released a public list of priests against whom substantiated sexual abuse allegations had been made. Felix Bak was included on this list. 

Summary: Father Felix Bak passed away in 2002 in seemingly good standing within the church, but reports from the Archdiocese of Chicago and the Attorney General’s office in Illinois indicate that there was at least one substantiated claim of sexual abuse of a minor that occurred during Bak’s ministry career. 

Overseeing Authorities During Key Periods: 

Allen James Babcock, Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Detroit from 1947-1954 (while Bak was at St. Hedwig)

Associated Organizations:

• St. Mary Minor Seminary in Crystal Lake, IL
• Bishop Montgomery High School in Torrance, CA

Institutional Actions and Review

The fact that there are no records of action against Felix Bak during his lifetime could indicate that the church was not aware of any sexual abuse allegations. The Illinois Attorney General’s report does not list a date for when diocesan records first reported sexual abuse allegations. 

Additionally, since little is known about the victim of the accused priest’s actions, it is difficult to conclude how the church responded during Bak’s ministry career. All that is known is that Bak had a long career of ministry and that he was never laicized or removed from his assignments. He was also added to the list of accused Illinois priests. 

Timeline

1949 – Ordained by the Order of Conventual Franciscans in Switzerland

1952 – Assigned to St. Hedwig, his home parish in Detroit, MI

2002 – Dies after living in a healthcare center for several years

2022 – Publicly identified as a priest with substantiated sexual abuse claims against them by the Archdiocese of Chicago

2023 – Included in the Office of the Attorney General’s report following a multi-year investigation of clergy abuse in Illinois

Speak With an Attorney

Sexual abuse by clergy members is a major concern, especially when churches fail to take action against credible accusations. If you have suffered from this type of sexual abuse, your emotional and physical health may be affected for the rest of your life. At the Injury Lawyer Team, we provide compassionate legal support for victims of this misconduct. Our attorneys will stand by your side throughout the civil claims process, helping you fight for justice and fair compensation. 

Although nothing can undo the harm you have suffered, a successful lawsuit can hold the at-fault parties, including priests and churches, accountable for the damage they caused. If you have been harmed by a clergy member, even if it occurred years ago, contact us today to schedule a free, confidential consultation with an Illinois clergy abuse lawyer. 

Sources

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

• Information about Father Felix Bak from the Attorney General’s 2023 report on clergy abuse in Illinois
• A profile of Felix Bak on the Office of the Attorney General’s website
• A record of Felix Bak’s memorial information on the Bishop Accountability website
• Bishop Accountability’s profile of Felix Bak
• A list of all bishops connected to the Archdiocese of Detroit

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.