Sexual Abuse Allegations Against Fr. George Clements

This page outlines the ministerial assignments, publicly reported allegations of child sexual abuse, and institutional actions involving Fr. George Clements, as part of the Injury Lawyer Team’s legal representation of survivors in Illinois clergy abuse cases.

• Primary Entity Name: George Harold Clements
• Common Variations / Aliases: Father George Clements, Fr. George Clements, Rev. George Clements
• Role/Title at Time of Incident: Parish Priest, Pastor of Holy Angels Catholic Church, Community and Youth Advocate
• Current Status: Deceased

Public Identification and Clergy Status

Fr. George Clements was publicly identified by the Archdiocese of Chicago in August 2019 after an allegation of child sexual abuse was reported to Church authorities. At that time, Cardinal Blase J. Cupich announced that Clements, a retired priest of the Archdiocese, had been asked to step aside from ministry while the allegation was reviewed.

According to the Archdiocese, the alleged misconduct occurred in approximately 1974 and was connected to Holy Angels Catholic Church on Chicago’s South Side, where Clements served as pastor. The allegation was referred to the Archdiocese’s Office for Child Abuse Investigations and Review and reported to the Chicago Police Department, the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, and the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office. The reporting individual was offered services through the Archdiocese’s Office of Assistance Ministry.

Fr. Clements denied the allegation. No criminal charges were filed, and no criminal conviction resulted.

In 2022, the Archdiocese of Chicago reached a civil settlement with an individual who accused Clements of sexual abuse. The Archdiocese stated that the settlement resolved a claim and did not constitute an admission of wrongdoing. Public reporting indicated the settlement was part of a broader agreement involving multiple clergy members.

Fr. Clements died in November 2019 while the review process was ongoing, and his case was not fully resolved through the Archdiocese’s Independent Review Board.

Entity that listed him: Archdiocese of Chicago

Reason for listing: Public disclosure of allegations of child sexual abuse and related internal review; temporary removal from ministry pending investigation; later reference in civil settlement reporting

Key Status Facts

• Ordination Year: 1957
• Years in Active Ministry: 1957–2006 (retired); remained a priest of the Archdiocese until he died in 2019
• Locations Where He Served: Archdiocese of Chicago (Illinois); Diocese of Nassau (Bahamas); Archdiocese of Washington, D.C.
• Restrictions / Monitoring: Asked to step aside from ministry in August 2019 pending investigation
• Removal / Reassignment: No reassignment announced; restriction occurred after retirement
• Laicization: Not applicable
• Died: November 25, 2019
• Public Disclosure / Listing Date: August 8, 2019

Assignment History

Primary Archdiocese: Archdiocese of Chicago

Parish and Ministry Assignments:

• St. Ambrose Parish – Chicago, IL (1957–1962), Associate Pastor
• St. Dorothy Parish – Chicago, IL (1962–1969), Associate Pastor
• Holy Angels Catholic Church – Chicago, IL (1969–1991), Pastor
• Diocese of Nassau – Bahamas (1991–1993)
• St. Sabina Parish – Chicago, IL (1993), Resident Priest
• Archdiocese of Washington, D.C. (1993–2006)
• Holy Angels Catholic Church – Chicago, IL (2006), Pastor Emeritus

These assignments establish the institutional context relevant to the publicly reported allegations, which were linked to Holy Angels Catholic Church in the 1970s.

Non-Church Assignments and Roles:

• Founder of the One Church–One Child adoption initiative
• Community activist and civil rights advocate
• Author, public speaker, and media commentator

Known Allegations

Fr. George Clements was the subject of more than one publicly reported allegation of sexual abuse of minors relating to conduct alleged to have occurred during the 1970s in connection with Holy Angels Catholic Church in Chicago.

The first publicly disclosed allegation was announced by the Archdiocese of Chicago in August 2019 and involved reported abuse occurring in or around 1974. The allegation was referred for internal review, and civil authorities were notified. Fr. Clements denied the allegation, and no criminal charges were filed.

Public reporting in 2022 indicated that at least one additional individual accused Clements of sexual abuse occurring over a multi-year period during childhood, reportedly between approximately 1974 and 1979. These claims were resolved through a civil settlement with the Archdiocese. The settlement agreement stated that it did not constitute an admission of wrongdoing.

According to media reports, the Archdiocese’s Independent Review Board did not complete a full evaluation of all allegations before Fr. Clements’ death. One allegation was reportedly found not credible, while another remained undetermined.

No criminal convictions resulted from the reported allegations.

Summary: Fr. George Clements was publicly identified following multiple allegations of sexual abuse of minors dating to the 1970s, reviewed internally by the Archdiocese of Chicago, and later addressed through a civil settlement without criminal convictions.

Overseeing Authority During Key Period: Cardinal John Patrick Cody – Archdiocese of Chicago

Associated Organizations:

• Holy Angels Catholic Church (Chicago, IL)
• Archdiocese of Chicago

Institutional Actions and Review

Church authorities were first notified of allegations involving Fr. George Clements in 2019, decades after the alleged misconduct. Cardinal Blase J. Cupich requested that Clements step aside from ministry while the matter was reviewed, and the Archdiocese reported the allegation to civil authorities. The Archdiocese also indicated that pastors throughout the Archdiocese were notified of the action.

There is no publicly documented evidence of restrictions or complaints involving Fr. Clements prior to 2019, and no records indicating that allegations were known or shared during earlier assignments.

After Clements’ death later in 2019, the Archdiocese stated that its Independent Review Board could not complete a full evaluation. As a result, Clements’ name was not added to the Archdiocese’s official list of clergy with substantiated allegations, a decision criticized by survivor advocates.

In 2022, the Archdiocese resolved claims involving Clements through a civil settlement reported to total $800,000, covering allegations against multiple clergy members. The Archdiocese reiterated that settlements do not constitute admissions of wrongdoing.

Fr. Clements has been referenced in public resources addressing accused clergy, including the Illinois accused clergy list.

Timeline

1957 — Ordained as a priest of the Archdiocese of Chicago

1957–1969 — Associate pastor at St. Ambrose and St. Dorothy parishes

1969–1991 — Pastor of Holy Angels Catholic Church, Chicago

1974–1979 (approx.) — Alleged sexual abuse of minors reportedly occurred

1991–1993 — Assigned to the Diocese of Nassau, Bahamas

1993–2006 — Served in the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C.

2006 — Retired from active ministry

August 2019 — Allegations reported; asked to step aside from ministry

November 25, 2019 — Fr. George Clements died

2022 — Civil settlement reached, resolving abuse claims

Speak With an Attorney

If you or someone you know was sexually abused by Fr. George Clements or any Catholic clergy member in Illinois, you may still have legal options. The Injury Lawyer Team represents survivors statewide and offers confidential guidance focused on accountability and survivors’ rights.
Contact our team to request a private consultation with an experienced Illinois clergy abuse attorney and learn more about your legal options.

Sources and Public Records

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

• The Archdiocese of Chicago’s official statement on Father George Clements (August 8, 2019), which announced that Fr. Clements was asked to step aside from ministry pending an investigation into an allegation of sexual abuse of a minor dating to the 1970s.
• The BishopAccountability.org profile for Fr. George H. Clements, which compiles publicly available records, assignment history, reporting timelines, and references to civil settlements related to allegations of sexual abuse.
• A BishopAccountability.org summary of reporting on legal efforts to add Fr. George Clements to the Archdiocese of Chicago’s list of accused clergy, detailing public statements by survivor advocates and attorneys following the 2022 civil settlement.

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.