Sexual Abuse Allegations Against James Allen Hoder

This page outlines the assignments, credible allegations of child sexual abuse, and institutional actions involving Fr. James Allen Hoder, as part of the Injury Lawyer Team’s legal representation of survivors in Illinois clergy abuse cases.

Primary Entity Name: James Allen Hoder
Common Variations / Aliases: Father James Hoder, Fr. James Hoder, Rev. James A. Hoder
Role/Title at Time of Incident: Parish Priest, Associate Pastor
Current Status: Laicized

Public Identification and Clergy Status

Fr. James Allen Hoder was publicly identified as a cleric accused of sexually abusing minors through multiple official and public facing disclosures, including:

The Illinois Attorney General’s Office
The Archdiocese of Chicago

The Illinois Attorney General’s published materials describe a pattern in which Archdiocesan leadership received warning signs and reports, issued limited directives, and continued to place Fr. Hoder in ministerial roles before ultimately removing him from ministry years later.

Entity that Listed Him: Illinois Attorney General, Archdiocese of Chicago
Reason for Listing: Allegations of sexual abuse of minors, substantiation through Archdiocesan processes, and later removal and laicization

Key Status Facts

Ordination Year: 1975
Reported Survivors: 3
Date, Location of Reported Abuse: 1975, unknown; 1976, Chicago, Illinois
Diocese Claim of First Report: 1992
Public List Placement Date: January 4, 2010, Archdiocese of Chicago
Actions, Status: limited ministry with restrictions and monitoring noted in 1985; resigned in 1997; laicized in 2009

Assignment History

Primary Archdiocese: Archdiocese of Chicago

Parish Assignments (as documented in public reports):

St. Ita Parish- Chicago, Illinois (1976 to 1980)
Assumption Parish- Chicago, Illinois (1980 to June 1, 1985)
St. David Parish- Chicago, Illinois (June 1, 1985 to August 1990)
St. Joseph Parish- Chicago, Illinois (approximately August 1991 to November 1991)

Non-Church Assignments:

Sabbatical, educational center setting (after concerns and warnings, then returned to parish assignment)
Hospital chaplaincy assignment, Chicago area (Archdiocese described moving him to a hospital role and not informing hospital administrators of his history)

Known Allegations

Illinois Attorney General narrative materials describe the Archdiocese learning in July 1985 that Fr. Hoder had sexually abused a child, followed by an internal response that emphasized warnings and instructions rather than immediate suspension.

The Attorney General’s published abuser list entry for James Hoder reports three survivors and identifies reported abuse as occurring in 1975 and 1976, with at least one location identified as Chicago, Illinois.

The Attorney General’s narrative further states that after the Archdiocese first learned of abuse, officials instructed Fr. Hoder to avoid unsupervised contact with youth, later issued additional warnings about his contacts with youth, and at one point ordered him to stop teaching high school classes, while continuing to place him in assignments.

Summary: Fr. James Allen Hoder was accused of sexually abusing minors, was ultimately removed from ministry, resigned, and was later laicized; reported abuse dates include the mid 1970s, and institutional actions continued into the 2000s, including Vatican processing of his case.

Overseeing Authorities During Key Periods:

Cardinal John Cody, Archdiocese of Chicago
Cardinal Joseph Bernardin, Archdiocese of Chicago
Cardinal Francis George, Archdiocese of Chicago

Institutional Actions and Review

Illinois Attorney General narrative materials describe July 1985 as a key point when the Archdiocese learned of abuse and responded with directives and warnings rather than immediate removal. This was years before he was placed on the list of abusive priests in Illinois.

Removal timing described by the Attorney General: the narrative states the Archdiocese removed Fr. Hoder from ministry six years after first hearing a report that he had sexually abused a child.

Resignation and restrictions: Archdiocesan records in the document release reflect that after resignation from active ministry, his faculties were withdrawn, and he was told he was no longer authorized to exercise priestly ministry or present himself as a priest.

Archdiocesan investigation processes in later years: Archdiocesan documents include a 2008 decree ordering a further inquiry following Review Board consideration, reflecting continued review of allegations even after he had resigned years earlier.

Laicization: Archdiocesan documentation includes correspondence indicating that the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith processed the matter in 2009, with a dispensation granted by the Pope in November 2009, and Archdiocesan notification regarding return to the lay state tied to late 2009 and early 2010 communications.

Timeline

1975- ordained in the Archdiocese of Chicago
1976 to 1980- assigned at St. Ita Parish, Chicago, Illinois
1980 to June 1, 1985- assigned to Assumption Parish, Chicago, Illinois
June 1, 1985- assignment to St. David Parish effective
July 1985- Archdiocese learned of sexual abuse of a child, according to the Illinois Attorney General’s narrative
1985- limited ministry with restrictions and monitoring reported in the Attorney General data
August 1990- St. David assignment period described as ending
August 1991 to November 1991- served briefly at St. Joseph Parish, Chicago, Illinois, then removed from the assignment
1992- Archdiocese’s claim of first report in Attorney General dataset
1997- resigned
April to May 2008- Archdiocesan Review Board processes documented, including a decree ordering further inquiry
November 2009- Vatican dispensation granted, according to Archdiocesan documentation
January 4, 2010- placed on the Archdiocese of Chicago public list
2009- laicized, as reflected in Attorney General data

Speak With an Attorney

If you or someone you know was sexually abused by Fr. James Allen Hoder or any Catholic clergy member in Illinois, you may still have legal options. The Injury Lawyer Team represents survivors of clergy abuse across the state.

Contact us to book a confidential consultation with an Illinois clergy abuse attorney. We are here to help you understand your rights and take legal action.

Sources

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

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.

Contact Us

Free Case Evaluation
866-757-6452

I expressly request and give permission to being contacted by Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers LLClaw firm or their co-counsel practicing in this area of law, at any time, including but not limited to calls using an auto dialer, text, fax or email, in response to my inquiry at the telephone number(s) provided, even if these result in charges to me by my carrier. Consent is not a condition for services. This consent overrides any state, federal or corporate do-not-call registry rules or list. I understand that submitting this form does not create an attorney-client relationship. I also understand that Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers LLC works with multiple law firms on these claims and that I may be contacted by an affiliated law firm working with Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers LLC on these lawsuits.

Free Case Evaluation

Fill out the contact form or call us at 866-757-6452 to schedule your free case evaluation.