Sexual Abuse Allegations Against James Craig Hagan

This page outlines the assignments, allegations, and institutional actions involving Fr. James Craig Hagan, a priest of the Archdiocese of Chicago, as part of the Injury Lawyer Team’s work representing survivors of clergy abuse in Illinois.

Primary Entity Name: James Craig Hagan
Common Variations / Aliases: Father James Hagan, Fr. James Craig Hagan, James Hagan
Role/Title at Time of Alleged Abuse: Parish Priest
Current Status: Removed from ministry; resigned; laicized; whereabouts unknown

Public Identification and Clergy Status

Fr. James Craig Hagan was publicly identified as a priest with credible allegations of sexual abuse of minors by institutions, including:

• The Archdiocese of Chicago 
• The Illinois Attorney General’s Office

His name appears in the Illinois Attorney General’s Clergy Abuse Database and was included on the Archdiocese’s public list of substantiated clergy allegations published in 2006. 

Hagan is documented as having sexually abused more than a dozen children and teenagers over nearly two decades, beginning as early as the 1970s. 

Entity that Listed Him: Archdiocese of Chicago, Illinois Attorney General, Bishop Accountability
Reason for Listing: Multiple substantiated child sexual abuse allegations involving minors across decades of ministry

Key Status Facts

Ordination Year: 1974
Years in Active Ministry: 1974–1996 (with later formal separation from ministry)
Primary Archdiocese: Archdiocese of Chicago, Illinois
Locations Where He Served: Oak Park, Chicago, Franklin Park, IL
Restrictions: Removed from public ministry in 1996, resigned in 1997
Civil Lawsuits: Named in multiple civil lawsuits, including claims of abuse in the 1990s
Laicization: 2010
Public Disclosure: Listed by March 20, 2006
Reported Survivors: 19 

Assignment History

Primary Archdiocese: Archdiocese of Chicago

• St. Catherine of Sienna – Oak Park, Illinois (1974-1981)
• St. Richard – Chicago, Illinois (1981- 1986)
• St. Gertrude – Chicago, Illinois (1986- 1988)
• St. Denis Parish – Chicago (Ashburn neighborhood), Illinois (1988 – 1996)

These assignments placed Hagan in parish settings involving routine interaction with children and youth, including altar servers, school-aged parishioners, and community groups.

Known Allegations

According to the Illinois Attorney General’s database and survivor narratives, James Craig Hagan repeatedly and systematically sexually abused minors over nearly two decades. Evidence suggests that abusive behavior began as early as 1972, before his ordination, when he allegedly fondled an 11-year-old while in seminary. 

Following his ordination in 1974, a 12-year-old victim was allegedly subjected to repeated fondling and masturbation over the next six years. 

By the 1980s, Hagan reportedly engaged in increasingly frequent and violent abuse against multiple children. Archdiocese records indicate that three more children may have been abused starting in 1981, and another three beginning in 1982, with eight or more children reportedly abused simultaneously by 1985. 

In 1988, parents raised concerns with both the Church and civil authorities regarding Hagan’s conduct, including inappropriate classroom behavior, but these reports did not halt his ministry at the time. 

Survivors describe a range of misconduct, including forced fondling, masturbation, and sexual contact, some occurring on parish outings or in pastoral settings. Later civil lawsuits also reported abuse continuing into the 1990s, including claims of conduct at St. Denis from 1994 to 1996. 

There is no public record of any criminal prosecution of Hagan for these acts, although his conduct is referenced in lawsuits and internal Archdiocesan reviews.

Summary: Hagan was credibly and repeatedly accused of sexually abusing minors over nearly two decades, with reports spanning from before his ordination into the mid-1990s.

Overseeing Authorities During Key Periods:

• Cardinal John Cody – Archdiocese of Chicago (early ministry)
• Cardinal Joseph Bernardin – Archdiocese of Chicago (through late 1980s)
• Cardinal Francis George – Archdiocese during disclosure period

Institutional Actions and Review

Public record material indicates that internal concerns about Hagan’s conduct surfaced in 1988, when Church and law enforcement were alerted by parents concerned about his teaching and behavior. However, Hagan remained in ministry and was assigned as pastor of St. Denis through 1996. 

In 1996, amid mounting new abuse allegations, the Archdiocese removed Hagan from public ministry. He resigned from the priesthood in 1997; Church officials gave him a letter acknowledging his years of service despite the allegations. 

Hagan’s name was included on the Archdiocese’s March 20, 2006 public list of priests with substantiated allegations of sexual abuse of minors. 

Several civil lawsuits have been filed by survivors, including claims alleging abuse from 1994 to 1996.

The Vatican formally laicized Hagan in 2010, removing his clerical status.

Survivor advocates have criticized the delayed action and reassignment of Hagan despite early indications of abusive behavior, noting the harm to multiple victims over many years.

Following its review, the Archdiocese of Chicago determined the allegations against James Craig Hagan were credible, removed him from ministry, and placed him on its public list of IL clergy with substantiated allegations in April 2006. His name was later included in the Illinois Attorney General’s statewide clergy abuse report released in November 2018.

Timeline

1972 — Abuse may have begun while Hagan was in seminary, involving an 11-year-old in Oak Park, Illinois
1974 — Ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Chicago
1974–1979 — Reported abuse in parish settings, Chicago and surrounding areas
1981–1990 — Reported abuse continued in Chicago settings
1988 — Parents reported concerning behavior to the Archdiocese and civil authorities
1988–1996 — Pastor at St. Denis Parish, Chicago
1996 — Removed from public ministry
1997 — Resigned from the priesthood
2003–2006 — Civil lawsuits filed by survivors
March 20, 2006 — Publicly listed by the Archdiocese as substantiated
2010 — Laicized by the Vatican

Speak With an Attorney

If you or a loved one was abused by Fr. James Craig Hagan or another priest in the Archdiocese of Chicago, you may still have legal options under Illinois law. The Injury Lawyer Team represents survivors of clergy abuse statewide.

Contact a clergy sexual abuse lawyer in Illinois to learn more about your rights and options.

Sources

This page is based on public records, official Church disclosures, and survivor reports. 

Sources include:

• Illinois Attorney General Clergy Abuse Database – James Craig Hagan
• Illinois Attorney General narrative – James Craig Hagan 
• BishopAccountability.org profile

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.