Sexual Abuse Allegations Against James M Ray

Primary Entity Name: James M. Ray, O.S.M.
Common Variations / Aliases: Father James M Ray, Father Jim Ray, Father Ray, James
Role/Title at Time of Incident: Priest, ministering within the Archdiocese of Chicago
Current Status: Removed from public ministry; living with restrictions. Ray’s current whereabouts are listed as a supervised Servite residence, according to public records.

This page outlines the assignments, allegations, and institutional actions related to James M. Ray, the priest accused of misconduct.

Ray, a priest from the Archdiocese of Chicago, has faced substantiated claims of sexual misconduct with minors during his time as a priest. Accusations against Ray include sexual abuse involving two boys and an incident allegedly occurring while he served at Peter Damian Parish.

At Injury Lawyer Team, we are dedicated to helping sufferers of clergy sexual abuse find justice. Our Chicago clergy abuse lawyers hold abusers and the institutions that enabled them accountable for the harm they caused. Those impacted by this deserve compensation, healing, and the assurance that their voices will be heard.

Public Identification and Clergy Status of the Accused Priest

Entity That Listed Him:

• Archdiocese of Chicago
• Bishop Accountability, documenting Ray as an accused priest

Reason for Listing:

• Report of sexual abuse involving minors or children; allegation deemed credible enough for public listing.
• Classified as substantiated by independent documentation and church review panels.

Key Status Facts

• Ordination Year: 1975
• Years in Active Ministry: 1975–2002
• Locations Served: Primarily Chicago-area parishes 
• Restrictions: Removed from parish ministry following substantiated allegations of sexual misconduct
• Reassignment / Transfers: Limited minister activities permitted during portions of the review
• Laicization: 2012
• Public Disclosure Date: First publicly listed by the Archdiocese during its expanded review era in the early 2000s

Assignment History of Father James in the Archdiocese of Chicago

Primary Diocese: Archdiocese of Chicago

Other assignments include: 

• 1975: Ordained at St. Mary of the Lake Seminary, Mundelein, IL
• 1975-1976: St. Anastasia Parish, Waukegan, IL
• 1982: St. Peter Damian Parish, Bartlett, IL
• 1989-1990: Transfiguration, Wauconda, IL
• 1991-2000s: Removed from parish assignment; transitioned to roles in health and hospital affairs and administrative positions. Roles in health and hospital affairs also included coordinating care within the order. 
• 1992: Assistant Liaison for CARE & Associate Administrator, Catholic Charities 
• 2000: Assigned as a full-time resident at St. Mary of Perpetual Help (location supervised).
• 2009: Resigned 

Non-Church Assignments

• Servite administrative roles involving health, limited ministry, and personnel support
• No public note of a desk job after removal from parish minister work, though archival remarks indicate limited functions under supervision

Known Allegations of the Former Priest (Including Catholic School Claims)

There are multiple claims of child sexual abuse against Father Ray. Ray’s personnel file shows that many of the claims were later substantiated. Although he was primarily a priest, Father Ray had reports throughout his time at Catholic Charities, and the church was concerned about his activities in Yugoslavia. 

Summary of Known Reports:

• 1974-1975: Victim alleged a single incident of abuse that occurred at St. Anastasia during this timeframe.
• 1976: The date of the initial incident is alleged to have occurred, and the former priest was accused of sexual abuse.
• 1990: Multiple reports in which the priest was accused of sexual abuse. AD received a phone call from a 20-year-old individual alleging abuse when he was 12 through his teenage years. A second person alleged abuse at age 16 while traveling.
• May 1990: More accusations of abuse were made. An Administrative Review later substantiated the claims made on 5/21/90. This happened much later because the Review Board wasn’t established until 1992.
• 1991: AD received a call from a man who claimed Ray held him on his lap as a young teenager in 1974.
• 1991: The principal of Transfiguration School reported to Dr. Elaine Schuster that Ray was taking children out and that he was around the children with a touchy-feely approach. He was then re-assigned. 

During the late 90s and 2000s, a slew of new accusations resulted in him being accused of sexual abuse. People came forward from various locations where he was a minister. A family member mentioned he was accused of sexual abuse in the past. This included claims from boys, girls, and a paraplegic while on a mission trip. 

Details: 

• Where Abuse Allegedly Occurred: Chicago-area parish setting
• Approximate Period: Mid-1990s
• Church Assessment: Listed due to reports judged credible enough for public reporting
• Multiple Allegations: Yes. Claims regarding abuse have come from schools and parishes, teens who travelled with him, and more. 
• Clear Summary Line: It was reported that Father James Ray sexually abused a minor during his clerical work in Illinois, and Church officials placed him on the public accused list.

Contextual Entities:

• Overseeing Authority: Cardinal Francis George during the period of public disclosure
• Church Officials Involved: Archdiocese’s Vicar for Priests, internal review boards, and Cardinal Bernardin’s review panel (referenced historically in Chicago abuse crisis reforms). Cardinal Bernardin’s Review Panel investigated and substantiated the claims. This is detailed in Ray’s personnel file. 
• Associated Orders: Ray resided for a time in an Augustinian friary, John Stone’s friary, but was not considered Augustinian or a Servite. Instead, John Stone Friary agreed to let him reside there. He was a priest of the Archdiocese of Chicago. 
• Advocacy Groups: Survivors Network of those abused by priests (SNAP) continues to offer support for those hurt, such as the two boys who came forward, those who have suffered at the hands of Augustinian priests, children from Peter Damian Parish, and many more. 

Institutional Actions and Review When Accused of Sexual Abuse

Earlier reports regarding one incident were not examined closely. Parishners were not made aware of the one incident. Instead, he was moved to another location and advised to participate in a specialized minister field. He was quietly relocated to St. Peter Damian. As more children came forward with accusations, Ray faced more restrictions. 

• Reports were received as early as the 1960s.
• In 1990, Ray was advised to avoid being alone with children and to avoid the immediate area around Bartlett following claims. 
• In 1991, he was removed from Tranfiguration School and began working with Catholic Charities. His work began to focus more on charitable and health care within the church. 
• Ray was placed on restricted or limited minister work.
• Restrictions for Ray and work around children were further reviewed by the church after revelations regarding something that happened in Yugoslavia. However, documents do not state exactly what Ray disclosed. 
• Removed from public work after investigation.
• In 1996, Ray wrote a letter requesting a limited role and was granted permission to assist at Sisters of the St. Casimir, provided that no minors were present. 
• No known criminal charges.
• Complaints were examined internally, with referrals to external reviewers where required, to prevent future abuse.
• His removal is part of broader investigations into Chicago cases.

In 2000, Ray was allowed to live at St. Mary of Perpetual Help. Although he lived there for a short period, no further claims were made against him. There were also no complaints about his work in the health and hospital affairs sector in Chicago. 

Timeline

• 1974–1975: Victim JT reports one incident allegedly occurring at St. Anastasia in Waukegan, Illinois, before Ray’s ordination. 
• May 14, 1975: Ordained at St. Mary of the Lake Seminary in Mundelein, Illinois; begins service as Associate Pastor at St. Anastasia, Waukegan, Illinois. 
• 1976: Date noted in the file as an initial incident of alleged abuse at or connected to St. Anastasia. 1975–1982: Assigned to St. Anastasia, Waukegan, Illinois; later file reviews and reports state that Ray sexually abused two boys, beginning when they were about 10 and 11 years old, during this period. 
• June 8, 1982: Assigned as Associate Pastor, St. Peter Damian Parish in Bartlett, Illinois. 
• 1982–1989: Public ministry at St. Peter Damian Parish; one person later reports that Ray sexually abused him while serving there, with abuse spanning several years of adolescence. 
• June 13, 1989: Assigned as Associate Pastor, Transfiguration in Wauconda, Illinois. 
• April 1990: Archdiocese receives a phone call from a 20-year-old man alleging that Ray sexually abused him from about age 12 through his teenage years, and a second person alleging abuse at age 16 while traveling with Ray. 
• May 21, 1990: Formal reports of sexual abuse are made; an administrative review (before a formal review board existed) finds the accusations substantiated. 
• June 4, 1990: Church officials instruct Ray to avoid being alone with minors and to stay away from the Bartlett area as much as possible while still assigned to Transfiguration. 
• October 30, 1990: Ray signs an agreement placing him on formal restrictions while at Transfiguration in Wauconda. 
• November 1991: Another man contacts the Archdiocese claiming that Ray had inappropriate physical contact with him as a teenager in 1974–1975; Ray is living at a retreat or Koenig house at this time. 
• November 5, 1991: The Principal of Transfiguration School reports concerns about Ray being overly “touchy” with children, but he was not accused of sex crimes yet. 
• November 11, 1991: Ray is removed from Transfiguration; Cardinal leadership indicates he will be reassigned to a specialized field rather than parish work. 
• November 22, 1991: Assigned to Staff, Hospital & Health Affairs for the Archdiocese of Chicago. 
• November 30, 1991: Another person writes to the Cardinal, reporting sexual crimes, expressing concern about his name becoming public. 
• January 14, 1992: Appointed Assistant Liaison for CARE (Catholic Health Ministry) and Associate Administrator, Catholic Charities. 
• December 8, 1992: Permitted to help on some weekends at Addolorata Villa in Wheeling, Illinois, celebrating Mass and hearing confessions. 
• November 26, 1993: Restrictions are reviewed and tightened after new information surfaces about Ray’s conduct during travel in Split, Yugoslavia. 
• May 6, 1996: Ray writes to Cardinal Bernardin’s review panel, asking to appear before the Fitness Review Board to seek a return to limited minister work. 
• June 8, 1996: Permitted to assist at the Sisters of St. Casimir in Chicago, on the condition that minors are not involved. 
• October 12, 1999: One man formally documents an allegation that Ray sexually abused him between 1976 and 1982, when Ray was at St. Anastasia. 
• November 20, 1999: The review board finds JS’s accusations credible and outlines further restrictions. 
• November 29, 1999: Review board completes a second-stage review and concludes there is reasonable cause to suspect sexual misconduct with a minor. 
• April 15, 2000: Ray becomes a full-time resident at St. Mary of Perpetual Help in Chicago. Ray lived here for a short period. 
• August 19, 2000: Review board approves a plan for Ray to live at an Augustinian house, but he was not considered part of the Augustinian order; later adjustments recommend residence at St. John Stone Friary (Priory) in Chicago, near a religious school. 
• June 25, 2002: Ray is temporarily withdrawn from all public minister activities; shortly afterward, he is also removed from his role with Catholic Charities. 
• March 20, 2006: Ray is placed on the Diocese of Chicago’s public list of clerics with substantiated allegations, as reflected in the Archdiocesan announcement and later in the Illinois Attorney General clergy report. 
• September 23, 2005: Parishioners at Transfiguration are formally notified about the allegations involving Ray. 
• October 14, 2008: A new claim of sexual abuse is recorded in the Archdiocesan files. 
• November 26, 2008: A relative of Ray contacts the Archdiocese, stating that many people were negatively impacted by Ray when they were minors. 
• December 1, 2008: Church risk assessment raises serious concerns about Ray’s current risk to offend; tighter restrictions are imposed. 
• March 2, 2009: Ray leaves all active clerical work. 
• March 20, 2009: Two additional allegations are documented. 
• January 23, 2012: Ray is laicized (removed from the clerical state). 
• February 4, 2012: Another allegation reports abuse of a minor at Transfiguration Parish during the 1990s. 
• May 18, 2013: New reports between 1982 and 1984, during Ray’s time as a parish minister. 
• May 23, 2023: The Illinois Attorney General’s “Report on Catholic Clergy Child Sex Abuse in Illinois” lists James M. Ray with at least 13 reported survivors and documents of crimes in Waukegan, Chicago, and Wauconda. 

Speak With an Attorney

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Contact our clergy abuse legal team today. 

Sources and Public Records Regarding James Ray Abuse Cases

Details here are based on public records, diocesan disclosures, and survivor reports. No criminal conviction is implied unless stated in official documents.

• Bishop Accountability (James M Ray)
• Archdiocese of Chicago Offender Database
• Clergy Report

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