Sexual Abuse Allegations Against Leonard Paul Kmak

This page outlines the assignments, allegations, and institutional actions involving Fr. Leonard Paul Kmak, 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: Leonard Paul Kmak 
• Common Variations / Aliases: Father Leonard Kmak, Fr. Leonard Kmak, Leonard Kmak
• Role/Title at Time of Alleged Abuse: Assistant Pastor (parish assignment role)
• Current Status: Resigned (1968), laicized (1969), deceased (July 16, 2002) 

Public Identification and Clergy Status

Fr. Leonard Paul Kmak was publicly identified as a priest with reported allegations of sexual abuse of minors through disclosures, including:

• The Illinois Attorney General’s Clergy Abuse Database 
• Archdiocese of Chicago
• Bishop Accountability

The Illinois Attorney General database lists two reported survivors, identifies the dates and location ranges of reported abuse, and records the Archdiocese’s claimed first report year and the date Kmak was placed on Catholic Church public lists. 

• Entity that Listed Him: Illinois Attorney General; Archdiocese of Chicago (public listing date reflected in the AG database); Bishop Accountability
• Reason for Listing: Reported allegations of child sex abuse documented through diocesan records and state investigation reporting 

Key Status Facts

Ordination: May 7, 1959

Reported Survivors (Illinois AG): 2 

Date/Location of Reported Abuse (Illinois AG): 1961 (Chicago, IL) and 1964–1965 (Chicago, IL) 

Diocese Claim of First Report (Illinois AG): 2001

Placed on Catholic Church Public Lists (Illinois AG): March 20, 2006 (Archdiocese of Chicago) 

Resigned: 1968 (records also document he planned to leave parish assignment August 19, 1968) 

Laicized: 1969 

Died: July 16, 2002

Assignment History

Primary Archdiocese: Archdiocese of Chicago 

Parish Assignments (with documented dates):

• St. Fidelis Parish- Chicago, Illinois (1959- 1964)
• St. Veronica Parish, Chicago, Illinois (1964- 1968)

Non-Parish Assignments: No separate school, hospital, chaplaincy, or diocesan administrative roles are clearly listed for Kmak in the Archdiocese vitae card included in the document release.

Known Allegations

The Illinois Attorney General’s Clergy Abuse Database lists reported abuse associated with Chicago, Illinois, including a 1961 entry and a 1964–1965 entry, and identifies two reported survivors. 

A document released in the Archdiocese of Chicago’s 2014 disclosure set and hosted by BishopAccountability includes an abstract of a survivor statement describing alleged sexual abuse by Kmak at St. Fidelis parish from approximately 1963 to 1964, including kissing and touching. 

The same released record describes the survivor formalizing the allegation during a meeting on August 12, 2004, with an Archdiocese professional responsibility administrator, and references a final report letter dated November 9, 2004, that asked for any corrections by November 23, 2004.

Public summaries also note that Kmak left the priesthood to marry in August 1968, was laicized in January 1969, and that his allegation history later appeared in the context of Archdiocese settlements referenced in 2005 and 2007 summaries. 

Summary: Leonard Paul Kmak is listed in the Illinois Attorney General’s clergy abuse database with two reported survivors and reported abuse tied to Chicago in 1961 and 1964–1965, and Archdiocese-released documentation includes a survivor statement describing alleged abuse at St. Fidelis in approximately 1963–1964. 

Overseeing Authorities During Key Periods:

• Cardinal Albert Gregory Meyer (Archbishop through 1965) 
• Cardinal John Cody (appointed Archbishop in 1965), with internal Archdiocese correspondence in 1968 addressed to “Cardinal Cody.”

Institutional Actions and Review

The Illinois Attorney General database records the Archdiocese’s claimed first report year as 2001, and it also records that Kmak was placed on the church’s public lists of accused clergy in Illinois on March 20, 2006. 

Separately, documents released in the Archdiocese’s 2014 publication set include internal Archdiocese materials showing the processing of a survivor allegation in 2004, including an email timestamped October 28, 2004, referencing receipt of a report. 

There is also a letter from the Office of Professional Responsibility, dated November 9, 2004, which encloses a final report and requests a response by November 23, 2004. These released records reflect institutional handling of the allegation decades after the alleged abuse period, and after Kmak had already resigned (1968), been laicized (1969), and died (2002).

Timeline

1959 — Ordained

1959–1964 — St. Fidelis Parish, Chicago, IL

1961 — Reported abuse location/date listed as Chicago, IL (Illinois AG) 

1964–1968 — St. Veronica Parish, Chicago, IL

1964–1965 — Reported abuse location/date listed as Chicago, IL (Illinois AG) 

1968 — Archdiocese memo records Kmak planned to leave parish assignment on this date

1968 — Resigned (Illinois AG) 

1969 — Laicized (Illinois AG) 

2002 — Died

2001 — Diocese claim of first report (Illinois AG) 

2004 — Survivor meeting referenced in Archdiocese-released documentation

2004 — Archdiocese Office of Professional Responsibility letter enclosing final report

2006 — Placed on Catholic Church public lists (Illinois AG) 

Speak With an Attorney

If you or someone you love was sexually abused by Leonard Paul Kmak or another priest in Illinois, you may still have legal options. The Injury Lawyer Team represents survivors statewide and can help you. 

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 diocesan disclosures, public records, and survivor reports. No criminal conviction is implied unless explicitly stated in public court records or official Church reports.

Key sources used and linked throughout include:

• Illinois Attorney General clergy database entry for Leonard Paul Kmak
• Archdiocese of Chicago 
• Bishop Accountability profile summary for Kmak

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.