Sexual Abuse Allegations Against Fr. Marion Joseph Snieg

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

• Primary Entity Name: Marion Joseph Snieg
• Common Variations / Aliases: Father Marion Snieg, Fr. Marion Snieg, Rev. Marion J. Snieg
• Role/Title at Time of Incident: Parish Priest, Associate Pastor
• Current Status: Deceased

Public Identification and Clergy Status

Fr. Marion Joseph Snieg was publicly identified as a credibly accused Catholic priest by Church authorities and state officials following internal reviews and survivor reports of child sexual abuse. His name appears on official lists released after broader examinations of clergy misconduct within the Archdiocese of Chicago and through state-level investigations.

Entity that listed him:

• Archdiocese of Chicago
• Illinois Attorney General’s Office (Catholic Clergy Abuse Report)

Reason for listing:

• Substantiated and credible allegations of child sexual abuse involving minors, as determined by Church review processes
• Multiple survivor reports spanning several decades
• Inclusion following diocesan disclosures and the Illinois Attorney General’s investigation into clergy abuse in Illinois

Public records associated with these disclosures identify 16 reported survivors connected to allegations involving Fr. Snieg.

Key Status Facts

• Ordination Year: 1955
• Years in Active Ministry: Served in parish ministry for several decades within the Archdiocese of Chicago, with assignments beginning in the mid-1950s and continuing into the early 2000s
• Locations Where He Served: Primarily Chicago, Illinois, and surrounding communities within the Archdiocese of Chicago; additional locations are referenced in public records in connection with reported abuse during travel
• Restrictions: Ministry restrictions imposed beginning in 1987, including limited ministry with monitoring
• Removal / Withdrawal from Ministry: Removed from public ministry in 2002
• Laicization: No public record indicating laicization prior to his death
• Civil Resolution: Public records indicate that allegations involving Fr. Snieg were addressed through civil settlements involving the Archdiocese of Chicago
• Died: 2005
• Public Disclosure / Listing Date: Publicly listed by Church authorities on March 20, 2006, following internal review and broader disclosures

Assignment History

Primary Archdiocese: Archdiocese of Chicago

Parish Assignments (as documented in public reports):

• St. Jane de Chantal in Chicago, IL (1950s–early 1960s)
• St. William in Chicago, IL (dates publicly reported but not consistently specified)
• Maternity of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Chicago, IL (dates publicly reported but not consistently specified)
• St. Constance in Chicago, IL (dates publicly reported but not consistently specified)
• St. Rosalie in Harwood Heights, IL (served during later years of ministry)

These parish assignments establish the primary settings connected to reported allegations, which span multiple decades of Fr. Snieg’s ministry within the Archdiocese of Chicago.

Non-Church Assignments: Public records and survivor reports reference Fr. Snieg’s involvement in parish-related activities and travel associated with locations including Galena, Illinois; Stockton, Illinois; Iowa; Indiana; and Canada.

Known Allegations

Fr. Marion Joseph Snieg was the subject of multiple reports of sexual abuse involving minors, with allegations spanning several decades of his ministry in the Archdiocese of Chicago. According to public records and survivor reports, the alleged abuse occurred in parish settings and in connection with activities associated with his role as a parish priest.

The earliest reported abuse dates to the late 1950s, including allegations that a minor was sexually abused in 1959 at St. Jane de Chantal Parish in Chicago, Illinois. Public accounts indicate that the victim disclosed the abuse to a parent, who notified Church officials at the time. Records further reflect that the same accuser came forward again in 2001, prompting a renewed review.

Additional allegations reference abuse occurring during the 1960s, 1970s, and early 1980s, with reported locations including Chicago, Harwood Heights, Galena, and Stockton, Illinois, as well as incidents associated with travel to Iowa, Indiana, and Canada. These reported periods and locations are reflected in diocesan disclosures and the Illinois Attorney General’s reporting.

Church and state-level records indicate that multiple survivors came forward over time, and public reporting identified 16 survivors. Church authorities ultimately classified the allegations against Fr. Snieg as credible and substantiated, indicating a pattern of alleged misconduct rather than an isolated incident. Allegations are connected to more than one parish assignment and span a substantial portion of his clerical career.

Summary: Public records and Church disclosures describe Fr. Marion Joseph Snieg as a priest with multiple credible and substantiated allegations of sexual abuse of minors, involving numerous reported survivors and spanning several decades of ministry within the Archdiocese of Chicago.

Overseeing Authorities During Key Periods:

• Cardinal Samuel Stritch – Archdiocese of Chicago
• Cardinal Albert Meyer – Archdiocese of Chicago
• Cardinal John Cody – Archdiocese of Chicago

Associated and Referenced Entities:

• Archdiocese of Chicago
• Illinois Attorney General’s Catholic Clergy Abuse Investigation

Institutional Actions and Review

Internal Church documents and information summarized in public reports indicate that Church leadership within the Archdiocese of Chicago received reports concerning Fr. Marion Joseph Snieg years before his name was publicly disclosed by state authorities and placed on official Illinois lists identifying clergy with substantiated allegations, including the Illinois list of accused clergy.

According to public records, the Archdiocese first received a report of alleged abuse in 1984, concerning misconduct that reportedly occurred decades earlier. Personnel records referenced in subsequent disclosures indicate that Fr. Snieg’s ministry was restricted and monitored beginning in 1987, including limitations on his public ministry. Despite these measures, there is no public record of his immediate removal from the ministry following the initial report.

Available records do not clearly indicate whether information regarding prior allegations or restrictions was disclosed during subsequent assignments or parish transitions. Fr. Snieg remained associated with Church ministry until his removal from public ministry in 2002.

Public disclosure of the allegations occurred after an internal review, when the Archdiocese added Fr. Snieg to its list of clergy with substantiated or credible allegations, and his name was subsequently included in state-level reporting. There is no indication in public records that disclosure occurred at the time the Archdiocese first received reports in the 1980s.

Timeline

1955 — Ordained in the Archdiocese of Chicago

1955–1960 — Reported abuse period in Chicago, IL

1959 — Reported incident tied to St. Jane de Chantal in Chicago, IL

1962–1963 — Reported abuse period connected to Galena, IL, and Iowa

1967–1973 — Reported abuse period in Chicago, IL

1975 — Reported abuse period connected to Indiana

1977–1979 — Reported abuse period tied to Chicago-area settings, Galena, IL, and Canada

1982–1984 — Reported abuse period connected to Harwood Heights, IL, and Stockton, IL

1984 — First report received by Church authorities

1987 — Ministry restricted and monitored

2002 — Removed from public ministry

2005 — Died

March 20, 2006 — Public listing/disclosure by Church authorities

Speak With an Attorney

If you or someone you know was sexually abused by Fr. Marion Joseph Snieg or another Catholic clergy member in Illinois, you may still have legal options. The Injury Lawyer Team assists survivors of clergy abuse throughout the state. Contact us to request a confidential consultation with an Illinois clergy abuse attorney to learn more about your rights and possible legal steps.

Sources and Public Records

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

• The Illinois Attorney General’s Catholic Clergy Abuse Database lists Fr. Marion Joseph Snieg as a credibly accused priest and summarizes reported abuse periods, locations, survivor counts, and institutional actions.
• The Archdiocese of Chicago’s Clergy with Substantiated Allegations List, published through the Archdiocese’s official Protect and Heal document portal, which includes Fr. Marion Joseph Snieg among clergy members publicly identified following internal review.
• Personnel and disclosure documents released through the Archdiocese of Chicago’s document portal, reflecting ministry history, reported allegations, and internal actions taken by Church authorities.
• BishopAccountability.org, which compiles publicly available diocesan records, survivor reports, and media coverage related to allegations involving Fr. Marion Joseph Snieg.

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.