Sexual Abuse Allegations Against Robert E. Mayer

This page outlines the assignments, allegations, and institutional actions involving Fr. Robert E. Mayer, 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: Robert E. Mayer 
• Common Variations / Aliases: Father Robert E. Mayer, Fr. Robert Mayer, Robert Mayer
• Role/Title at Time of Alleged Abuse: Parish priest (associate pastor, later pastor)
• Current Status: Deceased (October 2019); laicized (July 2010); removed from public ministry (August 1991)

Public Identification and Clergy Status

Fr. Robert E. Mayer was publicly identified as a cleric with substantiated or credible allegations of child sex abuse by multiple public-facing sources, including:

• Illinois Attorney General Clergy Abuse Database 
• Archdiocese of Chicago substantiated allegations list
• Bishop Accountability (compiles public records and church disclosures) 
• Entity that Listed Him: Archdiocese of Chicago; Illinois Attorney General 
• Reason for Listing: Substantiated allegations under Archdiocesan review processes; included in statewide reporting and disclosures

Key Status Facts

Ordination: April 30, 1964

Reported survivors (Illinois AG): 51 

Diocese claim of first report: 1982 

Placed on Archdiocese public list: March 20, 2006 

Limited ministry with restrictions and monitoring: June 19, 1987

Removed from public ministry: August 1991

Resigned: January 1994

Laicized: July 2010

Criminal conviction (Illinois AG summary): convicted in Illinois in 1992; sentenced in 1993 

Assignment History

Primary Archdiocese: Archdiocese of Chicago 

Parish Assignments (years as documented in public records):

• St. Catherine of Siena- Oak Park, Illinois (1964 – 1969)
• St. Barnabas- Chicago, Illinois (1969 – 1975)
• St. Mary- Lake Forest, Illinois (1975 – 1981)
• St. Edna- Arlington Heights, Illinois (1981 – 1983)
• St. Stephen Protomartyr- Des Plaines, Illinois (1983 – 1988)
• St. Dionysius- Cicero, Illinois (1988 – 1989)
• St. Dionysius (administrator; parish closing period)- Cicero, Illinois (1989 – 1990)
• St. Odilo- Berwyn, Illinois (1990 – 1991)
• St. Agnes Parish – Chicago, Illinois (dates not specified)
• Immaculate Conception Parish – Highland Park, Illinois (dates not specified)

Non-Parish Assignments / Other Documented Status

• 1992–1994 – On sick leave (listed as absent in Archdiocesan directories per compiled records) 
• Treatment/placement referenced in public compilations: St. Luke Institute (patient) 
• 1987- “Limited Ministry with Restrictions & Monitoring” noted in Archdiocese listing

Known Allegations

According to the Illinois Attorney General Clergy Abuse Database and the Attorney General’s narrative summary, reported allegations against Robert E. Mayer include claims that, over multiple years, he used access to minors in parish settings, then allegedly supplied alcohol, showed pornography, exposed himself, and engaged in sexual contact such as fondling or mutual masturbation. 

The Archdiocese reported the first claim in 1982, and the Attorney General database lists reported abuse locations and time ranges that include 1969–1979 (Chicago), 1974–1991 (Lake Forest), 1974–1982 (Fox Lake), 1980–1991 (Arlington Heights), 1980–1991 (Des Plaines), and 1990–1992 (Berwyn). 

Publicly summarized records also describe a civil lawsuit filed December 22, 1983, alleging misconduct involving altar boys connected to St. Edna and an outing at Fox Lake, with the matter later reported as settled in 1985. 

Separately, Mayer was criminally convicted in Cook County in December 1992 for four counts of criminal sexual abuse involving a 13-year-old girl, reporting that the incident occurred in January 1991 at the St. Odilo rectory. 

Summary: Robert E. Mayer is listed by the Archdiocese of Chicago and the Illinois Attorney General as an accused cleric, with reported abuse spanning multiple decades and locations; he was removed from public ministry, later laicized, and he was convicted in an Illinois criminal case. 

Overseeing Authorities During Key Periods:

Public reporting and Archdiocesan document coverage tie key administrative decisions and disclosures to Chicago’s senior leadership during the relevant decades, including: 

• Cardinal John Cody
• Cardinal Joseph Bernardin
• Cardinal Francis George 

Institutional Actions and Review

The Illinois Attorney General’s database of accused clergy in Illinois details the Archdiocese’s first report in 1982. It shows that Mayer later entered limited ministry with restrictions and monitoring in 1987, followed by removal from public ministry in 1991, resignation in January 1994, and laicization in July 2010. 

Contemporaneous media reports on Archdiocesan records describe internal communications and steps taken after multiple complaints at St. Edna, including letters to Archdiocesan leadership in April 1982 and follow-up communications in September 1982 requesting removal from parish assignment. 

That same reporting states Mayer was moved out of St. Edna in August 1983, and later, despite an agreement described as reached in June 1987 requiring him to avoid contact with children, he was appointed pastor at St. Odilo in 1990. 

Timeline

• 1964 — Ordained (April 30)
• 1964–1969 — St. Catherine of Siena, Oak Park, Illinois 
• 1969–1975 — St. Barnabas, Chicago, Illinois 
• 1975–1981 — St. Mary, Lake Forest, Illinois 
• 1981–1983 — St. Edna, Arlington Heights, Illinois 
• 1982 — Archdiocese claim of first report (Illinois AG) 
• 1983 — Civil lawsuit filed (Dec. 22, reported in public compilations) 
• 1983–1988 — St. Stephen Protomartyr, Des Plaines, Illinois 
• 1987 — Limited ministry with restrictions and monitoring (Archdiocese listing: June 19, 1987)
• 1988–1990 — St. Dionysius, Cicero, Illinois (pastor then administrator) 
• 1990–1991 — St. Odilo, Berwyn, Illinois 
• January 1991 — Abuse incident described in criminal case reporting 
• August 1991 — Removed from public ministry
• December 1991 — Indicted (reported publicly) 
• December 1992 — Convicted on four counts of criminal sexual abuse 
• 1993 — Sentenced to three years in prison (Illinois AG summary) 
• January 1994 — Resigned
• March 20, 2006 — Placed on Archdiocese public list (Illinois AG) 
• July 2010 — Laicized
• October 2019 — Died

Speak With an Attorney

If you or someone you love was sexually abused by Robert E. Mayer or another priest in Illinois, you may still have legal options. The Injury Lawyer Team represents survivors statewide and can discuss next steps in a confidential consultation. Contact us to schedule a free consultation with an Illinois clergy abuse attorney. 

Sources

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

Key sources used  include:

• Illinois Attorney General clergy database entry for Robert E. Mayer 
• Illinois Attorney General’s narrative on Robert E. Mayer 
• Archdiocese of Chicago substantiated allegations list (shows status and action dates)
• BishopAccountability profile and assignment compilation 
• Chicago Sun-Times reporting on the 1992 conviction and January 1991 allegations 
• Daily Herald reporting summarizing Archdiocesan record disclosures and dated internal correspondence 

No criminal conviction is implied unless explicitly stated in 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.