Sexual Abuse Allegations Against Francis Skube

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

• Primary Entity Name: Francis A. Skube
• Common Variations / Aliases: Father Francis Skube, Fr. Francis Skube, Br. Francis Skube, Francis Anthony Skube
• Role/Title at Time of Incident: Religious Order Leader, Teacher, Youth Related Ministry Access
• Current Status: Deceased

Public Identification and Clergy Status

Fr. Francis Skube was publicly identified as a credibly accused cleric or religious brother by multiple Church and government entities, including:

• The Diocese of Davenport, Iowa
• The Catholic Diocese of Belleville
• The Illinois Attorney General’s Office, 2023 investigation, and public database

Public records describe Skube as a central figure connected to the Franciscan Brothers of Christ the King. This organization operated in Illinois with diocesan support during part of the mid-twentieth century. 

The Illinois Attorney General’s narrative and related public sources describe warnings about Skube’s sexual misconduct with minors before and during his time connected to Illinois, and later describe diocesan awareness of serious concerns years before he was publicly listed.

• Entity that Listed Him: Diocese of Davenport, Catholic Diocese of Belleville, Illinois Attorney General’s Office
• Reason for Listing: Credible allegations of sexual abuse of minors, documented institutional awareness of concerns, inclusion in public Church lists and state investigative reporting

Key Status Facts

Ordination Year: Not reported in the Illinois Attorney General database

Order or Affiliation: Franciscan Brothers of Christ the King

Reported Survivors: 3

Date and Location of Reported Abuse in Public Records: 1964, St. Clair County, Illinois

Diocese Claim of First Report: 1993

Public List Placement:

• July 14, 2008, Diocese of Davenport
• February 12, 2020, Catholic Diocese of Belleville

Criminal Convictions: None publicly recorded in the Illinois sources cited below

Died: September 26, 2022

Assignment History

Primary Diocese or Sponsoring Authority in Illinois: Catholic Diocese of Belleville

Illinois Assignments (as documented in public reports):
Public state database records indicate that Illinois assignments for Skube were not formally reported by a diocese or religious order in the standard parish-assignment format. 

Public narrative records and archival reporting do, however, place Skube and his organization in southern Illinois, including St. Clair County, during the period relevant to reported abuse.

Known Institutional and Parish Related Context in Illinois (from public records):

• Franciscan Brothers of Christ the King, presence supported in the Diocese of Belleville beginning in the early 1960s
• St. Catherine Labouré, Cahokia, Illinois, referenced in diocesan records as a location connected to serious concerns raised about Skube

Non-Parish Assignments:

• Leadership role within the Franciscan Brothers of Christ the King, described in public sources as founder, cofounder, or superior, with significant influence over youth and young men connected to the organization
• Teaching and formation-related roles described in public reporting, including work in Catholic school settings connected to diocesan communities

Known Allegations

Fr. Francis Skube has been accused of sexually abusing minors, including allegations documented in Illinois public records identifying reported abuse in 1964 in St. Clair County, Illinois. Additional public records describe serious warnings about Skube’s sexual misconduct with minors prior to the Illinois abuse entry.

Public investigative narrative records describe a March 1959 warning from a Utah parish priest stating Skube had committed sexual acts with multiple junior high school boys and urging church officials to treat him as a significant danger to children.

Those same records state the Diocese of Belleville did not receive that 1959 warning letter until January 1971, after Skube had already been welcomed and had operated in diocesan-connected settings.

Diocesan records referenced in the Illinois Attorney General’s narrative also include handwritten notes dated July 1976 describing “serious difficulties” associated with Skube and referencing community anger and safety concerns, with the notes referring to earlier problems at a parish in Cahokia.

Summary: Fr. Francis Skube was credibly accused of sexually abusing minors, with reported abuse in Illinois documented as occurring in 1964 in St. Clair County; public records also describe institutional warnings about Skube’s sexual interest in children and delayed internal awareness of key information, followed by later public listing by multiple dioceses and inclusion in the Illinois Attorney General’s investigation.

Overseeing Authorities During Key Periods:

• Bishop Albert Rudolph Zuroweste, Diocese of Belleville (1948–1976)
• Bishop William Michael Cosgrove, Diocese of Belleville (1976–1981)

Institutional Actions and Review

Public investigative narrative records describe that diocesan officials were confronted with serious concerns regarding Skube’s conduct by at least the early 1970s, including the delayed receipt of the 1959 warning letter in January 1971. This was long before the Illinois Attorney General placed him on the list of accused clergy in Illinois.

The narrative also describes that Bishop Zuroweste confronted Skube in 1974 regarding his “problems” and offered a choice that included resignation from leadership and psychiatric treatment as a condition for the religious organization remaining in the diocese.

Public records further describe Skube’s departure from the Diocese of Belleville and relocation of his organization, with narrative and archival summaries indicating that he later moved through other dioceses. 

The Diocese of Davenport publicly listed him on July 14, 2008. After the Illinois Attorney General’s investigators reviewed the Belleville record set, the Diocese of Belleville publicly listed him on February 12, 2020, as reflected in the Attorney General database.

Timeline

March 1959 — A warning letter from a Utah parish priest describes Skube’s sexual misconduct involving junior high school boys and urges Church officials to treat him as dangerous to children

Early 1960s — Skube and the Franciscan Brothers of Christ the King are described in public sources as operating with support connected to the Diocese of Belleville

1964 — Reported abuse entry in public Illinois records, St. Clair County, Illinois

January 1971 — Diocese of Belleville receives a copy of the 1959 warning letter, as described in state investigative narrative records

1974 — Bishop Zuroweste confronts Skube about concerns documented in diocesan records and outlines conditions for continued presence in the diocese

July 1976 — Diocesan chancery notes reference “serious difficulties” and community anger connected to Skube, including issues tied to a Cahokia parish setting

1975 — Public archival summaries describe Skube relocating his organization to another diocese after Belleville leadership pressure

July 14, 2008 — Listed by the Diocese of Davenport on a public list of credibly accused

February 12, 2020 — Listed by the Catholic Diocese of Belleville on a public list

May 23, 2023 — Included in Illinois Attorney General’s clergy abuse investigation resources and database

September 26, 2022 — Died

Speak With an Attorney

If you or someone you know was sexually abused by Fr. Francis Skube or any Catholic clergy member in Illinois, you may still have legal options. The Injury Lawyer Team represents survivors of clergy abuse across the state. 

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 public records, official Church disclosures, legal filings, and survivor reports, including the following:

• Illinois Attorney General, Abusive Clerics and Religious Brothers, Francis A. Skube (reported survivors, reported abuse date and location entry, diocese claim of first report, public list dates)
• Illinois Attorney General, Survivor Narrative, Francis Skube (1959 warning letters, January 1971 receipt by Belleville, 1974 confrontation, July 1976 notes, later diocesan movements, public listing context)
• Bishop Accountability, Br. Francis Skube profile (organizational role, 1975 move context, public list references, date of death)

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.