Sexual Abuse Allegations Against Arthur W. Niemeyer

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

• Primary Entity Name: Arthur W. Niemeyer
• Common Variations / Aliases: Father Arthur Niemeyer, Fr. Arthur Niemeyer, Art Niemeyer, Arthur “Art” Niemeyer
• Role/Title at Time of Incident: Parish Priest, Chaplain
• Current Status: Deceased

Public Identification and Clergy Status

Fr. Arthur W. Niemeyer was publicly identified as a credibly accused priest by multiple Church and government entities, including:

• The Catholic Diocese of Belleville
• The Illinois Attorney General’s Office 

Public reporting and investigative records describe allegations that Niemeyer sexually abused minors, including a survivor account describing abuse in the late 1970s when the victim was a young teenager. Publicly available investigative material also reflects that the Diocese had prior notice of concerns about Niemeyer’s interest in children before later abuse reports were addressed.

• Entity that Listed Him: Catholic Diocese of Belleville, Illinois Attorney General’s Office (2023)
• Reason for Listing: Credible allegations of sexual abuse of minors; included in public disclosures and state investigative reporting

Key Status Facts

Ordination Year: 1949

Primary Diocese: Diocese of Belleville, Illinois

Reported Survivors: 4

Locations Where Reported Abuse Occurred: Clinton County, Illinois; St. Clair County, Illinois; other locations listed as unknown in public reporting

Public Disclosure: Listed in the Illinois Attorney General’s clergy abuse resources and on public Church lists identifying clergy with credible allegations

Died: 1988

Assignment History

Primary Diocese: Diocese of Belleville

Parish Assignments (as documented in public reports):

• St. Peter, Belleville, Illinois (1949)
• St. Luke, Belleville, Illinois (1949–1950)
• St. Theresa of Avila, Salem, Illinois (1966–1971)
• St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, Kinmundy, Illinois (1966–1971)
• Holy Family, Cahokia, Illinois (1971–1973)

Non-Parish Assignments:

• Director, St. John’s Orphanage, Shiloh, Illinois (dates reported in public records as the 1950s–1960s)
• Chaplain, St. Joseph Hospital, Breese, Illinois (1976–1988)

Known Allegations

Fr. Arthur W. Niemeyer was accused of sexually abusing minors, with publicly reported abuse spanning multiple years and locations. Public investigative material attributes at least four survivor reports to Niemeyer. 

Reported abuse entries include incidents dated 1977 in Clinton County, and a span from 1979–1983 in St. Clair County, with additional entries listed as unknown locations for 1976 and 1987.

A survivor narrative published as part of the Illinois Attorney General’s resources describes abuse occurring in the late 1970s when the survivor was barely a teenager. That narrative also reflects that the Diocese had received an earlier warning concerning Niemeyer’s inappropriate interest in children, raising questions about whether timely protective action could have prevented subsequent harm.

Summary: Fr. Arthur W. Niemeyer was credibly accused of sexually abusing minors; multiple survivor reports and public investigative records describe abuse spanning the 1970s into the 1980s, and he was publicly identified in diocesan and state disclosures.

Overseeing Authorities During Key Periods:

• Bishop Albert Rudolph Zuroweste, Diocese of Belleville (1948–1976)
• Bishop William Michael Cosgrove, Diocese of Belleville (1976–1981)
• Bishop Edward Kevin Braxton, Diocese of Belleville (1981–1990)

Institutional Actions and Review

Public disclosures list Niemeyer among clergy with credible allegations of sexual misconduct involving minors. State investigative materials further document the survivor accounts and the Diocese’s timeline for when it first received reports and how the allegations were handled. 

Niemeyer died in 1988, and public identification of his status as one of the credibly accused Illinois priests occurred through later diocesan list publications and the Illinois Attorney General’s investigation materials and databases.

His death came before the Church developed proper procedures for allegations in the 1990s, and long before public disclosure was common, explaining, but not justifying, the lack of action from the Church. He was a priest during an era of cover-ups and conversations behind closed doors. 

Timeline

1949 — Ordained as a priest in the Diocese of Belleville
1949 — Assigned to St. Peter, Belleville, Illinois
1949–1950 — Assigned to St. Luke, Belleville, Illinois
1950s–1960s — Served as Director at St. John’s Orphanage, Shiloh, Illinois
1966–1971 — Assigned to St. Theresa of Avila, Salem, Illinois
1966–1971 — Assigned to St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, Kinmundy, Illinois
1971–1973 — Assigned to Holy Family, Cahokia, Illinois
1976 — Reported abuse entry listed in public records (location listed as unknown)
1976–1988 — Chaplain at St. Joseph Hospital, Breese, Illinois
1977 — Reported abuse entry in Clinton County, Illinois
Late 1970s — Survivor narrative describes sexual abuse of a minor by Niemeyer
1979–1983 — Reported abuse entries in St. Clair County, Illinois
1987 — Reported abuse entry listed in public records (location listed as unknown)
1988 — Died

Speak With an Attorney

If you or someone you know was sexually abused by Fr. Arthur W. Niemeyer 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 free and confidential consultation with an Illinois clergy abuse attorney. We are here to help you understand your rights and take legal action.

Sources

• Illinois Attorney General, Abusive Clerics and Religious Brothers, Arthur “Art” W. Niemeyer (ordination, assignments, reported survivors, reported abuse date and location entries)
• Illinois Attorney General, Survivor Narrative, Arthur W. Niemeyer (survivor account and discussion of reported prior warning and diocesan handling)
• Bishop Accountability, Fr. Arthur W. Niemeyer profile (supplemental role information, including orphanage and hospital chaplaincy; public listing context)
• Catholic Diocese of Belleville, Clergy Removed from Ministry list dated June 17, 2020 (public diocesan disclosure list)

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.