Sexual Abuse Allegations Against James R. Calhoun

This page outlines the assignments, credible allegations of child sexual abuse, and institutional actions involving Fr. James R. Calhoun, as part of the Injury Lawyer Team’s commitment to survivors in Illinois clergy abuse cases.

• Primary Entity Name: James R. Calhoun
• Common Variations / Aliases: Father James R. Calhoun, Fr. James Calhoun, Rev. James Calhoun
• Role/Title at Time of Incident: Parish Priest
• Current Status: Deceased

Public Identification and Clergy Status

Fr. James R. Calhoun 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, 2023 investigation and public database

Calhoun was ordained for the Diocese of Belleville and served in multiple parish assignments across southern Illinois. Public investigative records attribute allegations of child sexual abuse to him across more than one period. 

This is including reports tied to St. Clair County and an additional entry involving St. Clair County and Pottawattamie County. He was removed from ministry in March 1993 and later appeared on diocesan public lists and in statewide investigative resources.

• Entity that Listed Him: Catholic Diocese of Belleville, Illinois Attorney General’s Office
• Reason for Listing: Credible allegations of child sexual abuse, removal from ministry, inclusion on public disclosure lists and state investigative findings

Key Status Facts

Ordination Year: 1955

Ordination Date: May 3, 1955

Primary Diocese: Diocese of Belleville, Illinois

Reported Survivors: 9

Date and Location Entries for Reported Abuse in Public Records:

• 1956–1960, location listed as unknown
• 1979–1983, St. Clair County, Illinois
• 1981–1983, St. Clair County, Illinois and Pottawattamie County

Diocese Claim of First Report: 1993

Restrictions: Removed from ministry on March 18, 1993

Criminal Convictions: None publicly recorded

Public Disclosure: Listed on diocesan public lists dated October 18, 2018, and included in the Illinois Attorney General’s 2023 clergy abuse investigation resources

Died: May 26, 1996

Assignment History

Primary Diocese: Diocese of Belleville

Parish Assignments (as documented in public reports):

• Saint Bruno, Pinckneyville, Illinois (dates not specified)
• Saint Luke, Belleville, Illinois (dates not specified)
• Saint Peter, Belleville, Illinois (dates not specified)
• Saint Catherine, Grand Chain, Illinois (dates not specified)
• Our Lady of Fatima, Ullin, Illinois (dates not specified)
• Our Lady of Lourdes, Sparta, Illinois (dates not specified)
• Saint Anthony, Coulterville, Illinois (dates not specified)
• Blessed Sacrament, Belleville, Illinois (dates not specified)
• Saint Boniface Church, Germantown, Illinois (dates not specified)

Non-Parish Assignments: Public reporting surrounding the 1993 removals indicates that Calhoun resided at the San Damiano Shrine property after his removal from parish ministry. This is described as a post removal living arrangement and is not consistently listed as an official diocesan assignment in the public disclosure lists.

Known Allegations

Fr. James R. Calhoun was accused of sexually abusing minors, with public investigative records listing multiple date ranges and locations associated with reported abuse. 

The Illinois Attorney General’s clergy abuse database attributes nine reported survivors to Calhoun and lists reported abuse entries in 1956–1960, 1979–1983 in St. Clair County, and 1981–1983 spanning St. Clair County and Pottawattamie County.

In addition to the state investigative database entries, public reporting documents that Calhoun faced civil litigation. A July 1994 news report states that a plaintiff using the alias John Doe filed a civil lawsuit in circuit court in Belleville against Calhoun and the Diocese of Belleville, alleging the plaintiff was sexually abused by Calhoun approximately 14 to 15 years earlier when the plaintiff was in his early teens.

Summary: Fr. James R. Calhoun was credibly accused of sexually abusing minors; public investigative records attribute allegations to nine reported survivors with reported abuse entries spanning 1956–1960 and 1979–1983. He was removed from ministry on March 18, 1993. Then he was  later publicly identified in diocesan disclosures and the Illinois Attorney General’s clergy abuse investigation.

Overseeing Authorities During Key Periods:

• Bishop Albert Rudolph Zuroweste, Diocese of Belleville (1948–1976)
• Bishop William Michael Cosgrove, Diocese of Belleville (1976–1981)
• Bishop John Nicholas Wurm, Diocese of Belleville (1981–1984)
• Bishop James Peter Keleher, Diocese of Belleville (1984–1993)

Institutional Actions and Review

The Diocese of Belleville removed Calhoun from ministry on March 18, 1993. The Illinois Attorney General’s database also reflects the diocese’s claim that it first received a report in 1993. Public disclosures, including lists of accused clergy in Illinois, included Calhoun among clergy removed from ministry after credibly substantiated allegations.

Because Calhoun died in 1996, later public accountability measures occurred posthumously through diocesan list publication and inclusion in statewide investigative resources released in 2023.

Timeline

May 3, 1955– ordained as a priest for the Diocese of Belleville

1956–1960– reported abuse entry in public records, location listed as unknown

1979–1983– reported abuse entry in public records, St. Clair County, Illinois

1981–1983– reported abuse entry in public records, St. Clair County, Illinois and Pottawattamie County

March 18, 1993– removed from ministry by the Diocese of Belleville

1993– diocese claim of first report, as stated in public investigative records

July 1, 1994– civil lawsuit reported as filed in circuit court in Belleville alleging sexual abuse approximately 14 to 15 years earlier

May 26, 1996– died

October 18, 2018– included on Diocese of Belleville public list of clergy removed from ministry

May 23, 2023– included in the Illinois Attorney General’s clergy abuse investigation resources and database

Speak With an Attorney

If you or someone you know was sexually abused by Fr. James R. Calhoun 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

• Illinois Attorney General, Abusive Clerics and Religious Brothers, James R. Calhoun (reported survivors, abuse date and location entries, first report year, public list date, status actions)
• Catholic Diocese of Belleville, Listing of Diocesan Clergy Removed from Ministry dated October 18, 2018 (ordination date, removal date, death date)
• St. Louis Post-Dispatch, July 2, 1994, Suit Accuses Priest of Sexual Abuse (reports that the lawsuit was filed Friday in circuit court in Belleville, against Calhoun and the Diocese, alleging abuse 14 to 15 years earlier)
• Belleville News-Democrat, March 7, 2003, Belleville Diocese Priests Ousted from Ministry (lists March 18, 1993 removal date for Calhoun in the diocesan removal sequence)
• Bishop Accountability, Fr. James R. Calhoun profile page (summary compilation and pointer list to contemporaneous coverage and diocesan list references)

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.