Sexual Abuse Allegations Against Fr. Frederick A. Lenczycki

This page outlines the documented assignments, substantiated allegations of child sexual abuse, criminal proceedings, and institutional actions involving Fr. Frederick A. Lenczycki, as part of the Injury Lawyer Team’s legal representation of survivors in Illinois clergy abuse cases.

• Primary Entity Name: Frederick A. Lenczycki
• Common Variations / Aliases: Father Frederick Lenczycki, Fr. Frederick Lenczycki, Fr. Fred Lenczycki, Father Fred
• Role/Title at Time of Incident: Catholic Priest, Parish Priest, Associate Pastor
• Current Status: Laicized; sentenced to imprisonment in Missouri

Public Identification and Clergy Status

Fr. Frederick A. Lenczycki has been publicly identified as a credibly accused and criminally convicted Catholic priest by Church authorities, government bodies, and courts in multiple jurisdictions. His name appears in official disclosures following internal diocesan reviews, criminal investigations, and statewide reporting initiatives related to clergy sexual abuse.

Lenczycki was included in the Illinois Attorney General’s 2023 Report on Catholic Clergy Abuse, which documented allegations involving minors during his time in ministry in Illinois. He is also listed by the Diocese of Joliet among clergy members with substantiated allegations of sexual abuse of minors. In addition to Illinois disclosures, Lenczycki later faced criminal prosecution in Missouri, where he pleaded guilty to child sexual abuse charges and received a prison sentence.

Entity that Listed Him:

• Diocese of Joliet (Illinois)
• Illinois Attorney General’s Office (2023 Clergy Abuse Report)
• Archdiocese of St. Louis (Missouri)

Reason for Listing:

• Substantiated and credible allegations of child sexual abuse were identified through the diocesan review
• Inclusion in a statewide government investigation into clergy abuse
• Criminal convictions based on guilty pleas in Illinois and Missouri

Key Status Facts

• Ordination Year: 1972
• Years in Active Ministry: Approximately 1972–2002
• Primary Diocese: Diocese of Joliet (Illinois)
• Locations Where He Served: Illinois, Missouri, and California
• Reported Survivors: At least 18 individuals identified in public records
• Restrictions: Removed from ministry following abuse allegations
• Removal from Ministry: 2002
• Criminal Convictions:
  • 2004 (Illinois): Pleaded guilty to aggravated criminal sexual abuse involving three minors; sentenced to five years in prison
  • 2019 (Missouri): Pleaded guilty to two counts of child sodomy; sentenced to ten years in prison
• Civil Commitment: In 2008, a court found Lenczycki to meet the criteria of a sexually violent person under Illinois law, and he was civilly committed to a state-operated treatment facility
• Laicization: Laicized by the Vatican in 2016
• Public Disclosure Dates:
  • Listed by the Diocese of Joliet in April 2006
  • Listed by the Archdiocese of St. Louis in July 2019
  • Named in the Illinois Attorney General’s 2023 report

Assignment History in Primary Diocese or Order

Public records and diocesan disclosures indicate that Fr. Frederick A. Lenczycki served in parish and institutional ministry across multiple dioceses. The assignments below establish the settings relevant to later abuse allegations.

Primary Diocese: Diocese of Joliet (Illinois)

Illinois Assignments:

• Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church in Naperville, Illinois (1972–1975)
• Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary in Romeoville, Illinois (1975–1980)
• Saint Isaac Jogues Catholic Church in Hinsdale, Illinois (1980–1984)
• Saint Mary Parish in Beaverville, Illinois (1984)

Other Illinois Roles (as listed in public records):

• Pastoral Center in Belleville, Illinois (1991–1992)

Out-of-State and Extern Ministry:

• Archdiocese of San Francisco (California): Served in ministry associated with the San Francisco archdiocese, including a placement connected to Pacifica, California (late 1980s–early 1990s)
• Archdiocese of St. Louis (Missouri): Served in parish ministry and later as a hospital chaplain at DePaul Health Center in Bridgeton, Missouri, for an extended period prior to his removal from ministry

Non-Church Assignments and Related Context:

• Parish-based youth activities, altar server supervision, and sacramental preparation
• Treatment-related placements following internal Church concerns

Assignment information was not broadly disclosed at the time of transfers. Fuller details emerged later through criminal proceedings, civil litigation, and government investigations.

Known Allegations

Public disclosures, court records, and diocesan findings indicate that Fr. Frederick A. Lenczycki was accused of sexually abusing minors across multiple locations and decades. Allegations involve misconduct occurring while he was assigned in Illinois, as well as later abuse reported in California and Missouri.

In Illinois, reported abuse includes allegations connected to Saint Isaac Jogues in Hinsdale during the early 1980s, as well as misconduct associated with Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary in Romeoville. Additional reports reference abuse occurring in Will County and DuPage County, with reported misconduct spanning from the late 1970s through the mid-1980s. Church authorities later deemed these allegations credible and substantiated, resulting in his inclusion on public lists of accused clergy.

After leaving Illinois, further allegations emerged involving abuse in California and later in Missouri during the early to mid-1990s. In Missouri, criminal investigations resulted in Lenczycki pleading guilty to child sexual abuse charges involving minors he encountered during parish ministry.

According to court records and published reporting, Lenczycki admitted to sexually abusing numerous minors over an extended period, with misconduct occurring across multiple jurisdictions rather than being confined to a single parish or assignment.

Summary: Public records describe multiple substantiated allegations of sexual abuse of minors involving Fr. Frederick A. Lenczycki, including criminal convictions and reported misconduct spanning Illinois, California, and Missouri.

Institutional Actions and Review

Public records indicate that Church authorities took action against Fr. Frederick A. Lenczycki only after allegations were formally reported, investigated, and later disclosed through broader accountability processes. Available documentation shows that disclosures concerning his conduct occurred years after some of the alleged abuse.

Lenczycki was removed from ministry in 2002 following allegations involving minors in Illinois. He was subsequently criminally prosecuted and convicted. Public disclosures do not clearly document whether restrictions were imposed prior to his removal or whether information about allegations was consistently shared during transfers to other dioceses.

His name became publicly known through official disclosures issued years later, including when the Illinois Attorney General included him on the list of accused clergy in Illinois. These disclosures followed internal diocesan reviews, civil litigation, and criminal proceedings, rather than immediate public notification when the allegations first surfaced.

Timeline

1972 — Ordained as a priest in the Diocese of Joliet

1972–1984 — Served in parish assignments in Illinois

Late 1970s–mid-1980s — Reported abuse occurred in Illinois

1989–1991 — Reported abuse associated with ministry in California

1992–1999 — Reported abuse associated with ministry in St. Louis, Missouri

2002 — Removed from ministry following allegations

2004 — Pleaded guilty in Illinois to aggravated criminal sexual abuse; sentenced to five years in prison

2006 (April) — Listed by the Diocese of Joliet

2008 — Adjudicated a sexually violent person and committed under Illinois law

2016 — Laicized by the Vatican

2019 (July) — Listed by the Archdiocese of St. Louis

2019 — Pleaded guilty in Missouri to child sodomy charges; sentenced to ten years

2023 — Named in the Illinois Attorney General’s clergy abuse report

Speak With an Attorney

If you or someone you know was sexually abused by Fr. Frederick A. Lenczycki or any Catholic clergy member in Illinois, you may still have legal options. The Injury Lawyer Team represents survivors of clergy abuse throughout the state and understands the sensitivity of these cases. You can contact us to request a confidential consultation with an Illinois clergy abuse attorney to learn more about your rights and potential legal remedies.

Sources and Public Records

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

• The Illinois Attorney General’s 2023 Report on Catholic Clergy Abuse and accompanying public database, which lists Fr. Frederick A. Lenczycki as a priest with substantiated allegations of sexual abuse of minors and documents his ministry history, reported abuse locations, and criminal case outcomes.
• BishopAccountability.org, which compiles publicly available court records, diocesan disclosures, and media reporting related to Fr. Lenczycki’s assignments, allegations, removals from ministry, and laicization.
• Associated Press reporting, detailing Lenczycki’s guilty plea in Missouri, his designation under Illinois law as a sexually violent person, and related criminal proceedings involving the sexual abuse of minors.

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.