Sexual Abuse Allegations Against Fr. James M. Frederick

This page outlines the assignments, reported allegations of sexual abuse, and institutional actions involving Fr. James M. Frederick, as part of the Injury Lawyer Team’s legal representation of survivors in Illinois clergy abuse cases.

• Primary Entity Name: James M. Frederick
• Common Variations / Aliases: Father James Frederick, Fr. James Frederick, Rev. James M. Frederick
• Role/Title at Time of Incident: Catholic Priest, Seminary Administrator, Parish Ministry Involvement
• Current Status: Deceased

Public Identification and Clergy Status

Fr. James M. Frederick was publicly identified as a priest accused of sexual abuse by Church authorities and government investigators following reviews of diocesan records and survivor reports. His name appears on official lists released as part of broader disclosures concerning clergy sexual abuse in Illinois.

Fr. Frederick was included on the Diocese of Joliet’s public list of clergy with substantiated allegations of sexual abuse of minors, first published in April 2006. He was also named in the Illinois Attorney General’s statewide investigation into Catholic clergy sexual abuse, which compiled allegations reported across multiple dioceses and evaluated how Church institutions responded to those reports.

Public disclosures indicate that the allegations involve sexual abuse of minors during Fr. Frederick’s service in diocesan ministry, including while he served in a seminary setting. These listings reflect determinations made through diocesan review processes and state-level investigation and do not constitute criminal adjudication.

Entity that Listed Him: Diocese of Joliet, Illinois Attorney General’s Office

Reason for Listing: Substantiated allegations of child sexual abuse identified through diocesan review and documented in the Illinois Attorney General’s clergy abuse investigation

Key Status Facts

• Ordination Date: May 30, 1959
• Years in Active Ministry: Served in diocesan ministry within the Diocese of Joliet following ordination; later held parish and administrative assignments
• Locations Where He Served: Diocese of Joliet, Illinois, including parish, seminary, and diocesan office assignments
• Reported Survivors: Two individuals, as reflected in public disclosures
• Date and Location of Reported Abuse: Alleged abuse reported to have occurred during the 1967–1968 period at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary
• Restrictions / Removal: Public reporting and personnel-file summaries indicate he was removed from seminary administration following complaints in 1967
• Removal, Resignation, or Reassignment: Subsequently assigned to parish and diocesan administrative roles
• Laicization: There is no public indication that Fr. Frederick was laicized
• Public Disclosure / Listing Date: Publicly listed by the Diocese of Joliet in April 2006
• Died: August 6, 1988

Assignment History

Primary Diocese: Diocese of Joliet, Illinois

Publicly available Church records, investigative summaries, and later-released personnel files indicate that Fr. James M. Frederick served in a range of parish, seminary, and diocesan administrative roles within the Diocese of Joliet following his ordination. These assignments establish the institutional settings relevant to the reported allegations and subsequent Church review.

Seminary and Institutional Roles:

• St. Charles Borromeo Seminary (minor seminary) – Diocese of Joliet, IL (mid-to-late 1960s)
  According to public reporting and personnel-file summaries released years later, Fr. Frederick served as Dean of Students during the period in which alleged abuse was reported to have occurred. Several students reportedly raised complaints to the seminary leadership in 1967.
• Diocese of Joliet – Schools Office – Joliet, IL
  Assigned to diocesan administrative duties following his removal from seminary leadership.
• Diocese of Joliet – Cemeteries Office – Joliet, IL
  Held additional administrative responsibilities later in ministry.

Parish Assignments (as documented in public records)

• St. Liborius Parish – Steger, IL
• Notre Dame Parish – Clarendon Hills, IL
• St. Patrick Parish – Wilton Center, IL
• St. Anthony Parish – Frankfort, IL
• St. Joseph Parish – Manhattan, IL
• St. Francis Woods Motherhouse – Frankfort, IL

Early and Transitional Roles: Fr. Frederick’s early ministry included seminary administration and priestly formation roles, followed by parish assignments and later diocesan office positions.

Non-Church Assignments: No publicly disclosed external ministry assignments outside diocesan institutions have been identified in released records.

Known Allegations

Public disclosures identify Fr. James M. Frederick as the subject of substantiated allegations of sexual abuse of minors connected to his time in diocesan ministry. According to information released through Church and government records, the reported abuse occurred while he served in a position of authority at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary, a minor seminary within the Diocese of Joliet.

• Where the abuse allegedly occurred: St. Charles Borromeo Seminary (Diocese of Joliet), Illinois
• Approximate period of alleged misconduct: 1967–1968
• How the allegation is characterized in public records: Listed by the Diocese of Joliet among clergy with substantiated allegations; also included in the Illinois Attorney General’s clergy abuse disclosures
• Whether multiple allegations were reported: Public records reflect two reported survivors

Summary: Public Church and state disclosures describe substantiated allegations that Fr. Frederick sexually abused minors during the 1967–1968 period while serving in a seminary leadership role within the Diocese of Joliet.

Overseeing Authority During Key Period: Bishop Romeo R. Blanchette — Diocese of Joliet

Associated Organizations / Institutions Referenced: St. Charles Borromeo Seminary (minor seminary), Diocese of Joliet

Legal / Investigative Bodies Referenced: Illinois Attorney General’s investigation and public abuser-list disclosures related to clergy sexual abuse in Illinois

Institutional Actions and Review

Church records and later investigative summaries indicate that concerns regarding Fr. James M. Frederick’s conduct were raised during his tenure at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary in the late 1960s. Public reporting based on diocesan personnel files indicates that multiple students complained to seminary leadership in 1967, after which Fr. Frederick was removed from his role in seminary administration.

Following his removal from seminary leadership, Fr. Frederick was reassigned to parish and administrative positions within the Diocese of Joliet. Public disclosures do not indicate that these assignments were accompanied by public warnings or disclosure of the nature of the complaints at that time.

Information regarding the allegations was not publicly disclosed until decades later. Fr. Frederick was included on the Diocese of Joliet’s list of clergy with substantiated allegations in 2006, following retrospective review of diocesan files. His name was later included in the Illinois Attorney General’s statewide investigation and placed on the list of accused clergy in Illinois.

In 2013, the Diocese of Joliet agreed to release Fr. Frederick’s personnel files as part of a civil settlement related to clergy abuse litigation. Those records were released in 2014 and contributed to later public reporting and government review.

Timeline

May 30, 1959 — Ordained as a Catholic priest (Diocese of Joliet)

Mid-1960s — Assigned to St. Charles Borromeo Seminary; later identified in public reporting as serving as Dean of Students

1967–1968 — Alleged sexual abuse reportedly occurred at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary

1967 — Complaints reportedly raised to seminary leadership; removed from seminary administration

Late 1960s–1970s — Reassigned to parish and diocesan administrative roles

August 6, 1988 — Died

April 2006 — Publicly listed by the Diocese of Joliet among clergy with substantiated allegations

2013–2014 — Personnel files released following civil litigation settlement

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. James M. Frederick 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 sensitive nature of these cases.

Contact us to schedule a confidential consultation with an Illinois clergy abuse attorney. Our team is here to help you understand your rights and explore potential legal action.

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, which lists Fr. James M. Frederick and includes reported abuse location/time period and reported survivor count.
• The Diocese of Joliet’s official list of clergy with substantiated allegations, which includes Fr. James M. Frederick.
• The BishopAccountability.org profile and document archive for Fr. James M. Frederick, which compiles publicly reported background information and references to released personnel-file materials.

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.