Sexual Abuse Allegations Against Fr. Louis P. Rogge

This page outlines the assignments, publicly reported allegations of child sexual abuse, and institutional actions involving Fr. Louis P. Rogge, as part of the Injury Lawyer Team’s legal representation of survivors in Illinois clergy abuse cases.

• Primary Entity Name: Louis P. Rogge
• Common Variations / Aliases: Father Louis Rogge, Fr. Louis Rogge, Louis Rogge, Louis P. “Meinrad” Rogge
• Role/Title at Time of Incident: Catholic Priest, Carmelite Order (O. Carm.), Parish Ministry
• Current Status: Deceased (2007)

Public Identification and Clergy Status

Fr. Louis P. Rogge was publicly identified as a Catholic priest accused of child sexual abuse by multiple Church authorities and government bodies following criminal proceedings and later institutional review, including:

• The Illinois Attorney General’s Office (statewide clergy abuse investigation)
• The Diocese of Joliet, Illinois
• The Carmelite Order (O. Carm.)
• The Archdiocese of Atlanta, Georgia

Public court records show that Fr. Rogge pleaded guilty to child molestation charges in Georgia in 1974 and later pleaded guilty to aggravated criminal sexual abuse charges in Illinois in 2007. His inclusion in Illinois clergy abuse disclosures reflects both criminal adjudication and subsequent institutional review related to his clerical affiliations and ministry assignments.

Fr. Rogge was named in the Illinois Attorney General’s 2023 report on Catholic clergy abuse, which compiled publicly disclosed allegations, criminal cases, and institutional responses involving clergy connected to Illinois dioceses and religious orders.

Entity that Listed Him: Illinois Attorney General’s Office; Diocese of Joliet; Carmelite Order (O. Carm.); Archdiocese of Atlanta

Reason for Listing: Criminal convictions for child sexual abuse, substantiated allegations identified through court proceedings, and public disclosure following institutional review

Key Status Facts

• Ordination Year: Reported as 1954 in public records
• Years in Active Ministry: Served for several decades as a member of the Carmelite Order
• Locations Where He Served: Diocese of Joliet (IL); Chicago area; Georgia; Carmelite assignments in multiple states
• Restrictions: Public records indicate removal from public ministry following criminal proceedings
• Removal from Ministry: Removed from public ministry in 2002 and placed under a safety plan following internal review
• Laicization: Not publicly documented
• Criminal Convictions:
  • 1974: Guilty plea to child molestation charges in Athens, Georgia; sentenced to six years’ probation
  • 2007: Guilty plea to aggravated criminal sexual abuse charges in Illinois
• Date of Death: August 8, 2007
• Public Disclosure: Listed by the Archdiocese of Atlanta (2018), Carmelite Order (January 2021), Diocese of Joliet (February 2021); named in the Illinois Attorney General’s 2023 report

Assignment History

Primary Diocese / Religious Order: Diocese of Joliet, Carmelite Order (O. Carm.)

Public records document that Fr. Louis P. Rogge held numerous assignments within Illinois and elsewhere as a Carmelite priest. These assignments establish the institutional settings relevant to the reported allegations.

Parish and Institutional Assignments (as documented in public records):

• 1957–1962: Joliet Catholic High School — Joliet, IL
• 1970–1971: Joliet Catholic High School — Joliet, IL
• 1976–1980: Saint Cyril Priory — Chicago, IL
• 1980–1984: Brandsma House — Chicago, IL
• 1992: Saint Simon Stock Priory — Darien, IL
• 1994–2007: Saint Elias Friary — Joliet, IL

Fr. Rogge also traveled for short-term assignments connected to Carmelite missions and served in Georgia, where criminal charges were first brought against him.

Non-Church Assignments: Public disclosures reference ministry-related residential and community assignments associated with the Carmelite Order. No consistent documentation of secular employment or external youth organizations has been published.

Known Allegations

Fr. Louis P. Rogge has been accused of sexually abusing multiple minors in connection with his service as a Catholic priest and member of the Carmelite Order. Public records document at least two criminal cases involving child sexual abuse.

According to court records and investigative reporting summarized in the Illinois Attorney General’s narrative:

• 1972–1974 (Georgia): Rogge sexually abused a minor in Athens, Georgia. He pleaded guilty to child molestation charges in 1974 and was sentenced to probation.
• 1997–1998 (Illinois): Rogge sexually abused two brothers in Bolingbrook, Illinois, while serving in ministry under the Diocese of Joliet. The abuse allegedly occurred in private settings connected to parish life. According to public reporting summarized in the Attorney General’s investigation, Rogge later admitted to abusing the boys.

In December 2006, Illinois prosecutors charged Rogge with multiple counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse based on the Bolingbrook allegations. In April 2007, he pleaded guilty to two counts. He died later that year while awaiting sentencing.

Reported locations of alleged abuse: Georgia; Illinois (Bolingbrook)

Approximate period of alleged misconduct: 1970s; late 1990s

Church determination status: Substantiated through criminal convictions and reflected in later institutional review

Multiple allegations reported: Yes; public records reference at least three victims across two states

Summary: Fr. Louis P. Rogge pleaded guilty to child sexual abuse charges in both Georgia and Illinois, with multiple victims identified over several decades of ministry.

Overseeing Authorities During Key Periods:

• Carmelite Order (O. Carm.)
• Diocese of Joliet, Illinois
• Bishop Joseph Imesch – Diocese of Joliet

Associated Organizations:

• Carmelite Order (O. Carm.)
• Parish ministries within the Diocese of Joliet

Legal / Investigative Bodies Referenced:

• Georgia criminal courts
• Illinois criminal courts
• Illinois Attorney General’s Office (2023 statewide clergy abuse investigation)

Institutional Actions and Review

Public records indicate that Church authorities and the Carmelite Order responded to allegations involving Fr. Louis P. Rogge primarily after criminal proceedings or external reporting, rather than at the time of the earliest misconduct.

Despite his 1974 guilty plea in Georgia, Rogge later returned to public ministry and was granted faculties to serve in Illinois. Publicly available records reviewed by the Illinois Attorney General do not indicate that parish communities were notified of his prior conviction when he was appointed to ministry roles within the Diocese of Joliet.

In 2002, following an internal review, Rogge was removed from public ministry and placed under a safety plan. Following the 2006–2007 Illinois criminal case, no evidence indicates that he was reassigned to the ministry.

Public disclosure occurred years later. Rogge was added to public Church lists beginning in 2018, with subsequent disclosures by the Carmelite Order and the Diocese of Joliet. He was later included in the Illinois Attorney General’s statewide investigation, which consolidated publicly identified clergy across Illinois dioceses, including those appearing on the list of accused clergy in Illinois.

Timeline

1954 — Ordained as a priest in the Carmelite Order

1957–1962 — Served at Joliet Catholic High School, Joliet, IL

1972 — Alleged abuse occurred in Athens, GA

1974 — Pleaded guilty to child molestation charges in Georgia; sentenced to probation

1976–1984 — Served in Carmelite assignments in Chicago, IL

1992 — Accepted into ministry in the Diocese of Joliet

1997–1998 — Alleged abuse of two minors in Bolingbrook, IL

2002 — Removed from public ministry and placed under safety plan

December 2006 — Indicted in Illinois on aggravated criminal sexual abuse charges

April 2007 — Pleaded guilty to Illinois charges

August 8, 2007 — Died while awaiting sentencing

2018–2021 — Added to public Church lists by Atlanta, Carmelites, and Joliet

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. Louis P. Rogge 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.

Contact us to arrange a confidential consultation with an Illinois clergy abuse attorney to discuss your rights and potential legal options.

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 summarizes publicly reported allegations, criminal proceedings, and institutional responses involving Fr. Louis P. Rogge.
• The Illinois Attorney General’s abuser list entry for Louis P. “Meinrad” Rogge, which provides publicly listed identifiers, assignment references, reported abuse locations, and disclosure dates.
• BishopAccountability.org’s profile for Fr. Louis P. Rogge, which compiles publicly available reporting and references to underlying records related to allegations, criminal cases, and Church disclosures.

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.