Sexual Abuse Allegations Against Richard L. Bennett

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

• Primary Entity Name: Richard L. Bennett
• Common Variations / Aliases: Father Richard L. Bennett, Fr. Richard Bennett, Rev. Richard Bennett
• Role/Title at Time of Incident: Parish Priest, Pastor
• Current Status: Laicized

Public Identification and Clergy Status

Fr. Richard L. Bennett was publicly identified as a priest with a substantiated allegation of child sexual abuse by multiple Church and government entities, including:

• The Catholic Diocese of Joliet
• The Illinois Attorney General’s Office (2023 investigation and public database)

Public reporting and diocesan documentation describe Bennett as a priest ordained for the Diocese of Joliet who served in several parishes in DuPage and Will Counties, including St. Pius X in Lombard and later Holy Spirit Catholic Community in Naperville. 

A civil lawsuit filed in 2006 alleged that Bennett sexually abused a minor in 1975. The diocese placed him under supervision following the filing of the lawsuit, and the case was later dismissed.

Bennett later left the ministry in 2009 and was laicized in 2022, according to diocesan documentation and state investigative listing data.

• Entity that Listed Him: Catholic Diocese of Joliet, Illinois Attorney General’s Office
• Reason for Listing: Substantiated allegation of child sexual abuse, public listing by the diocese, inclusion in state investigative materials, departure from ministry, and later laicization

Key Status Facts

Ordination Year: 1972

Ordination Date: November 4, 1972

Primary Diocese: Diocese of Joliet, Illinois

Reported Survivors: At least 1

Reported Abuse Date and Location in Public Records: Alleged abuse described in public reporting as occurring in 1975, the Illinois Attorney General database lists the date and location as unknown

Restrictions: Placed under supervision after the 2006 civil lawsuit filing, later released from supervision after court dismissal and expiration of the appeal window

Left Ministry: 2009

Laicization: 2022

Public List Placement: May 28, 2019

Assignment History

Primary Diocese: Diocese of Joliet

Parish Assignments (as documented in public reports):

• St. Dennis, Lockport, Illinois (1973–1975)
• St. Pius X, Lombard, Illinois (1977–1979)
• St. Raphael, Naperville, Illinois (1980–1987)
• St. Mary of Gostyn, Downers Grove, Illinois (dates reported in diocesan lists, parish years vary by public source)
• Sacred Heart, Joliet, Illinois (1988–1998)
• Catholic Community of Wheatland, Naperville, Illinois (1999)
• Holy Spirit Catholic Community Church, Naperville, Illinois (2001–2009)

Non-Parish Assignments: Service connected to diocesan administrative or deanery leadership roles is described in public compilations, including a reference to work connected to the Office of Deans during the mid-2000s, with exact start and end dates not consistently stated in the same public record set

Known Allegations

Fr. Richard L. Bennett was accused of sexually abusing a minor in a claim that became public through civil litigation in 2006. The allegation described a single incident of abuse in 1975, when the alleged victim was 11 years old. Public reporting identified the alleged setting as a parish rectory associated with St. Pius X in Lombard.

The lawsuit was filed on April 27, 2006, naming Bennett and another priest. Bennett publicly denied the allegations while serving as pastor of Holy Spirit Catholic Community. 

A DuPage County judge later dismissed the case in October 2007. The plaintiff filed an appeal but did not pursue it, and public records indicate that the appeal window subsequently expired.

The Illinois Attorney General’s clergy abuse database lists Bennett as an abusive cleric with at least one reported survivor. Still, it does not specify the date or location of reported abuse in that entry.

Summary: Fr. Richard L. Bennett was publicly identified as a priest with a substantiated allegation of child sexual abuse; a civil lawsuit filed April 27, 2006, alleged abuse in 1975, the case was dismissed in October 2007, and Bennett left the ministry in 2009 and was laicized in 2022.

Overseeing Authorities During Key Periods:

• Bishop Romeo R. Blanchette, Diocese of Joliet (August 31, 1966–January 30, 1979)
• Bishop Joseph L. Imesch, Diocese of Joliet (August 28, 1979–May 16, 2006)
• Bishop J. Peter Sartain, Diocese of Joliet (June 27, 2006–2010)

Institutional Actions and Review

After the April 2006 lawsuit was filed, the Diocese of Joliet placed Bennett under supervision while the claim proceeded through the civil court system. This was before he was placed on the list of accused priests in Illinois. 

Public reports later stated that Bennett was removed from supervision after the dismissal of the lawsuit and the expiration of the appeal period.

Later, institutional accountability measures were pursued through public disclosure. Bennett was placed on the Diocese of Joliet’s public list on May 28, 2019. State investigative materials published in 2023 also include Bennett among the listed abusive clerics tied to the Diocese of Joliet.

Timeline

November 4, 1972 — Ordained as a priest for the Diocese of Joliet

1973–1975 — St. Dennis, Lockport, Illinois

1975 — Alleged abuse described in public reporting as occurring when the alleged victim was 11

1977–1979 — St. Pius X, Lombard, Illinois

1980–1987 — St. Raphael, Naperville, Illinois

1988–1998 — Sacred Heart, Joliet, Illinois

1999 — Catholic Community of Wheatland, Naperville, Illinois

2001 — Catholic Community of Wheatland became Holy Spirit Catholic Community, with Bennett identified as pastor in public reporting

November 2004 — Public reporting describes this as the point when allegations first surfaced against Bennett

April 27, 2006 — Civil lawsuit filed alleging abuse in 1975

May 2006 — Bennett publicly denied the allegation during church services, as reported

October 2007 — DuPage County Circuit Court judge dismissed the case

2009 — Left ministry

May 28, 2019 — Placed on the Diocese of Joliet public list

2022 — Laicized

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. Richard L. Bennett 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

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

• Illinois Attorney General, Abusive Clerics and Religious Brothers, Richard L. Bennett
• Diocese of Joliet, Clergy with Substantiated Allegations of Sexual Abuse of a Minor (revision pages showing ordination date, public list date, left ministry 2009, laicized 2022)
• Diocese of Joliet, Former Ordinaries (bishop dates and installation or resignation milestones used for overseeing authorities section)
• Naperville Sun, June 5, 2007, reporting on the allegation, parish assignment years, lawsuit filing date, and dismissal month and year

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.