Sexual Abuse Allegations Against Fr. Richard M. Ruffalo

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

• Primary Entity Name: Richard M. Ruffalo
• Common Variations / Aliases: Father Richard Ruffalo, Fr. Richard Ruffalo, Richard Ruffalo
• Role/Title at Time of Incident: Catholic Priest, Parish Ministry
• Current Status: Deceased (1997)

Public Identification and Clergy Status

Fr. Richard M. Ruffalo was publicly identified as a Catholic priest accused of child sexual abuse by official Church authorities and state investigators, including:

• The Diocese of Joliet
• The Illinois Attorney General’s Office (statewide clergy abuse investigation)

The Diocese of Joliet added Fr. Ruffalo to its public list of clergy following internal review on April 9, 2006. He was later included in the Illinois Attorney General’s 2023 report on Catholic clergy abuse, which compiled publicly disclosed allegations across dioceses in Illinois.

Public disclosures indicate that the allegations involved the sexual abuse of multiple minors during Fr. Ruffalo’s time in parish ministry in Illinois. The alleged misconduct occurred decades before public disclosure and after his death.

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

Reason for Listing: Allegations of child sexual abuse were reviewed and publicly disclosed by the Diocese of Joliet and included in the Illinois Attorney General’s statewide investigation

Key Status Facts

• Ordination Date: May 30, 1959
• Years in Active Ministry: Served for several decades within the Diocese of Joliet; exact start and end dates not fully detailed in public summaries
• Locations Where He Served: Diocese of Joliet, Illinois
• Restrictions: Public disclosures do not describe restrictions imposed prior to his death
• Removal from Ministry: Not applicable; allegations became public after his death
• Laicization: Not publicly documented
• Date of Death: February 21, 1997
• Public Disclosure: Listed by the Diocese of Joliet on April 9, 2006; named in the Illinois Attorney General’s 2023 clergy abuse report

Assignment History

Primary Diocese: Diocese of Joliet, Illinois

Public records and investigative summaries indicate that Fr. Richard M. Ruffalo served in multiple parish assignments within the Diocese of Joliet. These assignments establish the institutional settings relevant to the reported allegations.

Parish Assignments (as documented in public records):

• St. Rose of Lima – Kankakee, IL
• St. Joseph – Rockdale, IL
• St. Peter the Apostle – Itasca, IL
• Cathedral of St. Raymond Nonnatus – Joliet, IL
• St. Mary – Park Forest, IL
• Holy Cross – Joliet, IL
• Diocese of Joliet – Tribunal

Exact date ranges for individual assignments have not been consistently published in diocesan summaries.

Non-Church Assignments: No publicly documented non-church assignments (such as schools, hospitals, or external youth organizations) have been identified in connection with Fr. Ruffalo in available public disclosures.

Known Allegations

Fr. Richard M. Ruffalo has been accused of sexually abusing multiple minors in connection with his service as a Catholic priest in Illinois under the Diocese of Joliet. Public summaries and investigative reporting reference allegations from multiple individuals, with some sources identifying at least four complainants.

According to publicly available records and litigation summaries, the alleged abuse occurred over an extended period and at multiple locations in Illinois, including:

• 1964–1970: Alleged abuse reported at or associated with St. John the Baptist Parish in Winfield, IL
• 1969 and 1980: Alleged abuse reported in Will County, IL
• 1980: Alleged abuse associated with St. Mary Parish in Park Forest, IL

Survivors have alleged that the abuse occurred while they were minors in connection with parish-related interactions. These allegations came to public attention through civil litigation and were later reviewed by Church authorities, rather than being reported contemporaneously with the alleged misconduct.

Reported location of alleged abuse: Illinois (Diocese of Joliet)

Approximate period of alleged misconduct: 1960s–1980s

Church determination status: Publicly disclosed by the Diocese of Joliet following internal review

Multiple allegations reported: Yes; public summaries reference at least four individuals

Summary: Fr. Richard M. Ruffalo has been publicly identified by Church authorities and state investigators in Illinois in connection with allegations of child sexual abuse involving multiple minors over several decades.

Overseeing Authority During Key Periods: Diocese of Joliet leadership (specific bishops not consistently identified in public summaries)

Associated Organizations: Parish ministries within the Diocese of Joliet

Legal/Investigative Bodies Referenced: Illinois Attorney General’s Office (2023 statewide clergy abuse investigation)

Institutional Actions and Review

Public disclosures indicate that the Diocese of Joliet reviewed allegations involving Fr. Richard M. Ruffalo through internal processes after his death, prior to his inclusion on the list of accused clergy in Illinois.

According to public summaries cited in investigative reporting, the diocese first received allegations related to Fr. Ruffalo in 1997, the year of his death. Available public disclosures do not describe restrictions imposed during his lifetime or any contemporaneous warning provided to parish communities before his death.

After civil litigation was filed by survivors in the years following his death, additional allegations were reported publicly and later reflected in diocesan review and disclosure. Fr. Ruffalo’s name was made public on April 9, 2006, when the Diocese of Joliet added him to its public list following an internal review. He was later included in the Illinois Attorney General’s statewide investigation, which compiled clergy disclosures across Illinois dioceses.

Timeline

May 30, 1959 — Ordained as a Catholic priest

1960s–1980s — Served in multiple parish assignments within the Diocese of Joliet

1964–1970 — Alleged abuse reported at or associated with St. John the Baptist, Winfield, IL

1969 & 1980 — Alleged abuse reported in Will County, IL

1980 — Alleged abuse associated with St. Mary Parish, Park Forest, IL

February 21, 1997 — Died

1997 — Public summaries report that the Diocese of Joliet first received allegations

1998 — Civil lawsuit filed by one survivor

2003 — Additional civil lawsuits filed by other plaintiffs

April 9, 2006 — Added to the Diocese of Joliet’s public list of clergy following internal review

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

Speak With an Attorney

If you or someone you know was sexually abused by Fr. Richard M. Ruffalo 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 to learn more about your rights and the legal options that may be available to you.

Sources and Public Records

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

• The Illinois Attorney General’s Report on Catholic Clergy Abuse, which includes information related to clergy assignments, allegations, and public disclosure within the Diocese of Joliet, including Fr. Richard M. Ruffalo.
• The Diocese of Joliet’s official list of clergy with substantiated allegations, where Fr. Richard M. Ruffalo is publicly named following internal diocesan review.
• BishopAccountability.org, which compiles publicly available records, litigation summaries, and reporting related to allegations involving Fr. Richard M. Ruffalo, with references to underlying source 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.