Sexual Abuse Allegations Against Fr. Duane Leclercq

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

• Primary Entity Name: Duane Leclercq
• Common Variations / Aliases: Father Duane Leclercq, Fr. Duane Leclercq, M. Duane Leclercq
• Role/Title at Time of Incident: Parish Priest, Associate Pastor
• Current Status: Removed from Ministry

Public Identification and Clergy Status

Fr. Duane Leclercq was publicly identified as a credibly accused Catholic priest by Church authorities and state investigators following reviews of historical allegations of sexual abuse involving a minor. His name appears on official lists released by both the Diocese of Peoria and the Illinois Attorney General’s Office.

In 2018, the Diocese of Peoria publicly acknowledged allegations against Leclercq after its Diocesan Review Commission determined that an allegation of sexual abuse of a minor was credible. As a result, Leclercq was removed from public ministry and prohibited from functioning as a priest in any public capacity. His case was later included in the Illinois Attorney General’s statewide investigation into clergy abuse, which documented institutional failures to respond to reports of abuse when they were first raised.

Entity that Listed Him: Diocese of Peoria; Illinois Attorney General’s Office (statewide clergy abuse report)

Reason for Listing: Credible and substantiated allegation of sexual abuse of a minor following diocesan review; inclusion in the Illinois Attorney General’s investigation documenting clergy abuse and institutional handling of allegations

Key Status Facts

• Birth Year: 1938
• Ordination Year: 1964
• Diocese / Incardination: Diocese of Peoria (Illinois)
• Years in Active Ministry: Ordained in 1964 and served in parish and diocesan assignments in Illinois for several decades; publicly reported as retired in 2008
• Locations Where He Served: Multiple parishes and ministries across Illinois, including Bloomington, Peoria, Moline, Creve Coeur, Chillicothe, Earlville, LaSalle, and Granville
• Reported Survivors: Three, as reflected in public records and investigative reporting
• Restrictions / Status: Removed from public ministry
• Removal / Administrative Action: Removal from public ministry announced on November 1, 2018
• Laicization: No public record indicating laicization
• Public Disclosure / Listing Date: Placed on the Diocese of Peoria’s public list on November 29, 2018, and later included in the Illinois Attorney General’s clergy abuse report

Assignment History

Primary Diocese/Archdiocese: Diocese of Peoria (Illinois)

Parish and Ministry Assignments (as documented in public reports):

• Holy Trinity in Bloomington, Illinois (1964–1968)
• St. Mark in Peoria, Illinois (1968–1971)
• St. Mary in Moline, Illinois (1971–1973)
• St. Vincent de Paul in Peoria, Illinois (1973–1976)
• Sacre Coeur in Creve Coeur, Illinois (1976–1979)
• St. Edward in Chillicothe, Illinois (1979–1982)
• Director of Teens Encounter Christ (TEC), Diocese of Peoria (1982–1983)
• Residence: St. Bernard in Peoria, Illinois (1982–1983)
• St. John in Clinton, Illinois, and St. Patrick in Wapella, Illinois (1983–1989)
• St. Theresa in Earlville, Illinois (1989–1991)
• St. Boniface in Peoria, Illinois (1991–1994)
• St. Patrick in Dwight, Illinois (1994)
• St. Patrick in LaSalle, Illinois (1994–2003)
• Sacred Heart in Granville, Illinois, and St. Patrick in Hennepin, Illinois (2003–2008)
• Senior Status (2008)

Non-Church Assignments / Programs: Leadership role with Teens Encounter Christ (TEC) within the Diocese of Peoria (1982–1983)

Known Allegations

Public records and Church disclosures describe allegations that Fr. Duane Leclercq engaged in sexual abuse or misconduct involving minors while serving in the Diocese of Peoria.

One survivor reported that, as a freshman at Trinity High School, a Catholic high school in Bloomington, Illinois, he was abused in 1964 by two priests, including Leclercq. According to survivor narratives included in the Illinois Attorney General’s investigation, Leclercq allegedly assaulted the student in the school’s basement following wrestling practice.

Public narrative materials and diocesan documentation further indicate that, in 1985, Leclercq admitted to fondling a 16-year-old boy at his apartment after the minor reported the incident to police. Records also reflect that Leclercq acknowledged abusing another minor and maintaining ongoing interactions with young men at his residence.

Church authorities later determined that allegations against Leclercq were credible, and he was removed from public ministry in 2018.

Summary: Public records describe multiple reported allegations of sexual abuse involving minors, including abuse in a Catholic school setting in the 1960s and admitted misconduct in the 1980s; the Diocese of Peoria later deemed allegations credible and removed Leclercq from ministry.

Overseeing Authorities During Key Periods (Diocese of Peoria):

• Bishop William E. Cousins (mid-1960s)
• Bishop Edward W. O’Rourke (1980s)
• John J. Myers (diocesan leadership in the 1980s; later Bishop of Peoria)

Associated Institution Referenced: Trinity High School (Bloomington, Illinois)

Investigative Body Referenced: Illinois Attorney General’s Office

Institutional Actions and Review

Publicly disclosed Church records indicate that Church authorities were aware of concerns about Fr. Duane Leclercq’s conduct years before any public action occurred. According to materials referenced in the Illinois Attorney General’s investigation, diocesan officials were notified of allegations involving Leclercq as early as the mid-1980s, including an incident reported to law enforcement in which Leclercq acknowledged inappropriate contact with a minor.

Despite police involvement and Leclercq’s admission, there is no public record of his immediate removal from the ministry or of any meaningful restriction. Available records indicate that he was subsequently transferred to another parish assignment, and there is no evidence that information about the allegations was disclosed to parish communities at that time.

Formal institutional action occurred in November 2018, when the Diocese of Peoria reviewed historical records uncovered during the Attorney General’s investigation and determined that an allegation of sexual abuse of a minor was credible. Leclercq was then removed from public ministry and publicly identified by the diocese, later appearing on the list of accused clergy in Illinois.

Public disclosure of Leclercq’s status occurred decades after the initial reports of misconduct, as part of subsequent transparency efforts rather than as a contemporaneous measure.

Timeline

1964 — Ordained as a priest in the Diocese of Peoria

1964 — Alleged abuse reported to have occurred at Trinity High School in Bloomington, Illinois

1964–1968 — Holy Trinity, Bloomington, Illinois

1968–1971 — St. Mark, Peoria, Illinois

1971–1973 — St. Mary, Moline, Illinois

1973–1976 — St. Vincent de Paul, Peoria, Illinois

1976–1979 — Sacre Coeur, Creve Coeur, Illinois

1979–1982 — St. Edward, Chillicothe, Illinois

1982–1983 — Director of Teens Encounter Christ (TEC); residence at St. Bernard, Peoria, Illinois

1983–1989 — St. John, Clinton, Illinois; St. Patrick, Wapella, Illinois

1985 — Incident involving a minor reported to police; diocesan officials notified

1989–1991 — St. Theresa, Earlville, Illinois

1991–1994 — St. Boniface, Peoria, Illinois

1994 — St. Patrick, Dwight, Illinois

1994–2003 — St. Patrick, LaSalle, Illinois

2003–2008 — Sacred Heart, Granville, Illinois; St. Patrick, Hennepin, Illinois

2008 — Entered senior status/retirement

November 1, 2018 — Diocese of Peoria announced removal from public ministry

November 29, 2018 — Placed on the Diocese of Peoria’s public list

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

Speak With an Attorney

Survivors of clergy sexual abuse often have questions about what happened, what the law allows, and whether a claim can still be brought, especially when the abuse occurred years ago. If you believe you were harmed by Fr. Duane Leclercq or any member of the Catholic clergy in Illinois, the Injury Lawyer Team can explain your options in a private, confidential conversation with an Illinois clergy abuse attorney.

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 Report on Catholic Clergy Abuse in Illinois which documents findings related to the Diocese of Peoria.
• The Illinois Attorney General’s clergy abuse database entry for M. Duane Leclercq.
• The Illinois Attorney General survivor narrative referencing William Harbert and M. Duane Leclercq.
• The Catholic Post coverage of the Diocese of Peoria’s 2018 announcement regarding the removal of retired priests from public ministry.
• The BishopAccountability.org profile for M. Duane Leclercq.

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.