Sexual Abuse Allegations Against Fr. John B. Turnbull

This page outlines the documented ministry assignments, publicly disclosed allegations of child sexual abuse, and institutional actions involving Fr. John B. Turnbull, as part of the Injury Lawyer Team’s representation of survivors in Illinois clergy abuse matters.

• Primary Entity Name: John B. Turnbull
• Common Variations / Aliases: Father John Turnbull, Fr. John Turnbull, John Turnbull, John B. Turnbull, OFM
• Role/Title at Time of Incident: Franciscan Friar, Priest, Parish and School Ministry Involvement
• Current Status: Deceased

Public Identification and Clergy Status

Fr. John B. Turnbull was publicly identified as a credibly accused cleric by multiple Catholic Church entities and government investigations following reviews of historical allegations of child sexual abuse. His name appears on public disclosure lists issued by dioceses, religious orders, and in the Illinois Attorney General’s statewide investigation into clergy sexual abuse.

Fr. Turnbull was a member of the Order of Friars Minor (Franciscans) and ministered in multiple dioceses across the Midwest. He was not incardinated in a single Illinois diocese. Public disclosures indicate that his Franciscan order placed him on administrative leave and removed him from public ministry in 2005, after the order learned of an allegation of sexual abuse of a minor. Diocesan disclosures later identified 2006 as the date Church authorities formally received the report. The alleged misconduct was reported to have occurred during the late 1970s. Fr. Turnbull remained removed from ministry until his death in 2017.

Entity that Listed Him:

• Illinois Attorney General’s Office (statewide clergy abuse investigation)
• Catholic Diocese of Peoria (Illinois)
• Diocese of Springfield–Cape Girardeau (Missouri)
• Archdiocese of Cincinnati (Ohio)
• Franciscan Friars, St. John the Baptist Province

Reason for Listing:

• Credible allegation of child sexual abuse
• Classification as substantiated in Franciscan provincial disclosures
• Inclusion following internal Church review and public transparency processes

Key Status Facts

• Ordination Year: 1955
• Years in Active Ministry: Approximately 1955–2005
• Religious Order: Order of Friars Minor (Franciscans), St. John the Baptist Province
• Locations Where He Served: Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Missouri
• Reported Survivors: At least one
• Restrictions: Removed from public ministry following a reported allegation of sexual abuse of a minor
• Removal from Ministry: 2005
• Laicization: Not publicly reported
• Public Disclosure: Listed on multiple diocesan, religious order, and government disclosure reports between 2019 and 2023
• Died: 2017

Assignment History in Primary Diocese or Order

Fr. John B. Turnbull was a member of the Order of Friars Minor (Franciscans) and served in ministry assignments associated with Franciscan communities and diocesan placements in several states. As a religious-order priest, he was assigned jointly by Franciscan leadership and local diocesan authorities.

Primary Diocese/Religious Order: Diocese of Peoria, Order of Friars Minor (Franciscans), St. John the Baptist Province

Documented Ministry Assignments (as reflected in public disclosures):

• St. Lawrence Parish – Lafayette, Indiana
• St. Boniface Parish – Peoria, Illinois
• St. Louis Parish – Batesville, Indiana
• St. Anthony of Padua Parish / St. Anthony’s School – Streator, Illinois
• St. Clement Parish and Friary – Cincinnati, Ohio
• St. Francis of Assisi Parish – Centerville, Ohio
• Holy Family Parish – Oldenburg, Indiana

Public disclosures show that Fr. Turnbull served in parish and school-affiliated roles from the mid-1950s until his removal from public ministry in 2005. These assignments help establish the context for the allegation later reviewed by Church officials.

Non-Church Assignments: No separate non-parish institutional roles (such as hospitals or independent schools) have been consistently documented beyond parish-affiliated school and community ministry.

Known Allegations

Fr. John B. Turnbull was the subject of at least one allegation of sexual abuse of a minor, which Church authorities later reviewed and deemed credible. According to public disclosures by dioceses, Franciscan provincial listings, and the Illinois Attorney General’s investigation, the alleged abuse occurred during the late 1970s.

Public reporting and compiled Church disclosure records identify the alleged misconduct as having occurred at St. Anthony’s School in Streator, Illinois, where the reported victim was a student. The Illinois Attorney General’s registry lists the date and location of the reported abuse as unknown, reflecting differences in detail across disclosure sources. The allegation was not reported to Church authorities until decades later.

Following review by Franciscan leadership, the allegation was determined to warrant permanent removal from ministry. Franciscan disclosures subsequently classified the allegation as substantiated, and Fr. Turnbull did not return to public ministry after 2005.

No publicly available records indicate that multiple allegations were reported. There are no records of criminal charges or convictions related to the reported misconduct.

Summary: Fr. John B. Turnbull was credibly accused of sexually abusing a minor in connection with a Catholic school in Illinois during the late 1970s and was removed from public ministry after Church authorities later reviewed the allegation.

Overseeing Authorities During Key Periods:

• Franciscan leadership of the St. John the Baptist Province
• Local diocesan bishops overseeing Franciscan ministry placements in Illinois

Associated Organizations:

• Order of Friars Minor (Franciscans)

Legal / Advocacy Bodies Referenced:

• Illinois Attorney General’s Office

Institutional Actions and Review

Church disclosures indicate that Franciscan leadership learned of the allegation involving Fr. Turnbull in 2005, at which time he was placed on administrative leave and removed from public ministry. Diocesan disclosures later identified 2006 as the date Church authorities formally recorded receipt of the allegation.

Because Fr. Turnbull served in multiple dioceses as a religious-order priest; publicly available records do not consistently show whether information about the allegation was shared during earlier assignments or transfers. There is no publicly released documentation indicating that formal complaints were recorded before the allegation was reported to Church authorities in the mid-2000s.

Public disclosure occurred after a subsequent institutional review, when dioceses, Franciscan leadership, and government authorities published transparency lists. Fr. Turnbull was subsequently named in the Illinois Attorney General’s investigation and placed on the list of accused clergy in Illinois.

No criminal charges were publicly reported in connection with the allegation.

Timeline

1955 — Ordained as a Franciscan priest (Order of Friars Minor)

1955–2005 — Served in active ministry through Franciscan assignments in Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, and Missouri

Late 1970s — Alleged sexual abuse reportedly occurred in connection with St. Anthony’s School, Streator, Illinois

2005 — The Franciscan order places Fr. Turnbull on leave and removes him from public ministry

2006 — Diocese identifies this year as the first formal report received

April 2019 — Listed by the Diocese of Springfield–Cape Girardeau (MO)

March 2019 — Listed by the Catholic Diocese of Peoria (IL)

February 2022 — Listed by the Archdiocese of Cincinnati (OH)

June 2022 — Listed by the Franciscan Friars, St. John the Baptist Province

2017 — Died

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

Speak With an Attorney

If you or someone you know was sexually abused by Fr. John B. Turnbull or by any Catholic clergy member in Illinois, you may still have legal options. The Injury Lawyer Team represents survivors of clergy abuse across the state and handles these matters with the privacy and sensitivity they deserve.

Contact us to arrange a confidential consultation with an Illinois clergy abuse attorney. We are here to help you understand your rights and explore potential legal action.

Sources and Public Records

This page is based on publicly available records, official Church and religious order disclosures, government investigations, and survivor reports, including the following:

• The Illinois Attorney General’s clergy abuse registry which lists Fr. John B. Turnbull as a credibly accused cleric connected to Illinois.
• The BishopAccountability.org profile for John B. Turnbull, aggregating diocesan and Franciscan disclosure records.
• The Catholic Diocese of Peoria – clergy removed for misconduct list, which includes Fr. Turnbull as part of its public disclosure list.

No criminal conviction is implied unless explicitly stated in public court records, government investigations, or official Church or religious order 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.