Sexual Abuse Allegations Against Fr. Ronald W. Roth

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

• Primary Entity Name: Ronald W. Roth
• Common Variations / Aliases: Father Ronald Roth, Fr. Ronald Roth, Ron Roth
• Role/Title at Time of Incident: Catholic Priest, Parish Priest, Diocesan Program Director
• Current Status: Deceased

Public Identification and Clergy Status

Fr. Ronald W. Roth was publicly identified as a credibly accused Catholic priest through diocesan disclosures and government reporting. He appears on the Catholic Diocese of Peoria list of priests removed from ministry, the Archdiocese of Santa Fe list of credibly accused clergy, and in the Illinois Attorney General’s 2023 clergy abuse report, which documents accused clergy with assignments connected to Illinois.

No criminal conviction has been identified in public records. Fr. Roth’s inclusion on these lists reflects determinations made through diocesan review processes, civil litigation, and government reporting, not criminal proceedings.

Entity that Listed Him: Catholic Diocese of Peoria; Illinois Attorney General’s Office (2023 report); Archdiocese of Santa Fe 

Reason for Listing: Credible and substantiated allegations of child sexual abuse identified through internal diocesan reviews and documented public disclosure processes

Key Status Facts

• Ordination Year: 1966
• Diocesan Affiliation (as publicly listed): Archdiocese of Santa Fe; Catholic Diocese of Peoria
• Years in Active Ministry: Approximately 1966–1993
• Locations Where He Served: Illinois and New Mexico
• Restrictions / Ministry Action: Removed from ministry in 1993
• Reported Survivors (per public records): Three
• Diocese Claim of First Report: 1968
• Public Disclosure / Listing Dates:
  • Archdiocese of Santa Fe (September 2017)
  • Catholic Diocese of Peoria (2019)
• Died: June 1, 2009

Assignment History

Primary Diocese/Archdiocese: Catholic Diocese of Peoria (Illinois); later associated with the Archdiocese of Santa Fe (New Mexico)

Illinois Parish and Ministry Assignments:

• Holy Family Catholic Church, Oglesby, IL (1966)
• St. John Catholic Church, Peoria, IL (1967)
• Saints Peter & Paul Catholic Church, Chatsworth, IL (1972)
• Guardian Angel Home, Peoria, IL (1972)
• Sacré Coeur Catholic Church, Creve Coeur, IL (1972)
• St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church, Peoria Heights, IL (1973)
• St. Philomena Catholic Church, Peoria, IL (1974)
• Director, House of Prayer, Urbana, IL (1976)
• Director of Charismatic Renewal Programs, Diocese of Peoria (1978)
• St. Patrick Catholic Church, Ransom, IL (1978)
• St. John Catholic Church, Lostant, IL (1983)
• Apostolate of Prayer and Healing, Diocese of Peoria (1986)

New Mexico Assignments (as officially listed):

• St. Gertrude Catholic Church, Mora, NM (1968)
• St. Eleanor Catholic Church, Ruidoso, NM (1968)
• St. Anne Catholic Church, Tucumcari, NM (1968–1969)
• St. Therese Catholic Church, Albuquerque, NM (1969–1971)

Public disclosures indicate Fr. Roth served in New Mexico primarily between 1968 and 1972, before returning to Illinois.

Non-Church Assignments: Diocesan leadership roles involving prayer ministries and spiritual programming; no separate school or hospital assignments have been publicly documented.

Known Allegations

Fr. Ronald W. Roth has been the subject of multiple reports alleging sexual abuse of minors. Public disclosures identify three reported survivors, indicating that more than one allegation was reported over time.

According to public records, the alleged abuse occurred primarily in New Mexico between approximately 1968 and 1972, during the period when Fr. Roth was assigned to parishes and ministry roles within the Archdiocese of Santa Fe. Civil litigation filed years later alleged abuse of minors during this timeframe, including allegations involving a minor identified as a teenager in the early 1970s.

Church authorities have stated that concerns or reports were first received as early as 1968, though no immediate public disciplinary action has been documented. Allegations were later reviewed through diocesan processes and became part of civil complaints and government reporting.

Because public summaries do not consistently provide detailed narrative accounts—such as exact parish settings or survivor identities—this page reflects what is documented in official disclosures: the locations connected to Fr. Roth’s ministry, the approximate time period identified, and the existence of multiple allegations later disclosed publicly.

Summary: Fr. Ronald W. Roth has been publicly listed by Church and government authorities in connection with multiple allegations of child sexual abuse, with reported misconduct tied to the late 1960s and early 1970s and to his ministry-linked presence in New Mexico and Illinois.

Overseeing Authorities During Key Periods: Specific bishops or archbishops are not consistently identified in available public summaries.

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

Associated Organizations: No external youth organizations or school systems have been publicly linked to the allegations in public disclosures.

Institutional Actions and Review

Public disclosures indicate that Church authorities were aware of concerns involving Fr. Ronald W. Roth long before his name appeared on publicly released lists of accused clergy. According to later summaries published by diocesan authorities, the Diocese has stated that a report concerning Fr. Roth dates back to 1968, though no contemporaneous disciplinary action has been documented.

Despite this early timeframe, Fr. Roth remained in active ministry for many years. Public records do not describe immediate restrictions, monitoring, or disclosure to parish communities, nor do they clarify whether information regarding allegations was shared during transfers between assignments.

Fr. Roth was removed from ministry in 1993, following the filing of a civil lawsuit in New Mexico alleging sexual abuse of minors, as reported in contemporaneous news coverage. This marks the first clearly documented institutional response reflected in public records. There is no public record of laicization or criminal prosecution.

His name was disclosed publicly years later, following broader diocesan reviews and statewide investigation. Fr. Roth was ultimately included on diocesan disclosure lists and was later named in the Illinois Attorney General’s review, which compiled information on accused clergy listed in the state’s list of accused clergy in Illinois.

Timeline

1966 — Ordained as a Catholic priest

1966–1968 — Early parish assignments in Illinois

1968–1972 — Served in New Mexico; alleged abuse period reported

1968 — The Diocese later reports the first notice of concerns

1972–1991 — Returned to Illinois for parish and diocesan assignments

1993 — Removed from ministry following civil litigation

1997 — Media reports refer to Roth as a former priest

September 12, 2017 — Listed by the Archdiocese of Santa Fe

2019 — Listed by the Catholic Diocese of Peoria

June 1, 2009 — Died

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

Speak With an Attorney

If you or someone you know was sexually abused by Fr. Ronald W. Roth or by any Catholic clergy member in Illinois, you may still have legal options. The Injury Lawyer Team represents survivors of clergy abuse statewide and handles these matters with confidentiality and care.

You can speak privately with an experienced 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 2023 Report on Catholic Clergy Abuse, including the individual profile for Fr. Ronald W. Roth, which documents his ordination, diocesan affiliation, reported survivors, locations, and timeframe of alleged abuse, and public disclosure status.
• Public historical and disclosure materials issued by the Catholic Diocese of Peoria, including background information on clergy assignments and the Diocese’s handling of abuse allegations.
• Compiled public records and litigation summaries maintained by BishopAccountability.org, which aggregate diocesan disclosures, civil filings, and media reporting related to allegations involving Fr. Ronald W. Roth.

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.