Sexual Abuse Allegations Against Thomas Considine

Thomas Considine was a former Catholic priest serving in the Diocese of Rockford. He has been accused of sexual abuse of multiple victims during his ministry assignments in the 1960s and 1970s. 

• Primary Entity Name: Thomas Considine
• Common Variations / Aliases: Father Thomas Considine, Fr. Thomas, Fr. Considine
• Role/Title at Time of Incident: Parish Priest, Teacher at St. Edward Central Catholic High School
• Current Status: Deceased (1988)

This page summarizes the history of abuse allegations against Considine, his ministry assignments, and the institution’s response to his conduct.

Public Identification and Clergy Status

At the time of Considine’s death in 1988, the Diocese of Rockford had not publicly identified the priest as a sexual abuser. However, multiple entities have done so in the decades following his passing, including:

• The Diocese of Rockford, on November 14, 2018, in a letter to the public
• The Office of the Attorney General in Illinois, in a 2023 report on clergy abuse

The Diocese of Rockford included Considine on its published list of clergy members connected to the diocese with substantiated sexual abuse allegations against them. The Attorney General’s investigation into clergy abuse also detailed the substantiated allegations against Considine.

Key Status Facts

Ordination Year: 1966 in the Diocese of Rockford

Years in Active Ministry: 1967-1979 (13 years)

Locations Where He Served: Diocese of Rockford, IL, St. Edward Central Catholic High School, US Marine Corps Chaplain

Restrictions: Removed from ministry in 1980

Criminal Convictions: None

Laicization: Not laicized before he died in 1988

Public Disclosure: November 14, 2018, by the Diocese of Rockford

Assignment History

Primary Diocese: Diocese of Rockford

Parish Assignments (as documented in public reports):

1966 – Ordained

1967-1972 – Cathedral Parish in Rockford, IL

1973-1976 – St. Mary’s in DeKalb, IL

1977 – St. Catherine Church in Freeport, IL

1978-1980 – Active outside the diocese

1980 – Removed from ministry

Non-Church Assignments:

1979 – Chaplain for the US Marine Corps

Known Allegations

The most documented survivor story belongs to Bob Corcoran. When he was a student at St. Edward Central Catholic High School, where Considine taught, Bob stated that Considine had formed a relationship with his family in the early 1970s. Soon after Bob’s father passed away when he was just 16 years old, Considine betrayed the family’s trust.

The priest invited Bob to stay over at his parents’ house for Thanksgiving. Bob woke up to find Considine in his room, touching him inappropriately and eventually performing oral sex, claiming it was okay because he was a priest. Considine also abused two of Bob’s brothers at his parents’ house in Chicago and during a trip to Texas. According to Bob’s account, the priest repeatedly got the three boys drunk, and Bob would wake up to Considine having sex with him. 

At school, Bob had an outburst regarding Considine’s conduct, but his teacher silenced him and removed him from the class. Bob attempted to take his life several times in the following years, and one of his brothers committed suicide. 

In the late 1980s, Bob attempted to report Considine’s actions to the Diocese of Rockford, not realizing the priest had been removed from ministry in 1980. In 2011, he tried again and reported the conduct to the diocese. He also asked if there were other survivors. In fact, the diocese had reports of two other sexual abuse victims. The diocese told Bob that the allegations could not be proven or disproven due to the passage of time and the lack of leads after Considine’s death. There are allegedly five survivors of sexual abuse committed by Thomas Considine during his ministry assignments. 

Summary: After several investigations, it was determined that the sexual abuse allegations by Bob and other victims toward Thomas Considine were accurate, but due to his death in 1988, the diocese claimed there was little to be done. 

Overseeing Authorities During Key Periods: 

• Bishop Loras Thomas Lane (1956-1968)
• Bishop Arthur Joseph O’Neill (1968-1994)

Associated Organizations: The Diocese of Rockford, St. Edward Central Catholic High School

Institutional Actions and Review

Very little is known about the institutional actions involving Thomas Considine during his lifetime. Most of the sexual abuse survivors did not come forward until well after he died in 1988. Considine was removed from ministry by the Diocese of Rockford in 1980. However, the reasons for this dismissal were undisclosed.

In response to Bob Corcoran’s 2011 report, the vicar general reached out to him to express gratitude for coming forward with his story. The vicar general assured Bob that he believed Bob’s story and was sorry for the horrible experiences he had suffered. Though Bob asked about the existence of other survivors, the diocese never informed him of the other two victims who had shared their experiences regarding the accused priest. 

Eventually, the Diocese of Rockford included Thomas Considine in a list of accused priests in Illinois that named clergy members with substantiated sexual abuse allegations against them. This letter also stated that he was removed from ministry assignments in 1980, although he was never laicized. 

Timeline

1966 – Ordained by the Diocese of Rockford

1967-1977 – Assigned to various parishes

Early 1970s – Meets Bob Corcoran’s family and begins abusing Bob and his brothers after their father’s death

1980 – Serves as Chaplain for the US Marine Corps

1980 – Removed from ministry assignments for undisclosed reasons

1988 – Dies

Late 1980s – Bob attempts to report his experiences to the diocese

2002 – The first reports of sexual abuse are made to the diocese

2011 – Bob successfully reports his abuse to the diocese and receives an apology from the vicar general

2018 – The Diocese of Rockford publicly discloses Thomas Considine as a sexual abuser

Speak With an Attorney

If you are a victim of clergy abuse in Illinois, the Injury Lawyer Team will stand by your side as you pursue justice and fair compensation. Our attorneys will support your civil claim and provide a safe setting to tell your story.

Contact us today to schedule a free and confidential consultation with our Illinois clergy abuse lawyers. 

Sources

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

• The Office of the Attorney General’s profile on Thomas Considine
• The Office of the Attorney General’s survivor narratives from victims of Considine’s conduct
• The 2023 report from the Attorney General’s investigation of clergy abuse in Illinois
• A letter from the Diocese of Rockford listing substantiated sexual abuse claims against clergy members, including Thomas Considine
• A list of the head bishops of the Diocese of Rockford

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.