Sexual Abuse Allegations Against Frank D. Westhoff

Father Frank D. Westhoff had a long career as a Catholic priest before he died in 2006. However, reports indicate that Westhoff was credibly accused of sexually abusing three victims, all underage, during his ministry assignments.

Primary Entity Name: Frank D. Westhoff
Common Variations / Aliases: Father Westhoff, Fr. Frank, Fr. Frank Westhoff, Frank Westhoff
Role/Title at Time of Incident: Parish Priest
Current Status: Deceased (2006)

This page summarizes the history of abuse allegations against Father Frank D. Westhoff, his ministry assignments, and the institution’s response to his behavior.

Public Identification and Clergy Status

Although Westhoff’s victims had shared their stories with the Diocese of Springfield, Westhoff was never identified publicly as a sexual abuser before his death. Since then, the following entities have named Westhoff in public records:

The Diocese of Jefferson City, MO, on November 8, 2018
The Diocese of Springfield, IL, on November 29, 2018
The Office of the Attorney General in Illinois, via a 2023 report on clergy abuse

These entities identified Westhoff because the sexual abuse allegations against him were substantiated.

Key Status Facts

Ordination Year: 1961

Years in Active Ministry: 1961-1985 (roughly 25 years)

Locations Where He Served: Diocese of Springfield

Restrictions: Leave of absence from 1986 to 2003 in Minnesota

Criminal Convictions: None

Laicization: N/A

Public Disclosure: November 2018 in the Diocese of Jefferson City and the Diocese of Springfield

Assignment History

Primary Diocese: Diocese of Springfield

Parish Assignments (as documented in public reports):

1961 – Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Springfield, IL

1961 – Saint Claire, in Altamont, IL

1961-1964 – Saint Patrick in Alton, IL

1964-1968 – Saint Patrick in Decatur, IL

1968-1972 – Blessed Sacrament in Springfield, IL

1972-1975 – Saint James in Decatur, IL

1976 – Saint Louis in Nokomis, IL

1976-1984 – Saint Mary in Pittsfield, IL, Holy Redeemer in Barry, IL, and Holy Family in Griggsville, IL

1984-1985 – Saint Margaret Mary in Granite City, IL

1987-2000 – Assigned to the Diocese of Jefferson City, MO

Non-Church Assignments:

1959 – Catholic Children’s Home in Alton, IL

1980-1985 – Camp Star of the Sea in Springfield, IL, and Camp Pere Marquette in Grafton, IL

Known Allegations

Kelly McFadden was an altar server in 1966 at Saint Patrick, the city’s oldest Catholic parish. Since Westhoff was assigned to the same parish in 1964, he had played an important role in Kelly’s life.

As Kelly prepared for high school, the priest demanded increasing amounts of his time. One day, after Mass, Kelly was in the sacristy with another server when Westhoff approached from behind and began tickling him. After a violent struggle that led to Kelly blacking out, he awoke to Westhoff straddling and groping him. When Kelly fought back, Westhoff ran out. The priest proceeded to visit Kelly twice in the following weeks, and the victim believed these visits were to determine if anyone had been told about the incident.

Kelly did not share his abuse for decades. In August 2002, he contacted the Diocese of Springfield to share his story. In response, he received a letter from Bishop George Lucas, stating that there wasn’t enough information to substantiate the claim. Westhoff retired in 2003 and remained in good standing until he died in 2006.

In 2018, Kelly learned that the Diocese of Jefferson City, MO, had listed Westhoff as a substantiated sexual abuser. Eventually, after some more back and forth with the local diocese, Westhoff was also included in Springfield’s list of substantiated sexual abusers.

Summary: Although Westhoff abused a young boy and other minors during his ministry career, the priest remained in good standing until he died in 2006, though he was eventually named in public lists in 2018.

Overseeing Authorities During Key Periods:

Bishop William A. O’Connor (1949-1975)
Bishop Joseph A. McNicholas (1975-1983)
Bishop Daniel L. Ryan (1984-1999)
Bishop George J. Lucas (1999-2009)

Institutional Actions and Review

The process for getting Westhoff placed on public lists of substantiated sexual abuse allegations was frustrating for one of his victims. Kelly first brought his accusations to the Diocese of Springfield in 2002. At the time, church officials told him that the review board could not come to a consensus about whether the abuse had occurred.

As a result, Westhoff remained in good standing at the time of his death in 2006. However, the accused priest was placed on a public list in the Diocese of Jefferson City on November 13, 2018. When Kelly caught wind of this list of accused Illinois priests, he reached out to the diocese again. However, church officials explained that it was against their policy to investigate dead priests. Kelly responded by speaking to the Attorney General’s investigators, which prompted the Diocese of Springfield to identify Westhoff as a sexual abuser.

Westhoff was then included in the Attorney General’s report on clergy abuse in Illinois, which was released in 2023 after a years-long investigation.

Timeline

1961 – Ordained in the Diocese of Springfield

1961-1985 – Assigned to various parishes and ministries in Illinois

1964 – Assigned to Saint Patrick in Decatur, IL

1966 – Sexually abuses Kelly, an altar server at the parish

1986-2003 – Placed on a leave of absence in Minnesota

2002 – Kelly first reports his abuse to the Diocese of Springfield

2006 – Westhoff dies

2018 – Westhoff placed on a public list in the Diocese of Jefferson City

2018 – Kelly attempts to have Westhoff identified in the Diocese of Springfield, eventually succeeding once he shared his story with the Attorney General’s office

2023 – Westhoff named in the Attorney General’s report on clergy abuse in Illinois

Speak With an Attorney

Sexual abuse by a clergy member can have a devastating impact on the victim. If you are a survivor of clergy abuse in Illinois, the Injury Lawyer Team will stand by your side throughout the civil claims process to fight for justice and fair compensation.

Sources

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

The Attorney General’s profile of Frank D. Westhoff and survivor narrative
The Attorney General’s 2023 report on clergy abuse
The Attorney General’s report on the Diocese of Springfield
Bishop Accountability’s profile of Frank D. Westhoff

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.

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