Sexual Abuse Allegations Against Louis C. Shea

Father Louis C. Shea had a long career as a Catholic priest, but that career included sexually abusing two victims in the 1960s. After a frustrating investigation process for the two victims, Shea was finally added to the list of sexual abusers in the Diocese of Springfield, many years after he died in 1996. 

• Primary Entity Name: Louis C. Shea
• Common Variations / Aliases: Father Louis Shea, Fr. Louis, Fr. Shea, Louis Shea
• Role/Title at Time of Incident: Parish Priest, Assistant Pastor
• Current Status: Deceased (1996)

This page summarizes the history of abuse allegations against Father Louis C. Shea, his ministry assignments, and the institution’s response to his behavior.

Public Identification and Clergy Status

Shea committed sexual abuse against two girls many decades before the allegations were made public. The following entities eventually identified Father Shea publicly as a sexually abusive priest:

• The Diocese of Springfield, on November 29, 2018
• The Attorney General’s office, in a 2023 report on clergy abuse in Illinois

These two entities identified Shea due to substantiated claims of sexual abuse after an investigation. 

Key Status Facts

Ordination Year: 1955 in the Diocese of Springfield

Years in Active Ministry: 1954-1996 (roughly 43 years)

Locations Where He Served: Diocese of Springfield (Kampsville, Decatur, Taylorville, Quincy, Springfield, Macon, Moweaqua, and Mount Sterling)

Restrictions: None

Criminal Convictions: None

Laicization: N/A

Public Disclosure: November 2018 in the Diocese of Springfield

Assignment History

Primary Diocese: Diocese of Springfield

Parish Assignments (as documented in public reports):

1955-1959 – Saint James in Decatur, IL

1959-1963 – Saint Mary in Taylorville, IL

1963-1967 – Saint Rose of Lima in Quincy, IL

1967-1969 – Saint John’s Hospital in Springfield, IL

1969-1970 – Saint Stanislaus in Macon, IL

1969-1970 – Saint Francis de Sales in Moweaqua, IL

1970-1977 – Saint Mary in Mount Sterling, IL

1977-1996 – Saint Dominic in Quincy, IL

1996 – Dies

Known Allegations

Louis Shea’s sexual abuse primarily involved two sisters, “Abby” and “Annie”, who were five and six years old when the behavior began in the 1960s. Father Shea was an assistant pastor at their parish and regularly ate dinner at their family’s house. According to the Attorney General’s report, Shea would go upstairs with Abby to put her to bed. However, he would stay to tickle, fondle, and grope her. Shea behaved similarly with Annie. Sometimes. He would stay in a guest bedroom overnight and enter the girls’ room in the middle of the night to abuse them. 

Eventually, Abby and Annie became aware of each other’s predicament. Both would hide from Shea when he visited. Abby claimed she was abused almost weekly for about three years. Annie believed she had been abused between 60 and 100 times over the course of four years. Both girls needed years of counseling. 

In 2002, Abby reached out to Bishop George Lucas to report her abuse. The bishop allegedly apologized for her ordeal and referred her to the state attorneys since Shea had died in 1996. Abby attempted to communicate with the diocese again in 2004 but was referred to civil authorities. 

Finally, in 2018, both girls separately contacted the Attorney General’s investigators to share their stories. After a frustrating and confrontational experience with the diocesan review board, church officials conceded that their claims were substantiated and that Shea would be added to the list of priests accused of sexual abuse. 

Summary: Father Louis C. Shea committed ongoing sexual abuse against two young sisters while assigned to a parish in the Diocese of Springfield, and he faced no accountability before he died in 1996, though his name was eventually published as a sexually abusive priest. 

Overseeing Authorities During Key Periods: 

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

Institutional Actions and Review

Father Shea’s victims faced years of frustration in their attempts to have their allegations taken seriously. There is no record of Shea facing any repercussions for his behavior, even though Annie had, at one point, called him and told him she knew what he had done to her. 

The first time the diocese learned of Shea’s conduct was in 2002, when Abby raised her concerns with Bishop George Lucas. In response, Lucas wrote a referendum about the conduct and apologized to Abby. Since Shea had died in 1996, Lucas referred her to the state’s attorney, stating that it was up to her if she wanted more people to know. 

Abby again reported her abuse in 2004 to the diocese’s victims assistance coordinator. Once again, she was referred to third parties to tell her story. After both sisters filed reports with the Attorney General’s investigators in 2018, a confrontational process with the diocese ensued. The girls were invited to a review board meeting where a diocese attorney was present. The girls claimed that the attorney appeared to be asking questions to build a case for the church in the event of litigation. Additionally, the board did not allow the girls to bring along the state investigator they felt comfortable with. 

The board eventually conceded that the sexual abuse allegations against the accused priest were likely credible. After another meeting with Bishop Paprocki, it was finally decided to add Shea to the published list of accused IL priests. 

Timeline

1955 – Ordained in the Diocese of Springfield

1955-1996 – Assigned to multiple parishes within the diocese

1960s – Shea abuses the two sisters for several years

1996 – Shea dies

2002 – Abby reports her abuse to the diocese

2004 – Abby makes a second attempt to report her experience and is referred to the civil authorities

2018 – Both victims communicated with the Attorney General’s office separately about their abuse, which was followed by a negative review process with the diocese

2018 – The church eventually agrees to add Louis Shea to the public list of sexually abusive clergy members

2023 – The Attorney General’s report on clergy abuse in Illinois is published, which names Louis C. Shea

Speak With an Attorney

Sexual abuse by a clergy member can lead to a lifetime of suffering, especially for victims who were children at the time. If you have been impacted by sexual abuse from church officials, the Injury Lawyer Team will stand by your side throughout the civil claims process. Together, we can fight for justice and fair compensation for legal damages arising from your abuse. 

If you have suffered because of the sexual conduct of a priest or clergy member, contact us today to schedule a free, confidential consultation. Our expert Illinois clergy abuse lawyers will protect your rights and fight for every dollar you deserve. 

Sources

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

• A profile of Louis C. Shea from the Office of the Attorney General in Illinois
• A survivor narrative of the two victims on the Attorney General’s website
• The Attorney General’s 2023 report, following a years-long investigation of clergy abuse in Illinois
• The Attorney General’s report on the Diocese of Springfield
• Bishop Accountability’s web profile of Louis C. Shea

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.