Sexual Abuse Allegations Against James Wysocki

This page documents James Wysocki’s clerical assignments, publicly reported sexual abuse allegations, and the institutional actions taken against him, as part of the Injury Lawyer Team’s legal representation of survivors in Michigan clergy abuse cases.

• Primary Entity Name: James Wysocki
• Common Variations / Aliases: Father James Wysocki, Fr. James Wysocki, Rev. James R. Wysocki
• Role/Title at Time of Incident: Catholic parish priest and pastor
• Current Status: Permanently removed from public ministry

Public Identification and Clergy Status

James Wysocki was publicly identified as a Catholic clergyman against whom credible allegations of sexual abuse of minors were reported during his priestly service. These allegations were reviewed internally by Church authorities and deemed credible under applicable standards.

He was publicly listed and referenced by the following entities:

• The Archdiocese of Detroit
• The Vatican

Following these determinations, Church authorities removed Wysocki from parish leadership, placed him under canonical restrictions, and ultimately barred him from public ministry.

• Entity that Listed Him: Archdiocese of Detroit; Vatican
• Reason for Listing: Credible allegations of sexual abuse of minors

Key Status Facts

Ordination Year: 1967

Years in Active Ministry: 1967–2003

Locations Where He Served: Archdiocese of Detroit

Restrictions: Permanently removed from ecclesiastical ministry; prohibited from wearing clerical clothes and publicly representing himself as a priest

Criminal Convictions: None publicly reported

Laicization: No public record of laicization

Public Disclosure: Archdiocese of Detroit public announcement in 2003

Assignment History

Primary Archdiocese: Archdiocese of Detroit

Parish Assignments (as documented in public reports):

• St. Michael Parish – Pontiac, MI (1967–1977)
• St. Mary Queen of Creation – New Baltimore, MI (1977–1990)
• Parish in Plymouth – Plymouth, MI (1990–1992)
• Holy Cross Parish – Marine City, MI (1992–2003)
• St. Mark Parish – Harsens Island, MI (2002–2003)

Non-Church Assignments: Served as a chaplain and counselor at Pontiac Catholic High School during the early years of his priestly ministry

Known Allegations

The allegations against James Wysocki concern sexual misconduct involving minors during the early years of his priesthood, shortly after his 1967 ordination, and extend into the early 1970s, during a period when he was serving in multiple assignments within the Archdiocese of Detroit.

According to public reporting and Church statements, the alleged abuse is said to have occurred while Wysocki was ministering at metro Detroit–area parishes and during his work as a chaplain and counselor at Pontiac Catholic High School.

The first known allegation, which surfaced years later and was described as at least 15 years old at the time it was formally reviewed, involved sexual misconduct with a minor and was initially set aside by Church officials due to insufficient information. 

In the aftermath of the broader clergy abuse crisis and renewed internal scrutiny, the Archdiocesan Review Board revisited the complaint in late 2002 and determined that it was “substantive,” prompting Wysocki’s removal from active ministry in February 2003. 

In 2004, Church officials acknowledged the existence of a second allegation, described as involving teenage youth in the early 1970s, which reinforced concerns about a pattern of misconduct during the same general period of his ministry. 

The presence of multiple allegations led to Vatican involvement and the initiation of a canonical trial, an unusually rare step within the Archdiocese at the time. 

Although no criminal conviction resulted, Church authorities ultimately concluded that the allegations met internal standards for credibility, and in 2007, Wysocki was permanently removed from ecclesiastical ministry, barred from public priestly functions, and prohibited from presenting himself as a priest.

Summary: James Wysocki was accused of sexually abusing minors during the early years of his priesthood. The allegations were deemed credible through an internal Church review, and he was ultimately permanently removed from public ministry.

Overseeing Authorities During Key Periods

• Cardinal John Dearden – Archdiocese of Detroit
• Cardinal Edmund Szoka – Archdiocese of Detroit
• Cardinal Adam Maida – Archdiocese of Detroit

Institutional Actions and Review

According to their public statements, church authorities were first notified of concerns involving James Wysocki several years before 2003, when an allegation of sexual misconduct involving a minor was reported to the Archdiocese of Detroit. 

At that time, Church officials reviewed the complaint but determined there was insufficient information to proceed, and no formal restriction or disclosure followed. As a result, Wysocki continued in parish leadership roles without public notice, and there is no indication in the available record that information about the allegation was shared during subsequent parish assignments. 

In the aftermath of the nationwide clergy abuse crisis and the adoption of expanded internal review procedures, the Archdiocese’s Review Board reopened the matter in late 2002, reassessed the prior complaint, and concluded that it was substantive under Church standards.

Based on that determination, Church authorities removed Wysocki from parish leadership in February 2003, placed him on administrative leave, and barred him from exercising active ministry while the matter was reviewed further. The allegation was also referred to civil authorities, who declined to pursue criminal charges due to the age of the claims. 

In 2004, Church officials acknowledged the existence of a second allegation, described as involving teenage youth in the early 1970s, which reinforced concerns about misconduct during the same period of ministry. 

The presence of multiple allegations prompted Vatican involvement and the initiation of a canonical process rather than reassignment or treatment. 

After several years of internal and Vatican review, Church authorities announced in 2007 that Wysocki was permanently removed from ecclesiastical ministry, prohibited from wearing clerical attire, and barred from publicly presenting himself as a priest, marking the final institutional resolution of the case.

Timeline

1967 — Ordained as a priest in the Archdiocese of Detroit

1967–1977 — Assigned to St. Michael Parish, Pontiac, MI

Late 1960s–early 1970s — Alleged sexual abuse of minors reportedly occurred during the early years of his priesthood

1977–2003 — Served in multiple Archdiocese of Detroit parishes

Late 1990s — First allegation reported to Church authorities; reviewed internally at the time but no formal action taken due to insufficient information

Late 2002 — Archdiocesan Review Board reexamined the allegation and determined it was substantive

February 2003 — Removed from parish leadership and placed on administrative leave by the Archdiocese of Detroit; matter referred to civil authorities

2003 — Macomb County prosecutors declined to pursue criminal charges due to the age of the allegation

2004 — Second allegation involving teenage youth in the early 1970s was acknowledged; Vatican ordered a canonical process

2007 — Permanently removed from ecclesiastical ministry, prohibited from wearing clerical attire, and publicly presenting himself as a priest

2007 — Publicly disclosed by the Archdiocese of Detroit as permanently removed from ministry

2019 — Listed by the Archdiocese of Detroit on its public disclosure list of Michigan clergy credibly accused of sexual abuse

Speak With an Attorney

Survivors of sexual abuse involving James Wysocki or other clergy members in Michigan may still be entitled to pursue accountability. The Injury Lawyer Team works with individuals affected by clergy abuse across the state.

Reach out today to speak privately with a Michigan clergy abuse lawyer and learn what legal avenues may be available.

Sources and Public Records

This page is based on publicly available records, official Church disclosures, contemporaneous media reporting, and independent documentation compiled by clergy-abuse monitoring organizations, including:

• The Archdiocese of Detroit’s official list of clergy credibly accused of abuse, which publicly identifies James Wysocki
• BishopAccountability.org’s clergy profile for James Wysocki, which aggregates assignment history, status information, and references to primary reporting concerning allegations and institutional actions.
• A 2003 Detroit Free Press article, documenting the Archdiocese of Detroit’s decision to place Wysocki on administrative leave after an internal review board determined that an allegation of sexual misconduct involving a minor was substantiated.

No criminal conviction is implied unless explicitly stated in official court records or authoritative government or 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.