Lawrence Nawrocki Sexual Abuse Allegations

This page documents Lawrence Nawrocki’s clerical assignments, the credible criminal sexual abuse allegations involving minors, as well as the institutional actions taken against him, as part of Injury Lawyer Team’s work on clergy abuse cases.

• Primary Entity Name: Lawrence Nawrocki
• Common Variations / Aliases: Father Lawrence Nawrocki; Fr. Lawrence Nawrocki
• Role/Title at Time of Incident: Parish Priest, Pastor of St. Isidore Church, Archdiocese of Detroit
• Current Status: Deceased

Public Identification and Clergy Status

Lawrence Nawrocki was publicly identified by the Archdiocese of Detroit as a member of the clergy against whom credible and substantiated allegations of sexual abuse of minors were made. His identification followed a criminal investigation and subsequent conviction related to multiple incidents involving children, which removed any ambiguity about the seriousness of the allegations.

As a result of these findings, the Archdiocese removed Nawrocki from public ministry and later included his name on its official disclosure list of clergy credibly accused of abuse.

• Entity that listed him: Archdiocese of Detroit
• Reason for listing: Credible and substantiated allegations of sexual abuse of minors, confirmed through criminal conviction and internal Church review

Key Status Facts

Ordination Year: Not publicly disclosed

Years in Active Ministry: No later than 1974 until his removal from ministry in 1987

Locations Where He Served: St. Isidore Church, Macomb Township (MI); St. Lawrence School and parish, Utica (MI)

Restrictions: Removed from active ministry following criminal charges; later removed from public ministry

Criminal Convictions: Convicted in 1989 on multiple counts of second-degree criminal sexual conduct

Release from Prison: Released from incarceration in 1994

Died: Deceased, exact date not publicly specified.

Public Disclosure: Publicly disclosed by the Archdiocese of Detroit

Assignment History

Primary Archdiocese: Archdiocese of Detroit

Parish Assignments (as documented in public reports):

• St. Lawrence School and parish – Utica, MI (not disclosed – 1974)
• St. Isidore Church – Macomb Township, MI (1974 – 1987)

Known Allegations

Public records indicate that Lawrence Nawrocki was accused of sexually abusing three minor boys, two aged twelve and one aged eleven, during the mid to late 1980s while serving as a Catholic priest within the Archdiocese of Detroit.

The alleged abuse occurred primarily at St. Isidore Church in Macomb Township, Michigan, including the parish rectory, where some incidents were reported to have taken place during overnight stays, and within church facilities prior to scheduled religious services. 

Reporting further described a pattern of grooming behavior in which Nawrocki used his position to gain access to children, including inviting parish boys to a cabin in northern Michigan, offering recreational activities such as motorcycle rides, showing movies, and making promises of special trips, including a reported offer of a Florida vacation conditioned on academic performance.

Additional allegations referenced misconduct connected to St. Lawrence School and parish in Utica, Michigan, where one victim’s family reported inappropriate conduct dating back to the child’s time as a seventh-grade student.

The period of alleged misconduct most clearly documented in criminal proceedings spans the fall of 1987, though reporting indicates concerns had been raised earlier to Church officials.

According to contemporaneous news accounts, a parent stated that a complaint had been made as early as 1980 to Regional Bishop Arthur Kraczak, but no immediate law enforcement action followed at that time.

That parent later alleged that Bishop Kraczak discouraged criminal reporting and assured her that Nawrocki would receive psychiatric treatment, reportedly stating that church officials should not “ruin Father Nawrocki’s career.”

Law enforcement ultimately charged Nawrocki with multiple counts of criminal sexual conduct involving three separate minors, establishing that more than one allegation was reported. Macomb County Prosecutor Carl Marlinga publicly confirmed that authorities were also reviewing additional complaints beyond those that resulted in formal charges. 

The allegations were later deemed substantiated, as they resulted in a criminal conviction.

Summary: Lawrence Nawrocki was a Catholic priest of the Archdiocese of Detroit who was convicted of sexually abusing multiple minor boys during the 1980s while serving in parish ministry.

Overseeing Authorities During Key Periods

• Cardinal John Dearden – Archdiocese of Detroit
• Archbishop Edmund C. Szoka – Archdiocese of Detroit

Institutional Actions and Review

Church authorities first became aware of concerns involving Lawrence Nawrocki before November 1987, when a parent reported alleged abuse of a minor to a regional bishop within the Archdiocese of Detroit. 

Formal institutional action followed in November 1987, after Nawrocki was criminally charged with multiple counts of second-degree criminal sexual conduct involving minors.

Upon the filing of charges, the Archdiocese of Detroit removed him from active ministry. Contemporary reporting states that he was placed under archdiocesan supervision and resided at a psychiatric treatment facility, reflecting the imposition of restrictions rather than continued parish assignment. No subsequent parish reassignment was reported after the charges were filed.

In 1989, Nawrocki was convicted and sentenced to prison, further confirming the seriousness of the allegations. 

The Archdiocese later included him on its official public disclosure list of clergy credibly accused of sexual abuse, with his name appearing during the Church’s broader review and disclosure efforts culminating in 2019, rather than at the time of the original allegations.

Contemporaneous reporting also placed Nawrocki’s case within a broader pattern of clergy sexual abuse prosecutions in Michigan during the same period, as other priests within the state faced similar criminal charges, prompting increased public scrutiny of diocesan handling of abuse allegations.

Timeline

Prior to November 6, 1974 — Served as Associate Pastor at St. Lawrence Parish and School.

November 6, 1974 — Appointed Pastor of St. Isidore Church.

Circa 1980 — A parent reported alleged sexual abuse of a minor to Regional Bishop Arthur Kraczak

Mid-1980s — A parent reported concerns of alleged sexual abuse involving a minor to a regional bishop of the Archdiocese of Detroit.

September–October 1987 — Alleged abuse involving multiple minor boys reportedly occurred at St. Isidore Church, including the parish rectory and church premises.

November 1987 — Criminal charges filed for multiple counts of second-degree criminal sexual conduct; removed from active ministry by the Archdiocese of Detroit and placed under archdiocesan supervision.

1989 — Convicted on multiple counts related to sexual abuse of minors; sentenced to prison.

1994 — Released from incarceration.

June 10, 2019 — Publicly disclosed by the Archdiocese of Detroit on its list of clergy credibly accused of sexual abuse following institutional review.

Speak With an Attorney

If you, or someone you know, experienced sexual abuse by Fr. Lawrence Nawrocki or another Catholic clergy member in Michigan, legal options may still be available under state law. Our attorneys at Injury Lawyer Team assist survivors statewide with clergy abuse claims.

Feel free to contact us and schedule a confidential consultation with a Michigan clergy abuse lawyer. We are here to help you understand how the law may apply to your case.

Sources and Public Records

The information on this page is drawn from multiple independent public sources that document clergy assignments, allegations, and institutional responses, including:

• The Archdiocese of Detroit’s official list of clergy credibly accused of sexual abuse, which publicly identifies Lawrence Nawrocki following internal Church review.
• The historical records of St. Isidore Church, confirming Nawrocki’s pastoral assignment and establishing the parish context relevant to the allegations.
• News reporting preserved by BishopAccountability, detailing the criminal charges, earlier parental complaints to Church officials, and institutional actions taken in the late 1980s.
• Independent compilations documenting priests convicted of sexual abuse, which reference Nawrocki within publicly reported criminal outcomes.
• National watchdog reporting providing a broader context on clergy sexual abuse of minors and patterns of institutional response within the Catholic Church.

All information presented is based on diocesan disclosures, public records, and survivor reports, and no criminal conviction is implied unless it is explicitly stated in the cited material.

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.