Sexual Abuse Allegations Against Ronald Vincent Gronowski

This page provides an overview of Ronald Gronowski’s clerical background, credible allegations of sexual abuse, 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: Ronald Vincent Gronowski
• Common Variations / Aliases: Ronald Gronowski, Fr. Ronald Gronowski, Rev. Ronald Gronowski, Fr. Ronald Vincent Gronowski, Rev. Ronald Vincent Gronowski
• Role/Title at Time of Incident: Catholic priest, pastor
• Current Status: Permanently removed from public ministry

Public Identification and Clergy Status

Ronald Vincent Gronowski was publicly identified as a Catholic clergyman against whom credible and substantiated allegations of sexual abuse of a minor were reported during his time in active ministry. His name was disclosed in the official investigative findings of multiple institutional authorities, including:

• The Diocese of Gaylord
• The Michigan Attorney General (2024 report)

Gronowski was removed from public ministry, and no longer permitted to exercise priestly or pastoral functions, but due to legal and procedural limitations, no criminal charges were filed against him.

• Entity that Listed Him: Diocese of Gaylord, Michigan Attorney General
• Reason for Listing: Substantiated allegations of sexual abuse of a minor

Key Status Facts

Ordination Year: 1969

Years in Active Ministry: 1969–2002

Locations Where He Served: Diocese of Gaylord

Restrictions: Permanently removed from public ministry in 2002 and barred from exercising priestly functions

Laicization: No public record of laicization

Died: No public record indicating he is deceased

Public Disclosure: Publicly disclosed by the Diocese of Gaylord, later documented in the Michigan Attorney General’s 2024 investigative report

Assignment History

Primary Archdiocese: Diocese of Gaylord

Parish Assignments (as documented in public reports):

• Various parish and pastoral assignments within the Diocese of Gaylord, MI (1969–2002)

There is no complete, publicly released parish-by-parish assignment list with dates for Ronald Vincent Gronowski.

Non-Church Assignments: Gronowski took part in pastoral counseling and youth-related ministry activities as part of his clerical duties.

Known Allegations

Public records indicate that allegations against Ronald Vincent Gronowski involve multiple instances of sexual abuse of minors that allegedly occurred during his early years in active priestly ministry. 

While the earliest and most detailed allegations place the misconduct primarily in the early to mid-1970s, additional reports referenced in Church and investigative files describe alleged abuse extending into later periods of his ministry. 

Records indicate that the abuse began around 1972, when the accuser was approximately 15 years old, after Gronowski initiated contact through a private meeting framed as a pastoral interview. 

The complainant stated that the abuse took place in private settings connected to Gronowski’s ministry, including rectory rooms and other locations where he exercised clerical authority, and that it continued over a period of several years, including after Gronowski was reassigned to different parishes, rather than ending with a single incident or location. 

Church records further reflect that at least one additional individual later reported sexual misconduct involving Gronowski during adolescence, with those allegations describing separate encounters occurring while the individual was still a minor, reinforcing concerns about repeated behavior rather than an isolated allegation. 

Diocesan review committees examined these reports alongside internal correspondence, witness information, and historical files, and formally concluded that the allegations met the Church’s standards for credibility and substantiation. 

Although Church officials referred the matters to law-enforcement authorities, prosecutors ultimately declined to pursue criminal charges, citing the age of the allegations and applicable legal limitations. 

The Diocese of Gaylord nevertheless treated the findings as serious, resulting in Gronowski’s permanent removal from public ministry, a measure reflecting the Church’s determination that the alleged conduct represented a grave violation of clerical responsibility and trust.

Summary: Ronald Vincent Gronowski was accused by multiple individuals of sexually abusing minors beginning in the early 1970s during his active priestly ministry. The church authorities deemed these allegations credible and removed Gronowski from public ministry. 

Overseeing Authorities During Key Periods

• Francis J. Mugavero – Diocese of Gaylord
• Patrick R. Cooney – Diocese of Gaylord

Institutional Actions and Review

Institutional records indicate that Church authorities first became formally aware of allegations against Ronald Vincent Gronowski in the mid-1990s, when a complainant reported sexual abuse that allegedly began in the early 1970s while he was a minor.

The Diocese initiated an internal review, which included interviews, examination of personnel files, and consultation with diocesan review bodies, and the matter was also referred to law enforcement authorities for assessment. 

Despite the seriousness of the allegations, no immediate public disclosure occurred, and Gronowski was not permanently removed from ministry at that time. Instead, he continued in clerical roles following the internal handling of the complaint. 

Church records later reflected additional allegations and references to prior concerns within diocesan files, raising questions about whether information regarding earlier complaints was consistently shared or acted upon during subsequent assignments and transfers. Over time, as further information surfaced and earlier handling came under renewed scrutiny, Church authorities revisited the matter. 

In 2002, following additional review and external pressure, the Diocese named Gronowski on the public list of credibly accused Michigan clergy and removed him from public ministry, barring him from exercising priestly functions. 

Diocesan review committees ultimately determined that the allegations met the Church’s standards for credibility and substantiation, and although prosecutors declined to pursue criminal charges due to legal limitations, the Diocese treated the findings as sufficiently serious to warrant permanent removal. 

The sequence of actions reflects an initial period of internal handling and limited transparency, followed by later acknowledgment and decisive restriction only after subsequent review and public disclosure.

Timeline

1969 — Ordained to the priesthood for the Diocese of Gaylord

1972–1977 — Alleged sexual abuse of a minor reportedly occurred during this period

Early 1980s — A separate allegation later reported describes sexual misconduct involving another minor during this period.

March 1994 — The Diocese first received a formal report from a complainant alleging abuse beginning in the early 1970s.

1994 — Diocesan officials conducted internal interviews and review of personnel records.

January 1995 — The Diocese entered into a confidential civil settlement with a complainant

1996 — Gronowski continued in ministry, including a documented temporary administrative appointment, following internal handling of the allegation.

1998 — Law-enforcement authorities reviewed the matter; prosecutors declined to pursue criminal charges.

2002 — Church authorities removed Gronowski from public ministry and barred him from exercising priestly functions.

2002 — The Diocese publicly disclosed his removal from ministry.

2015 — An additional allegation was reported to law enforcement

2024 — The Michigan Attorney General publicly documented the allegations, institutional handling, and outcomes in its investigative report on the Diocese of Gaylord.

Speak With an Attorney

Survivors of sexual abuse involving Ronald Vincent Gronowski or other Catholic clergy in Michigan may still have legal options, even if the abuse occurred years ago. The Injury Lawyer Team works with survivors statewide in clergy abuse cases.

Contact us for a confidential consultation with a Michigan clergy abuse attorney to learn more about your rights and possible next steps.

Sources and Public Records

This page draws on public records, official Church disclosures, government investigations, and contemporaneous reporting, including the following sources:

• The Michigan Attorney General’s investigative report on the Diocese of Gaylord, which documents allegations involving Ronald Vincent Gronowski, summarizes survivor accounts, reviews internal diocesan records, and details how Church officials and law-enforcement authorities handled the matter.
• The Diocese of Gaylord’s official list of clergy with substantiated allegations of sexual abuse of a minor, where Gronowski is identified and noted as having been permanently removed from public ministry.
• Local Michigan news reporting that examines the Diocese’s response to clergy abuse, summarizes the Attorney General’s findings, and provides context regarding diocesan actions, settlements, and institutional decision-making.

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