Sexual Abuse Allegations Against Louis Baudone

This page summarizes publicly reported allegations of sexual abuse involving Louis Baudone, along with the details of his clerical assignments and documented institutional responses to his alleged abuse, of the Injury Lawyer Team’s legal representation of survivors in Michigan clergy abuse cases.

• Primary Entity Name: Louis Baudone
• Common Variations / Aliases: Father Louis Baudone, Fr. Louis Baudone, Rev. Louis Baudone
• Role/Title at Time of Incident: Catholic parish priest
• Current Status: Deceased

Public Identification and Clergy Status

Louis Baudone was publicly identified as a Michigan cleric credibly accused of sexually abusing minors by multiple institutional and governmental bodies, including:

• The Diocese of Grand Rapids
• The Michigan Attorney General (2025 report)

In response to these findings, Baudone was removed from parish ministry, formally stripped of his priestly faculties, prohibited from public ministry or clerical presentation, and ordered by Church authorities to live a restricted private life of prayer and penance.

• Entity that Listed Him: Diocese of Grand Rapids and the Michigan Attorney General
• Reason for Listing: Credibly supported allegations of sexual abuse of minors

Key Status Facts

Ordination Year: 1959

Years in Active Ministry: 1959–1993

Locations Where He Served: Diocese of Grand Rapids (MI)

Restrictions: Removed from parish ministry; prohibited from public ministry, wearing clerical attire, or presenting himself publicly as a priest; ordered to live a private life of prayer and penance

Died: May 18, 2024

Public Disclosure: Publicly identified by the Diocese of Grand Rapids and later documented in the Michigan Attorney General’s Diocese of Grand Rapids report

Assignment History

Primary Archdiocese: Diocese of Grand Rapids

Parish Assignments (as documented in public reports):

• Sacred Heart Parish – Muskegon Heights, MI
• Sacred Heart Parish – Muskegon, MI
• St. Edward Parish – Odessa / Lake Odessa, MI
• St. Gregory Parish – Hart, MI
• St. Joseph Parish – Elbridge, MI
• Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish – Grand Rapids, MI
• St. Mary–St. Paul Parish – Big Rapids, MI
• Basilica of St. Adalbert Parish – Grand Rapids, MI
• St. Patrick Parish – Portland, MI
• St. Bernadette of Lourdes Parish – Stanton, MI
• St. Margaret Mary Alacoque Parish – Edmore, MI

Publicly available diocesan disclosures and state investigative records identify these parish assignments but do not publish the specific years of service for each location.

Known Allegations

Records reviewed by Church officials and later investigators describe a pattern of alleged sexual abuse involving Louis Baudone that unfolded over many years and across several parish settings in West Michigan, beginning in the early 1970s and continuing into the early 1980s.

The accusations generally center on boys who had access to him through parish life, including time spent at churches, parish facilities, and rectories, where he was alleged to have used familiarity, trust, and authority to create private situations. 

Several complainants later described being invited to help with parish-related tasks or spending time alone with him, circumstances that placed them under his supervision and control and, according to the allegations, led to sexual contact.

The Diocese of Grand Rapids ultimately acknowledged that more than one allegation had been made against Baudone, including two allegations dating to 1981 that the Diocese later classified as substantiated. Other reports, disclosed years later by family members or the alleged victims themselves, described misconduct occurring during the mid-to-late 1970s at parishes in Muskegon, Muskegon Heights, and the Lake Odessa and Odessa area. 

These accounts were consistent in portraying repeated behavior rather than an isolated incident, with some alleging abuse over extended periods during childhood or early adolescence.

Many of the disclosures surfaced decades after the alleged misconduct, often following media coverage or public Church disclosures that prompted individuals to come forward. In some cases, family members reported that concerns had been raised with Church authorities at the time but were not acted upon in a way that prevented further ministry. 

By the early 2000s, as additional reports emerged, Church officials reviewed the accumulated allegations internally, provided limited assistance such as counseling support in certain instances, and eventually removed Baudone from ministry and stripped him of priestly faculties.

Summary: Louis Baudone was accused of sexually abusing multiple boys across several parishes during the 1970s and early 1980s, with allegations describing repeated misconduct facilitated through parish access. These allegations ultimately led to his removal from ministry.

Overseeing Authorities During Key Periods

• Joseph Breitenbeck – Diocese of Grand Rapids
• Robert Rose – Diocese of Grand Rapids

Institutional Actions and Review

Diocesan records show that concerns about Louis Baudone’s conduct existed internally before any public acknowledgment, with Church authorities later stating that allegations related to earlier years of his ministry were considered well-founded. 

In August 1993, following an internal review of allegations of sexual misconduct involving minors from prior decades, the Diocese of Grand Rapids accepted Baudone’s resignation from active parish leadership and removed him from parish ministry. He was placed on disability leave and directed not to celebrate public liturgies, although his priestly faculties were not revoked at that time. 

During the following years, additional allegations were reported to the Diocese by family members and alleged victims, prompting further internal assessment and contact with diocesan victim assistance personnel. 

As national scrutiny of clergy abuse intensified in the early 2000s, the Diocese formally added his name to its list of credibly accused Michigan clergy, marking the first formal public identification of his case. 

In July 2002, after meeting with him and reviewing the accumulated record, diocesan leadership formally removed his faculties for priestly ministry, prohibited him from public ministry or clerical presentation, and assigned him to a restricted private life of prayer and penance. 

When Baudone later relocated outside Michigan, diocesan officials documented his transfer by notifying Church authorities in Maine of his status, the substantiated allegations, and the restrictions in place, ensuring that he was not authorized for parish work or public ministry there.

Timeline

1959 — Ordained as a Catholic priest

1970s–1993 — Held parish assignments within the Diocese of Grand Rapids

Early 1970s–1981 — Alleged sexual abuse reportedly occurred in parish and rectory settings in the Odessa, Lake Odessa, Muskegon, and Muskegon Heights areas

1993 — Resigned from parish ministry and was removed from active pastoral assignments following internal review

2002 (April–August) — Multiple allegations reported to diocesan officials; case reviewed internally

2002 (July) — Faculties removed; prohibited from public ministry and ordered to a private life of prayer and penance

2004 — Relocated to Maine under restriction; receiving diocese notified of allegations and limitations

Early 2000s — Added by the Diocese to its list of credibly accused Michigan clergy

2024 (May 18) — Died in West Paris, Maine

2025 (December) — Included in the Michigan Attorney General’s report on the Diocese of Grand Rapids, documenting allegations and the Diocese’s handling of his case

Speak With an Attorney

Survivors of clergy sexual abuse in Michigan may have the right to pursue accountability, even decades later. If your abuse involved Louis Baudone or any other Catholic priest, the Injury Lawyer Team can help you understand your legal options.

Contact us to schedule a confidential consultation with a Michigan clergy abuse attorney and learn how your rights may be protected.

Sources and Public Records

This page is based on public records, official Church disclosures, investigative reporting, and survivor accounts, including the following sources:

• The Michigan Attorney General’s 2025 report on the Diocese of Grand Rapids, which documents allegations against Louis Baudone, summarizes diocesan files, survivor reports, law enforcement activity, and outlines the restrictions imposed by Church authorities.
• A compiled profile maintained on BishopAccountability.org that aggregates diocesan correspondence and related documentation concerning Baudone’s clerical history, reported allegations, and disciplinary status.
• A contemporaneous news article published by the Grand Rapids Press that describes the Diocese of Grand Rapids’ public disclosure of priests with substantiated allegations, including Baudone.
• A contemporaneous investigative report that examines how Michigan dioceses handled clergy abuse cases, detailing the use of restrictions such as removal from ministry and assignment to lives of prayer and penance rather than laicization, and referencing Baudone as one of the priests affected by those policies.

No criminal conviction is implied unless expressly stated in public court records or official law enforcement 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.