Sexual Abuse Allegations Against James Rapp

This page outlines the assignments, credible allegations of child sexual abuse, and institutional actions involving Father James Rapp, as part of the Injury Lawyer Team’s legal representation of survivors in Catholic clergy abuse cases.

• Primary Entity Name: James Francis Rapp
• Common Variations / Aliases: Fr. James Rapp, James F. Rapp
• Role/Title at Time of Incident: Catholic Priest, Teacher, Wrestling Coach
• Current Status: Deceased; Convicted and Laicized

Public Identification and Clergy Status

Father James Rapp was publicly identified by multiple Catholic dioceses and the Illinois Attorney General’s clergy abuse report as a priest with substantiated criminal convictions and allegations involving sexual abuse of minors spanning several states.

Entity that Listed Him:

• Diocese of Salt Lake City
• Diocese of Lansing
• Archdiocese of Oklahoma City
• Diocese of Joliet
• Illinois Attorney General’s Office (2023 clergy abuse report) 

Reason for Listing: Convictions and substantiated credible allegations of sexual abuse against minors; inclusion on official diocesan lists of accused clergy. 

Key Status Facts

• Ordination Year: 1967 (O.S.F.S.)
• Years in Active Ministry: 1967–1999 (dates of known assignments until criminal convictions)
• Locations Where He Served: Michigan, Oklahoma, Illinois, Utah (multiple jurisdictions) 
• Reported Survivors: At least 7 reported survivors in official records 
• Faculties Revoked: 1999, following convictions in Oklahoma 
• Criminal Convictions: Pleaded no contest in Oklahoma and Michigan; sentenced to prison terms in both states 
• Laicization: 2009 
• Death: September 6, 2024 (reported) 
• Public Disclosure: Appears on multiple diocesan lists and the 2023 Illinois Attorney General’s clergy abuse report

Assignment History in Primary Diocese or Order

Rapp was consistently shuffled from one parish to another, leaving significant gaps in his history. He was in treatment facilities, but those were also kept quiet at times, leading to more substantial gaps, making it challenging to know every location he served at. 

Primary Diocese: Diocese of Lansing

Parish Assignments:

• Judge Memorial High School, Salt Lake City, Utah (1968–1973) 
• Lumen Christi High School, Jackson, Michigan (1981–1986)
• Saint Raphael, Naperville, Illinois (1987–1990) 
• Assumption, Duncan, Oklahoma (dates not specified on the Archdiocese list)

Status and “end of faculties” markers that help bracket the Oklahoma period:

• Faculties revoked in the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City, May 10, 1999
• Reported abuse location window tied to Duncan, Oklahoma: 1992–1999 (as published in the Illinois AG clerics database)

Documented non-parish placements:

These are not parish assignments that show where he was sent during or after removal from an institution:

• Montara House of Affirmation Center, six-month program (in or around 1987, per the Illinois AG narrative’s quotation of an internal letter)
• St. Luke’s Institute, Suitland, Maryland (placed there after removal from Lumen Christi, “in the scholastic year beginning in 1985,” per the Michigan AG Lansing Diocese report)

Known Allegations

Father James Rapp was the subject of multiple allegations and criminal proceedings involving the sexual abuse of minors during his time serving as a Catholic priest, teacher, and coach across several states. Public records and court filings indicate that the alleged abuse occurred over a period spanning the early 1980s through the late 1990s and involved boys under his supervision in both educational and parish settings.

One set of allegations arose from Rapp’s tenure at Lumen Christi Catholic High School in Jackson, Michigan, where he served as a teacher and wrestling coach. Survivors later reported that Rapp used his authority and access to students to engage in sexual abuse during the 1980s. These allegations remained unreported for decades before being brought to law enforcement during a broader review of historical clergy abuse cases in Michigan.

Additional allegations involved Rapp’s assignment in Duncan, Oklahoma, where he served in parish ministry during the 1990s. According to criminal court records, the abuse in Oklahoma involved multiple minors and occurred over several years. In 1999, Rapp entered a no-contest plea to numerous counts of lewd molestation in Oklahoma and was sentenced to a lengthy term of imprisonment.

Public records further indicate that Rapp had previously been assigned to Catholic institutions in Utah and Illinois before his removal from ministry. Government investigations later documented that allegations from different jurisdictions reflected similar patterns of conduct, including abuse occurring in contexts where Rapp exercised spiritual, educational, or supervisory authority over minors.

Church officials ultimately deemed the allegations against Rapp to be credible and substantiated, leading to the revocation of his ministerial faculties and his eventual laicization. His name appears on multiple diocesan lists of accused clergy, as well as in the Illinois Attorney General’s 2023 report on Catholic clergy abuse, which consolidated publicly available information regarding his assignments, allegations, and criminal convictions across state lines.

Father James Rapp was associated with multiple reports and convictions for sexual abuse of minors across different states:

• 1980s Abuse at Lumen Christi High School (Jackson, MI): Alleged sexual misconduct with students while serving as teacher and coach. 
• 1992–1999 Abuse in Duncan, Oklahoma: Reported abuse of minors during assignments in the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City; led to criminal convictions. 
• Multiple Survivors: At least 7 survivors reported in official records. 

Summary: Father James Rapp was a Catholic priest who was convicted in criminal court for sexually abusing minors in Oklahoma and Michigan. Official clergy abuse lists and public records document multiple allegations of abuse during his assignments in the 1980s and 1990s.

Overseeing Authorities During Key Periods:

• Bishop Kenneth Povish — Diocese of Lansing (oversaw Rapp’s service during his tenure at Lumen Christi Catholic High School in Jackson, Michigan, during the 1980s)
• Archbishop Charles J. Chaput — Archdiocese of Oklahoma City (oversaw Rapp’s assignment in Duncan, Oklahoma, during the period in which abuse later resulted in criminal charges and conviction)
• Bishop William J. Levada — Diocese of Salt Lake City (oversaw early assignments during Rapp’s service in Utah)
• Bishop Joseph L. Imesch — Diocese of Joliet (oversaw Rapp’s assignment at St. Raphael Parish in Naperville, Illinois)

Institutional Actions and Review

Rapp’s criminal record shows he pleaded no contest in Oklahoma in 1999 to multiple counts of lewd molestation of minors and was sentenced to up to 40 years’ imprisonment. 

In Michigan, charges were filed in 2015 related to decades-old abuse allegations from his time at Lumen Christi; he pleaded no contest to several counts in 2016 and received additional prison time. 

The Diocese of Joliet initially hesitated to disclose Rapp on its public clergy abuse list despite his convictions, later placing him on the list in December 2019. Moreover, James F. Rapp is listed among Michigan priests accused of sexual abuse, having been criminally convicted for sexually abusing minors while serving in clerical roles connected to the state.

Rapp was laicized in 2009, removing him from active clerical status.

Timeline

1967 — Ordained a Catholic priest. 

1980s — Reported abuse occurred at Lumen Christi High School, Jackson, MI. 

1987–1990 — Served at St. Raphael Parish, Naperville, IL. 

1992–1999 — Abuse reported in Duncan, OK. 

1999 — Faculties revoked and convicted in Oklahoma; sentenced to up to 40 years in prison. 

2009 — Removed from ministry and laicized. 

2015 — Charged in Michigan for 1980s abuse; extradited for prosecution. 

2016 — Pleaded no contest in Michigan and received an additional prison sentence. 

2018–2019 — Listed on several diocesan public lists of accused clergy. 

2023 — Included in the Illinois Attorney General’s clergy abuse report. 

2024 — Reported death in prison. 

Speak With an Attorney

If you or someone you know was sexually abused by Fr. James Rapp or any Catholic clergy member, you may still have legal options. The Injury Lawyer Team represents survivors and our clergy abuse attorneys can help you understand your rights and pursue justice.

Sources and Public Records

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

• The Illinois Attorney General’s 2023 Report on Catholic Clergy Abuse which lists Fr. James Rapp as a credibly accused priest and documents his assignments, criminal convictions, and allegations across multiple states.
• Michigan criminal court records detailing charges and convictions related to sexual abuse allegations arising from Rapp’s service at Lumen Christi Catholic High School in Jackson, Michigan.
• Diocesan public disclosures and clergy status records referenced within the Illinois Attorney General’s investigation, including confirmations of removal from ministry and laicization.
• The Michigan Diocese lists credible allegations, assignment history, and details incidents. 

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.