Sexual Abuse Allegations Against Fr. Vincent DeLorenzo

This page outlines the parochial assignments, credible allegations of child sexual abuse, and institutional actions against Fr. Vincent DeLorenzo, as part of the Injury Lawyer Team’s legal representation of Michigan survivors of clergy abuse. 

• Primary Entity Name: Vincent DeLorenzo
• Common Variations / Aliases: Father Vincent DeLorenzo, Fr. Vincent Delorenzo, Vincent Anthony DeLorenzo
• Role/Title at Time of Incident: Parochial vicar, pastor
• Current Status: Deceased

Public Identification and Clergy Status

Fr. Vincent DeLorenzo was listed as a credibly and criminally accused priest by multiple Church bodies and government agencies, including the Diocese of Lansing and the Michigan Department of Attorney General. He pleaded guilty to child sexual abuse in 2023 in connection with a 1987 sexual assault of a five-year-old child in exchange for dropping charges related to the abuse of another child in 1995. 

Allegations involved long-term sexual abuse and grooming of children, in addition to sexual assaults connected to his official capacities as a priest. His laicization was pending at the time of his death in 2024. 

• Entity that Listed Him: Diocese of Lansing, Vatican (pending laicization), Michigan Attorney General
• Reason for Listing: Multiple substantiated and credible allegations of abuse; one criminal conviction and multiple investigations

Key Status Facts

Ordination Year: 1965

Years in Active Ministry: 1965–2002

Locations Where He Served: Diocese of Lansing

Restrictions: Removed from ministry in 2002

Criminal Convictions: Pled guilty in 2023 to a 1987 sexual assault in exchange for dropping charges in a 1995 assault

Laicization: Pending at time of death

Died: 2024

Public Disclosure: Named in multiple church lists and the 2024 Attorney General’s report on the Diocese of Lansing

Number of Survivors: Eight, as documented in public reports

Assignment History

Primary Diocese: Diocese of Lansing

Parish Assignments (as documented in public reports)

• St. Thomas Aquinas – East Lansing, MI (1965–1967)
• St. Joseph – Kalamazoo, MI (1967–1970)
• St. Augustine – Kalamazoo, MI (1970–1971)
• St. Casimir – Lansing, MI (1971–1976)
• St. Pius X – Flint, MI (1976–1983)
• St. Robert – Flushing, MI (1983–1988)
• Holy Redeemer – Burton, MI (1988–2002)

Non-Church Assignments: Was involved in Catholic schools, including Holy Redeemer Parish School, where at least one instance of sexual abuse allegedly took place. 

Known Allegations

Fr. Vincent DeLorenzo was the subject of multiple credible allegations of sexual abuse spanning several decades. The first allegation was disclosed to Church officials in 2002, after which he resigned from his position and was sent to a treatment facility. Although the allegation was reported to the district attorney’s office, the prosecutor chose not to pursue charges in 2004 due to the statute of limitations having expired.

The Flint Police Department, the Flushing Police Department, the Genesee County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, the Michigan Attorney General, and the Diocesan Review Board investigated multiple incidents arising from DeLorezo’s service at various parishes, including St. Pius X and Holy Redeemer Church. These incidents were not criminally pursued due to statutory limits. However, public records demonstrate that the Diocesan Review Board found them credible. 

Criminal charges were filed against Fr. DeLorenzo in 2019 regarding the sexual abuse of a minor at Holy Redeemer Parish School in Burton, MI. This abuse allegedly occurred across five years, beginning in 1995, when the boy was five or six years old. 

DeLorenzo was arrested in 2019 in Marion County, Florida, for a separate sexual assault that occurred in 1987. The victim was allegedly molested at his great-grandmother’s funeral when he was five years old. 

In April 2023, DeLorenzo pleaded guilty to the 1987 assault in exchange for dropping the charges connected to the 1995 sexual abuse. He was sentenced to one year in jail, five years of probation, and lifetime registration as a sex offender. DeLorenzo died in 2024, and his laicization was pending at the time of death.

DeLorenzo was included on the 2019 Diocese of Lansing list of credibly accused priests and the 2024 Attorney General’s report, which outlines the institutional actions against him. 

Summary: Fr. Vincent DeLorenzo was credibly accused by eight separate survivors and criminally convicted for the sexual abuse of one survivor. 

Overseeing Authorities During Key Periods:

• Bishop Carl Mengeling – Diocese of Lansing
• Bishop Earl Boyea – Diocese of Lansing

Institutional Actions and Review

Internal documents collected in the 2024 Attorney General’s report indicate that the Diocese of Lansing was aware of allegations against Fr. DeLorenzo before he was included in a list of accused clergy in Michigan. Diocese officials, including Bishop Mengeling and Bishop Boyea, placed restrictions on DeLorenzo’s interactions with children before he was publicly removed from ministry.

DeLorenzo moved to Florida in the mid-2000s, after he had been removed from ministry in the Diocese of Lansing. His superiors in Michigan wrote to Archbishop John Favalora of the Archdiocese of Miami to inform him that DeLorenzo would be residing in Florida for part of the year, but that he did not hold any official priestly capacity and was not to present himself as a member of the clergy. 

The Diocese also paid for several victims to attend residential treatment or therapy before DeLorenzo’s public convictions. Multiple allegations were referred to prosecutors after DeLorenzo was removed from priestly faculties, but were not pursued until his arrest in Florida.

His laicization was pending at the time of his death in 2024. 

Timeline

1965 – Ordained in the Diocese of Lansing

1965–2002 – Held parish assignments in the Diocese of Lansing

1975 – Alleged abuse of a six-year-old boy at St. Pius X School

1978 – Alleged abuse of an eight-year-old boy at St. Pius X School

1983 – Alleged abuse at Holy Redeemer with a 13-year-old boy

1987 – Alleged abuse of a five-year-old boy during a funeral

1995 – Alleged abuse of a five-year-old boy at Holy Redeemer School

2002 – DeLorenzo is removed from priestly faculties

2019 – Criminal charges filed against DeLorenzo; arrested in Florida

2023 – DeLorenzo pleads guilty to the 1987 assault and is convicted

2024 – DeLorenzo dies

2024 – Attorney General’s report on Diocese of Lansing lists him as a credibly accused priest

Speak With an Attorney

If you or a loved one was sexually abused by Fr. Vincent DeLorenzo or another Michigan clergy member, you may have a legal claim. Injury Lawyer Team represents survivors of clergy abuse statewide and provides confidential, survivor-focused consultations. Contact a Michigan clergy abuse attorney for a consultation about your legal rights. 

Sources

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

• 2023 Michigan Department of Attorney General press release announcing Vincent Delorenzo’s sentencing. 
• Diocese of Lansing press release addressing Vincent DeLorenzo’s sentencing in Genesee County and describing the criminal allegations.
• Felony complaint released by the Michigan Department of Attorney General, which lists the charges against Fr. DeLorenzo in Genesee County. 
• Michigan Attorney General’s 2024 report on the Diocese of Lansing, which lists DeLorenzo as a credibly accused priest and outlines Church disclosures regarding his abuse. 
• The Diocese of Lansing’s 2019 list of credibly accused priests. 
• Fr. Vincent DeLorenzo’s profile on Bishop-Accountability.org, which compiles public records, Church disclosures, and court information related to the allegations, institutional actions, and criminal proceedings against the priest. 
• An article by the Ocala Star-Banner, which lists Fr. Vincent DeLorenzo’s parish assignments and the accusations against him. 

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.