Priests Accused of Clergy Abuse in Michigan

Priests Accused of Clergy Abuse in Michigan

Contact the Michigan Clergy Abuse Coalition for Help Today

Several years ago, the Michigan Attorney General began investigating cases of sexual abuse by clergy members within the Catholic Church. Those investigations are ongoing. They have resulted in several criminal cases brought against priests for sexual abuse and related acts. The Attorney General’s office reports that it expects to bring more claims against additional priests in the future.

In a criminal case, the state or federal government seeks to hold an individual accountable for violating criminal laws. The goal of a criminal case is to punish and deter actions that harm both individuals and society as a whole.

Because criminal cases focus on the harm done to society, they don’t always fully compensate individuals injured by criminal acts. Those harmed by clergy members’ abuse of them may have mental and emotional pain they’ve carried for years or decades. 

For these individuals, there is hope. Michigan law also allows those abused by clergy members to file a civil lawsuit. A civil lawsuit seeks compensation for the individual’s suffering and other losses related to the abuse. Talk to an attorney with the Michigan Clergy Abuse Coalition to learn more. 

List of Priests Accused of Clergy Abuse in Michigan

The Attorney General’s list of priests accused of clergy abuse in Michigan currently includes nearly 200 names. Some are facing lawsuits or have settled claims. Some have been convicted in a criminal court, while others may face trial in the future. 

Names on the list include:

  • Fr. Benedict Adams, who worked in Saginaw and other dioceses before his death in 2002.
  • Fr. Casimir Adasiewicz, accused of molesting and raping a girl around 1965 at Sacred Heart in L’Anse Creuse. Resigned in 2002. 
  • Fr. Eugene F. Alvesteffer, accused in a single instance in Ludington in the 1970s. Passed away in 1998.
  • Fr. Roman Ament, Appears on the St. Joseph Province Capuchin list from 2019 of friars with “confirmed allegations of sexual abuse of minors or vulnerable adults.” Died in 1984.
  • Fr. Thomas Anderson, facing allegations of abuse by two men from two different Michigan towns. Died in 1981.
  • Fr. Charles Antekeier, Permanently removed from ministry in 2015 after multiple allegations of sexually abusing children.
  • Fr. Joseph Emile Aubin, Removed from public ministry in the Diocese of Lansing in 2018 due to “a credible allegation of inappropriate sexual behavior with a minor dating to the 1960s.”
  • Fr. Joseph Baker, also known as “Father Jack.” Pastor of St. Perpetua in Waterford Township; removed in 2019 pending investigations of sexual abuse allegations. Sentenced to a prison term in 2023.
  • Fr. Patrick J. Barrett, Placed on leave in 2002 after allegations that he molested a boy 30 years earlier outside the diocese. Deceased 2006. 
  • Fr. Louis Baudone, “Allegations deemed substantiated” that Baudone molested two children in Muskegon County in 1981. Additional allegations arose in 2008.
  • Fr. Shamaun Beas, Arrested in an internet sting in 2004 and charged with soliciting sex over the Internet; sentenced in 2006. Faced an additional sentence in 2008 for abusing two girls.
  • Fr. Harry S. Benjamin, Removed from ministry in 1989 after abuse allegations. As of July 2010, appears on the Virginia sex offender registry.
  • Fr. Gary D. Berthiaume, Convicted in 1978 of abusing two boys in Detroit; assigned to the Cleveland diocese after his jail sentence. Worked in Joliet from 1988 to 2002. 
  • Fr. Emil J. Beyer, Appears in a report to the Marquette diocese from 1997, alleging Beyer sexually abused a boy at the Holy Family Orphanage from 1944 to 1956.  
  • Sr. Gael N. Biondo, aka “Sr. Mary Gael.” Archdiocese of Detroit settled a 1995 civil suit filed by a woman claiming she was sexually abused by Biondo as a high school and college student. Deceased in May 2020. 
  • Fr. Brian Bjorklund, A Navy chaplain removed from active ministry in 2003 after allegations of minor abuse. Deceased 2007.
  • Fr. Alphonse Boardway, Faced allegations in 2002 that he raped a man, who was 16 in 1968. Also worked in TX, IN, IL, WI, and other states.
  • Fr. Edmund S. Borycz, Worked in Detroit and Livonia parishes; accused of abusing five youths between 1963 and 1987. Deceased 2018. 
  • Fr. Francis Gerald Boyer, Accused of raping a boy in 1961; the boy was 12 at the time. Committed suicide in 1973. 
  • Fr. William B. Brennan, Placed on leave in 2003 after allegations of sexual misconduct by three female complainants were deemed credible by the Archdiocese of Detroit; permanently removed from ministry by the Vatican in 2005. Deceased 2012.
  • Fr. Vincent W. Bryce, Worked in Grand Rapids, where in 2002 he faced accusations of abuse of a boy in 1977. 
  • Fr. Gary Bueche, Removed from a parish in the Archdiocese of Detroit in 2002 after it came to light that he had made a “secret cash settlement” years prior with a man who said he’d been sexually abused by Bueche. 
  • Fr. Stanislaus Bur, Accused in 1992 of molesting an Ionia altar boy in 1958. Deceased 2009.
  • Fr. Robert N. Burkholder, Removed from priesthood in 1993 after admitting to molesting at least 23 boys. Deceased 2006. 
  • Fr. Thomas J. Cain, Accused after his death in 1984 of having sexually abused minors. Worked in Pontiac, Monroe, Mt. Clemens, Detroit, and Livonia.
  • Fr. Joseph D. Carne, Resigned in 2002 after credible allegations of sexual misconduct involving a minor. Deceased 2019. 
  • Fr. Anthony J. Conti, Aka AJ “Anthony” Helinski until 1988 or later. Removed in 2002 after allegations of sexual misconduct with a minor more than 20 years previously. Deceased 2016. 
  • Fr. Arthur Cooney, A current Capuchin friar with confirmed reports of sexual abuse of minors. 
  • Fr. Augustine Cops, Appears on the St. Joseph Province Capuchins’ 2020 list of those facing “substantiated allegations,” as well as in the 2023 Illinois Attorney General’s report.
  • Fr. Leonard Cornelius, Appears in the Michigan Attorney General’s report as having abused a minor in the 1980s while chaplain at the Carmelite monastery in Iron Mountain.
  • Fr. Kenneth F. Coughlin, Removed in 2014 over allegations he had inappropriately touched the hands and legs of two students; entered treatment at the bishop’s request but denied allegations.
  • Fr. Richard T. Craig, Named on the Diocese of Marquette accused list in 2019. Permanently removed from ministry in 1993.
  • Fr. Timothy M. Crowley, Accused of sexually abusing an altar boy from 1982 to 1990. Pleaded guilty to charges by the Michigan AG in 2023.
  • Fr. Patrick J. D’Angelo, Removed from public ministry “under the archdiocesan policy.” Deceased in 1998.
  • Br. Frank Luke Dalton, Accused of abusing a student in Bloomfield Hills while serving as the student’s school principal. 
  • Fr. Michael J. Daly, Privileges permanently revoked in 2002 due to past allegations of sexual abuse. Died in 2012.
  • Fr. Luis Javier de Alba Campos, Accused in 2004 of molesting a seven year old boy. 
  • Fr. Robert DeLand, Jr. Arrested in 2018 for sexual assault; several more people also reported actual or attempted sex abuse by DeLand. Sentenced to prison in 2019. 
  • Fr. Vincent Anthony DeLorenzo, In 2002, admitted to inappropriate sexual contact with a child that occurred in the 1970s. Eight known accusations as of May 2019; pleaded guilty and sentenced in 2023.
  • Fr. Harold Charles Depp, Convicted in 1982 of child sexual abuse and served 8 years in prison in Alaska. Appears on Detroit archdiocese’s 2019 list of credibly accused.
  • Fr. Ronald J. Dombrowski, Suspended in 2018 after Diocese of Saginaw received reports of alleged sexual abuse as a minor. Added to the diocese’s list of those credibly accused.
  • Fr. Dennis D. Duggan, Removed from a parish in the Archdiocese of Detroit in 2002 after “credible” allegations of abuse. 
  • Fr. Thomas P. Dunleavy, Included in the Michigan AG’s report of 2022 with a substantial history of allegations of sexual abuse by various girls in Sault Ste. Marie.
  • Fr. Lawrence A. Edwards, Faced a 2004 lawsuit from a man who accused Edwards of molesting him as a child at St. Mary’s in Milford. Suit claims other victims also exist. Edwards died in 1999.
  • Fr. Patrick W. Egan, Faced multiple allegations of sexual harassment, abuse, and misconduct; worked for many years in the Diocese of Lansing.
  • Fr. Jude T. Ellinghausen, “Retired” with restricted ministry 2002 due to allegations from the 1970s. Included on Archdiocese of Detroit list of credibly accused in 2020.
  • Fr. Lawrence T. Fares, Removed from ministry in 2021 at age 96, after the Archdiocese of Detroit found allegations of child sex abuse from early in his priesthood “credible.” 
  • Fr. Joseph P. Femminineo, Resigned from St. Rita Parish in Holly in 1996, after allegations surfaced of sexual misconduct involving minors; permanently banned from ministry in 2005. 
  • Fr. Gino S. Ferraro, Appears in Michigan AG’s report as facing allegations of child sexual abuse from 2008. Joined Marquette diocese in the mid-1930s.
  • Fr. Alexander Thomas Fitzgerald, Named publicly by the Diocese of Lansing in 2020 on its list of those facing credible allegations. Died in 1996.
  • Fr. Leonard R. Foisy, Accused in a 1994 lawsuit of abusing a boy for four years in the 1960s in Michigan. Died in 2016.
  • Fr. Egbert Heinlein, Listed by the Archdiocese of Detroit as credibly accused in 2023. Deceased in 1999.
  • Fr. Richard A. Fritz, Named by the Diocese of Kalamazoo MI in 2020 as having credible allegations that he committed sexual abuse in the late 1970s or early 1980s. Also charged with embezzlement in 2016; the charges were later dropped. 
  • Fr. Wilbur M. Gibbs, Appears in the Michigan AG’s report of 2022 as the subject of allegations of child sexual abuse from the 1950s and 1960s. Died in 1988.
  • Fr. Leopols Gleissner, Identified by the Capuchin Province of St. Joseph in 2013 as a current friar facing credible allegations of abuse. Removed from public ministry.
  • Fr. Basil Goerner, aka “Steve.” Named by the Michigan AG in the 2022 report as the subject of allegations of sexual abuse. Died in 2008. 
  • Fr. Louis E. Grandpre, Removed from public ministry in 2013 after an Archdiocese of Detroit review board found accusations of sexual misconduct with a minor in the early years of his career. Died in 2016.
  • Br. Jeffrey Gregory, Accused of sexual abuse of a 16 year old altar boy in 1966. 
  • Fr. Ronald Vincent Gronowski, Resigned in 2002 after a personnel file review showed allegations of sexual misconduct in 1995; he issued a public apology and was removed from public ministry. 
  • Fr. Rudolph Grosser, Identified in 2013 report from the Capuchin Province of St. Joseph as a deceased friar with confirmed reports of sexual abuse of minors.
  • Fr. Paul James Guoan, Appears on the Diocese of Lansing’s 2019 list as credibly accused, facing multiple allegations. Removed from ministry in 2002. 
  • Fr. Robert W. Haener, Accused of abusing several boys at two parishes and Catholic schools in the 1960s and early 1970s. Permanently removed from ministry by the Vatican in 2005.
  • Fr. Kent Hajduk, Named by the Province of St. John the Baptist Franciscans in 2021 as facing “substantiated allegations” of child sexual abuse.” Deceased 2019.
  • Fr. Michael F. Hale, Listed in the Michigan AG’s 2022 report as involved in several incidents involving improper sexual behavior with minors. Deceased in 1975 but appears to have been active in public ministry until his death.
  • Fr. Lionel A. Hamish, Named by the Diocese of Gaylord, MI in 2018. Died in 2011.
  • Fr. Gerald F. Harrington, Including in Michigan AG’s report in 2022 as the subject of abuse allegations. Died in 1962.
  • Fr. Donald Hartman, Faced multiple allegations in the Diocese of Marquette. Removed from public ministry in 1992.
  • Fr. Lawrence N. Hartwig, Diocese of Grand Rapids reportedly received substantiated allegations in 2002 against Hartwig and seven other priests. Died in 1998. 
  • Fr. Aloysius J. Hasenberg, Resigned from St. Agnes in Iron River and retired in 1997 after allegations that he paid men for sex in the parish rectory. Additional allegations arose in 2002 and 2005. Died in 2016.
  • Fr. Terrence M. Healy, Faced allegations and criminal charges spanning several decades; ultimately admitted to sexual contact with 18 boys, the youngest age 14. Died in 2019.
  • Fr. Wilbert Hegener, Added to the Diocese of Gaylord’s list in late 2021. Died in 2009.
  • Fr. Donald J. Heydens, Faced substantiated allegations in the Diocese of Grand Rapids for allegations of abuse involving girls in the 1970s.
  • Fr. Albert Hilebrand, Principal of Austin Catholic Prep High School in Detroit for several years in the 1960s and 1970s. Named as “credibly accused” on the Detroit archdiocese list of 2019. Died 1999.
  • Fr. Raymond J. Hoefgen, Named in a Diocese of Marquette report in 1994 as allegedly sexually abusing two sisters in the 1960s in Sault Ste. Marie. Died 2012. 
  • Fr. James A. Holtz, Resigned in 2002 after the Gaylord diocese investigated a report that he’d sexually abused a minor in the early 1980s.
  • Fr. Richard J. Host, Accused in 1988 of molesting two young boys over a two-year period in the Diocese of Grand Rapids. 
  • Deacon Richard L. Howard, Named by the Diocese of Saginaw in 2018 as a cleric permanently removed due to credible allegations of sexual abuse of minors.
  • Fr. John G. Hughes, Identified in the MI AG’s report of 2022 as the subject of allegations of sexual abuse from 1965 or before. Deceased in 1979.
  • Deacon Hurmiz Risko Ishak, Assigned to to St. Joseph Chaldean in Troy. Arrested in 2018, allegedly after sexually assaulting a young boy at church. 
  • Fr. Gary Allen Jacobs, Appears on Diocese of Marquette’s 2016 list. Arrested in 2020 in three separate child abuse cases; additional allegations have also surfaced.
  • Fr. Thomas J. Johnston, Faced a lawsuit from a church secretary in 2000 claiming her contract was not renewed because her teenage son turned down Johnston’s sexual advances in 1999. Included on the Chicago archdiocese list in 2022.
  • Fr. Roy Joseph, Charged in 2020 for “an incident” in 2006 while assigned in Marquette County. Included in Michigan AG’s report. 
  • Fr. Martin Ignatius Kalahar, Listed on Saginaw diocese list of those accused of sexual misconduct. Died in 1966. 
  • Fr. Neil Kalina, Subject of a 2017 complaint that while pastor of St. Kieran in Utica, Kalina committed sexual assault on a 12 year old boy, whom he had plied with drugs. Convicted in 1985 on drug offenses and in 2022 of criminal sexual conduct. 
  • Fr. Arthur Michael Karey, Subject of an Archdiocese of Detroit investigation in 2018 which deemed credible an allegation that Karey had sexually abused a girl under age 16 in the early years of his priesthood. Died in 1993.
  • Fr. Kenneth Kaucheck, Subject of a 2009 allegation that he’d engaged in sexual misconduct in 1976 with a 16 year old in counseling with him. Placed on leave in 2009.
  • Fr. C. Richard Kelly, Jr, Placed on leave in 2004 after allegations that he sexually abused a young boy about 30 years prior. Died in 2021. 
  • Fr. Michael Robert Kelly, Appears as “credibly accused” on Diocese of Lansing’s 2019 list. Left active ministry in 1983.
  • Fr. Joseph W. Kenshol, Accused in a 1995 civil suit of improper behavior with adolescent boys while at Sacred Heart Parish in Grand Rapids.
  • Fr. Dennis Kucharczyk, Suspended in 2019 for misconduct with a minor. 
  • Sr. Theresa Marie Kulwicki, aka Patricia Kulwicki, was accused in 2019 by a woman who said Kulwicki sexually abused her for years, beginning when she was 14. Kulwicki died in 1994.
  • Fr. John Baptist Kurcz, aka Donald Kurcz was identified in the 2013 report from the Capuchin Province of St. Joseph as facing confirmed reports of sexual abuse of minors Left the order in 1958 to marry.
  • Fr. Norbert Paul LaCosse, Pastro of American Martyrs Parish in Kingsford when removed in 1990 due to allegations of child sexual abuse. Died in 2014. 
  • Fr. Dennis Laesch, Accused of abusing a 17 year old boy in 1997; archdiocese paid $125,000 settlement. Barred from public ministry by the Vatican in 2007.
  • Fr. William A. Langlois, St. Patrick – St. Anthony Parish pastor from 1996 to 2016; admitted to an inappropriate relationship in 2014. 
  • Fr. Richard Lauinger, Listed by the Detroit archdiocese as facing credible allegations of sexual abuse of minors in Farmington, Michigan. Also worked in Detroit, Royal Oak,and St. Clair Shores. 
  • Fr. David E. LeBlanc, Resigned in 2007 after admitting to the bishop in Grand Rapids that he’d abused a pre-teen boy; in 2019, a man stated publicly that LeBlanc had abused him in Caledonia in 1999. 
  • Fr. James William Lee, Jr, Appears on Diocese of Lansing list from 2019 as credibly accused, facing multiple allegations. Died in 1992.
  • Fr. Jack J. Leipert, Named publicly by a Saginaw bishop in 2018 as having been removed from ministry due to credible allegations of sexual abuse of minors. 
  • Fr. Frank M. Lenz, Placed on administrative leave in 2018 after Diocese of Marquette received a credible allegation against him of sexual misconduct with a girl in the 1970s.
  • Fr. Clement J. LePine, Accused in 2005 of abusing at least two girls and a boy in the 1960s and 1970s. Included in the 2022 Michigan AG’s report.
  • Fr. Marian John Lesniak, Named on the Diocese of Lansing list as credibly accused in 2019. Pastor of St. Joseph’s in Jackson for 39 years. Died in 2011. 
  • Fr. Walter J. Lezuchowski, Barred from parish ministry in 1991 after the Archdiocese of Detroit heard credible allegations that he’d sexually abused a girl over age 16. Died in 2006.
  • Fr. Shaun D. Lowery, Placed on leave from St. Mary Magdalen in Brighton Township in 2021 pending an investigation by the Michigan Attorney General; the diocese announced in 2022 that it considered the allegations credible. 
  • Fr. Michael D. Malawy, Removed from ministry in 2004 after allegations surfaced of sexual misconduct in the early years of his ministry. Permanently removed by the Vatican in 2006; died in 2015.
  • Fr. Benedict J. Marciulionis, Listed by the Diocese of Gaylord as accused in 2018. Died in 2000.
  • Fr. James Andrew Marron, Named as accused by the Saginaw diocese on its 2019 list. Died in 1987; accused after his death.
  • Fr. Dennis L. Martell, Assigned to Immaculate Conception in Lapeer in 1992-93; appears on the Detroit archdiocese list of credibly accused in 2019. 
  • Fr. John Edward Martin, Subject of a report in 2010 by two men to the diocese, describing abuse. Died in 1968. 
  • Fr. Bruce C. Maxwell, Appears on the Detroit archdiocese list of credibly accused in 2019 after working several states and cities, including Detroit.
  • Fr. Francis McHugh, Listed by the Saginaw diocese in 2019, with one allegation noted. Died in 1998. Also included on the Chicago archdiocese list of credibly accused clergy.
  • Fr. Joseph McHugh, Listed by the Lansing diocese in 2019; worked in Lansing in the mid-1970s. Died in 2007.
  • Fr. Michael McKenna, Permanently removed from ministry in 2006 after allegations of child abuse that occurred in the 1970s. Bishop indicates there may have been “several” victims.
  • Fr. Patrick McLaughlin, Appears on the Jesuits Midwest Province list of 2018 linked to one allegation of abuse at University of Detroit High School in the late 1950s. Died in 1970.
  • Fr. Mark McQuesten, Appears in the MI AG’s report from 2022 of those accused, based on a 2018 report from a man who said McQuesten had touched him inappropriately during a trip in 1986.
  • Fr. Bryan W. Medlin, Included in a MI AG investigation in 2021 regarding inappropriate texts sent to high schoolers. Pastor of the National Shrine of the Cross in the Woods in Indian River.
  • Fr. James L. Menapace, Reported by the Marquette diocese in 2014 to be included in reports from three people that Menapace had sexually abused them as boys in the 1990s. Died in 2022.
  • Br. Matthew Migan, Named in the 2013 report from the Capuchin Province of St. Joseph as linked to confirmed reports of sexual abuse of minors. Died in 1958.
  • Fr. Alfred J. Miller, Retired in 2002 after allegations of sexual misconduct from the 1960s/1970s surfaced. Died in 2021.
  • Fr. James Moeglein, Barred from public ministry in 2002; included on Detroit archdiocese list of credibly accused in 2019.
  • Fr. Robert J. Monroe, Listed in 2022 MI AG report and linked to claims that he sexually abused young boys in the mid-1960s at St. Mary’s in Sault Ste. Marie. Died in 1980. 
  • Deacon Frank Mullen, Formerly of Most Holy Trinity Parish and teacher at Holy Redeemer Parish Elementary School. Placed on leave in 1993 after complaints of abuse in prior years came to light. 
  • Fr. James Aloysius Mulvey, Listed by the Saginaw diocese in 2019. Died in 1959.
  • Fr. Timothy J. Murray, Placed on leave in 2004 due to substantive allegation of sexual misconduct early in his ministry. Arrested in 2012 on child pornography charges; pled guilty and sentenced to 15 years in prison in late 2014. 
  • Fr. Lawrence Nawrocki, Convicted in 1989 of abusing three Macomb Township boys in 1987 and sentenced to prison; released in 1994. Deceased in or before 2009.
  • Fr. James M. Novak, Accused of abuse and permanently removed from ministry per a 2010 news article. 
  • Fr. Aaron Nowicki, Arrested in 2021 after attempting to meet a teenager for sex in Sault Ste. Marie. Convicted in 2023.
  • Fr. Thomas O’Brien, Removed from public ministry in 2002. Worked in Riverview, MI in 1989 to 1994; also worked in St. Paul, MN.
  • Fr. Neil Francis O’Connor, Named by Saginaw diocese based on an allegation received after his death in 1989.
  • Fr. Loren O’Dea, Removed without privileges from Our Lady of Sorrows in Farmington in 2012 after two complaints about abuse near the time of his ordination. Died in 2015.
  • Fr. Leo Olschausken, Served in the Diocese of Grand Rapids MI at Mercy Hospital in Cadillac; died in 1987.
  • Fr. Edward Theodore Olszewski, Convicted by a jury in 2002 of indecent liberties with a minor; sentenced to probation in 2003 but conviction reversed by the state Supreme Court in 2005 because jury was not “impartial.” Restricted ministry.
  • Fr. Vincent L. Ouellette, Subject of a Marquette diocese report in 2004 that Ouellette sexually abused a relative, then ages 13, on a trip to Minnesota. Died in 1998.
  • Fr. Thaddeus Ozog, Listed by the archdiocese of Detroit in 2018; assigned to parishes in Detroit, Birmingham, Wakefield, and other cities. Died in 1994.
  • Fr. Wilfred Pelletier, Included in 2022 MI AG’s report due to information that a man told the diocese in 2005 that Pelletier sexually abused him and a friend for over two years in their teens, in the late 1950s and early 1960s in Alpha, MI. Died in 1973.
  • Fr. Eduard Perrone, Pastor at the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the Detroit archdiocese for 25 years. Suspended in 2019 after archdiocese found credible allegations of sexual abuse of a boy in earlier years. 
  • Fr. Thomas R. Physician, Faced a 2004 civil suit from four men alleging that he had abused one of the men at Precious Blood parish from age 14 to 17, in the early 1970s. Died in 2004.
  • Fr. Raymond John Pilarski, Permanently removed from ministry in 2006 due to allegations of abuse. Priest of the Gaylord diocese in 1971. Died in 2017.
  • Fr. Anthony J. Polakowski, Linked to detailed accusations of abuse, including of a woman who claims Polakowski abused her for a year when she was in sixth grade.
  • Fr. Ralph Quane, Removed from assignment as hospital chaplain in 2002 due to allegations he sexually abused a minor in the early years of his ministry. 
  • Fr. John Steven Rabideau, Accused in 1998 of abusing three boys in the mid 1980s in the Saginaw area. Died in 2014. 
  • Fr. Terrence Andrew Raymond, Listed by the diocese of Gaylord as accused in its 2018 list. Died in 1986.
  • Fr. Laurus R. Rhode, Listed by the diocese of Gaylord as accused in its 2018 list. Died in 1995.
  • Fr. Armour R. Roberts, Listed by the Bismarck diocese on its list in 2020 as the subject of substantiated accusations of abuse in Marquette. 
  • Fr. David H. Rocheleau, Named in the MI AG’s 2022 report due to a 2002 report to the diocese of Marquette that Rocheleau had made sexual advances on a boy between 10 and 13 a few decades prior. Died in 1984.
  • Fr. Nelson Daniel Rupp, Listed in the MI AG”s 2022 report as accused over concerns in 1991 that his behavior with teenagers was “inappropriate.” 
  • Fr. Thomas William Ryan, Listed by the Saginaw diocese as accused in 2019 due to allegations received after his death in 1975.
  • Fr. Austin Schlaefer, Named in a 2013 Capuchin audit report as linked to confirmed reports of sexual abuse of minors. Died in 1992 in Saginaw after working in Milwaukee, Detroit, and Chicago.
  • Fr. Gary Schulte, Removed without privileges from St. Sylvester’s in Warren in 2011 after allegations of sexual misconduct with a boy in 1991 came to light. 
  • Fr. Wendelin Shafer, aka “Leslie.” Identified in a 2013 Capuchin Province of St. Joseph review as linked to confirmed reports of sexual abuse of minors. Died in 2005.
  • Fr. Walter J. Sheedlo, Listed in MI AG’s report after a man reported in 1997 that Sheedlo made sexual advances during counseling sessions in 1996. Additional accusations surfaced in 1998. On leave as of 2022.
  • Fr. Gerald Shirilla, Accused of abusing at least seven youths between 1972 and 1981. Died in 2004.
  • Fr. Jason E. Sigler, Involved in both Michigan and New Mexico allegations, including a New Mexico lawsuit that settled for $13 million and a guilty plea in 1983 to abuse of child. 
  • Fr. Ephraem Sitko, Named in MI AG’s 2022 report after a woman told the diocese of Marquette in 2020 that Sitko inappropriately touched her while she was in third grade at St. Ignatius Loyola school in 1963. Died in 1982.
  • Fr. Joseph Sito, Resigned in 1993 after credible allegations of sexual misconduct with a minor in the 1960s. Died in 2016.
  • Fr. John Donald Slowey, Included in a civil claim of sexual misconduct, which ended in a $225,000 settlement against Slowey and the diocese. Died in 1983.
  • Fr. Joseph Smetana, Identified by the 2013 Capuchin Province report as a current friar with confirmed reports of sexual abuse against minors. Permanently removed from ministry.
  • Fr. B. Neil Smith, Named in MI AG’s 2022 report and linked to a 2004 report by a man who said Smith sexually abused him in 1951 or 1952, when the man was a teenager. Smith died in 2007.
  • Fr. Robert Gordon Smith, Named on the Gaylord diocese list in 2018, which notes he was previously removed from public ministry. Died in 1980.
  • Fr. Gerald F. Smola, Listed by the Jesuits Midwest Province as “accused” on a 2018 list. One allegation was received after his death, linking him to abuse during his time at University of Detroit Jesuit High School in the 1950s. Dismissed in 1969.
  • Fr. Robert Spader, Listed in the 2013 Capuchin Province list as a former friar with confirmed reports of sexual abuse by minors. Ordained in 1964 as “Fr. Edwin Spader.” 
  • Br. Francis Mary Sparacino, Named in the 2013 Capuchin Province list as a current friar with confirmed reports of sexual abuse of minor. Served mostly at the Province of St. Joseph Living. Died in 2015.
  • Fr. Brian L. Stanley, Charged with false imprisonment in 2019, based on allegations he  held a teenage boy against his will in a janitor’s room at St. Margaret’s in Kalamazoo, MI. Pled guilty and sentenced in 2020.
  • Fr. Kenneth Stewart, Identified in the 2013 Capuchin Province report as a former friar with confirmed reports of the sexual abuse of minors. Assigned in Saginaw in 1973-1974.
  • Fr. Elmer Stoffel, Included on the Capuchin Province of St. Joseph list and the Diocese of Saginaw list of those facing substantiated allegations. Died in 1992.
  • Fr. Charles J. Strelick, Named as an accused in the MI AG’s 2022 report, based on a 2020 report to the Diocese of Marquette by a man who said Strelick abused him in 1991, when the man was eight years old. Pastor at St. John the Baptist in Ishpeming before his death.
  • Bishop James S. Sullivan, Accused of fondling a boy in 1966 at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church in East Lansing. Allegations came to light in 2002; Sullivan died in 2006.
  • Fr. Richard T. Szafranski, Accused in 2006 of sexual misconduct with a girl in the 1970s. He admitted to “a relationship” with the girl, who was a teen at the time.
  • Fr. Joseph Szarek, Removed from ministry in the Saginaw diocese in 1958; later worked in the Diocese of Albany. Died in 1999.
  • Fr. Timothy J. Szott, Places on leave in 2003 after a church volunteer found images of child abuse on his computer. Sentenced to probation in 2003; sued in 2008 for abuse of a youth in 1999, who had just turned 18. Died in 2008.
  • Fr. Edgar Szymanski, Listed by his order as linked to multiple allegations in 1999 and 2018 of abuse in the 1940s and 1950s. Chaplain at Boysville in Clinton, MI from 1951 to 1959. Died in 1998.
  • Fr. Guy S. Thoren, Removed in 2002 after Diocese of Marquette said it had substantiated an allegation of abuse of a minor dating back more than 25 years. Died in 2011.
  • Fr. Chester Vincent Tomaszewski, Named as credibly accused on the Diocese of Lansing list in 2019. Died in 1987.
  • Fr. John Tupper, Removed from diocese of Gaylord in 2002 after officials received a report from a person who claimed Tupper committed inappropriate contact with a minor about 30 years prior. Died in 2004.
  • Fr. John Tyminski, Named in the Detroit archdiocese report in 2019 as the subject of allegations, which the archdiocese deemed credible. Died in 1984.
  • Fr. Peter J. Van der Linden, Removed in 1993 for “serious and substantive allegation of sexual misconduct dating back to the early years of his ministry.” Died in 2007.
  • Fr. Bernard Van der Schueren, Included in announcement by Diocese of Marquette in 2013 that it had received a credible allegation of abuse of a minor by “Fr. Ben” in 1989, while he was at St. Michael Parish in Marquette. Died in 2009.
  • Fr. Jacob Vellian, Named by the Diocese of Kalamazoo, which said in Fall 20201 is received an allegation of sexual abuse of a female minor by Vellian; the review board concluded the claim had merit. Charged in 2019 with the rape of a 15 year old girl in the early 1970s.
  • Fr. Lawrence M. Ventline, Alleged in 2016 to have sexually assaulted an 11 year old boy three times in the church sacristy in 1989 and 1990. 
  • Fr. Gerald John Vesnaugh, Removed from the priesthood in 1975 after molesting children and convicted in 1979; charged again in 1981 with three counts of sexual assault. Sentenced to three years’ prison in 1996 for additional offenses.
  • Fr. Aloysius Volskis, Accused in a 2021 lawsuit of sexually assaulting an 8 year old boy at Bishop Kelley Catholic School in Lapeer, when the boy was in second grade. 
  • Fr. Dennis A. Wagner, Pled guilty in 1983 to assault and battery of a 13 year old boy during a tubing trip. Also faced additional substantiated allegations. 
  • Fr. Harold A. Walsh, Included in allegations that he had abused a woman in the mid-1960s when she was a teenager and he was assigned to Holy Redeemer parish. Also accused of abusing a boy in St. Paul. Left active ministry in 2005.
  • Fr. David F. West. Included in announcement by the Detroit archdiocese in 2015 of a credible allegation of sexual abuse of a male minor in the 1970s. Died in 2004.
  • Fr. Leroy E. White, Accused in 1991 of sexually touching a female minor; additional allegations were also made. Worked in the Lansing diocese but was removed in 2002 and restricted by the Vatican from working the Lansing or Kalamazoo areas.
  • Fr. Leonard F. Wilkuski, Resigned in 2002 after acknowledging an allegation of sexual misconduct that occurred earlier in his ministry.
  • Fr. Ronald R. Williams, Accused in 2002 of inappropriate sexual contact with a minor; two other men later came forward, alleging other instances of inappropriate contact. Died in 2010.
  • Fr. Robert Witkowski, Restricted from public ministry in 2018 due to credible allegations he sexually abused minors early in his career. 
  • Fr. James C Wolf, Accused in a civil suit, along with two other plaintiffs, of molesting a student in the 1970s at a Capuchin run high school and after graduation. Other allegations by other individuals have also been reported.
  • Fr. James R. Wysocki, Placed on leave in 2003 after the Detroit archdiocese reviewed an old allegation of misconduct involving a minor, which was later deemed “substantive.” Permanently barred from public ministry in 2007.
  • Fr. Darius W Wyszynski, Named by the Diocese of Lansing as credibly accused. Died in 2013.
  • Fr. Robert Wyzgoski, Removed in 2002 after accusations of abuse of teen girls in the 1960s; reports that parents complained of his behavior as early as 1973. Named in a civil suit in 2004; died in 2007.
  • Fr. Hilary Zach, Named in the 2013 Capuchin Province of St. Joseph report as a deceased friar with confirmed reports of sexual abuse of minors. Died in 1997.

The list of priests facing credible accusations of abuse in Michigan continues to grow. An experienced attorney can help you add a name to the list or seek compensation if you’ve suffered at the hands of a priest on the list. 

Speak to an Attorney at the Michigan Clergy Abuse Coalition Today

The Michigan Clergy Abuse Coalition seeks to assist those who have been harmed by abuse from a priest, deacon, or other clergy member. If you’ve suffered medical bills, lost wages or earnings, trauma-related symptoms, embarrassment, humiliation, or damage to your reputation in your church or community, reach out to us today. We can help you stand up for your rights and help others speak out against this terrible and unacceptable behavior.

The Clergy Abuse Coalition is committed to seeking justice and accountability for survivors of clergy sexual abuse. By filing a claim with their assistance, survivors can join a collective effort to hold abusers and the institutions responsible for their actions accountable. Through their advocacy and legal expertise, the coalition aims to bring about meaningful change within religious institutions. If you are a clergy sexual abuse survivor, call our experienced team of attorneys at the Clergy Abuse Coalition today by calling (248) 799-7876.