Bishop James S. Sullivan

In June 2002, Sullivan, who had previously served as the Bishop of Fargo ND, faced accusations of fondling a young boy back in 1966 at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church in East Lansing MI. Interestingly, the same plaintiff had previously reached a settlement with the Christian Brothers in 1995 regarding abuse allegations against Br. Jeffrey Gregory. Naturally, Sullivan vehemently denied these charges. Surprisingly, the diocese expressed doubt in the allegations, citing the delayed reporting by the accuser. Eventually, Sullivan retired from his position as Bishop of Fargo on March 18, 2002, due to a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease. He passed away on June 12, 2006. However, on July 2, 2021, the Dioceses of Lansing made a shocking announcement, deeming the allegations against Sullivan credible. It was revealed that he had abused two boys, one aged 12-14 and the other aged 11-12, during the mid-1960s at the Church of the Resurrection in Lansing, where Sullivan had been assigned.