The History of Alleged Clergy Sexual Abuse in Michigan
Apr 18, 2023
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Over the last several years the Michigan Attorney General’s Office has been engaged in an ongoing investigation into clergy abuse within the Catholic Church. The goal of the Attorney General’s investigation is to expose these sexual predators and to find out who knew what, and when, in the Church.
The investigation is intended to be independent, thorough and transparent. To that end, the Michigan Attorney General regularly reports on priests that have been exposed for allegedly sexually abusing women, men or children in their capacity as clergy members.
The Attorney General recently published a report of sexual abuse in the Michigan Marquette Catholic Diocese since January 1, 1950. The report describes accusations against 44 priests within the Roman Catholic Church who are alleged to have sexually abused adults and/or children. The information was gathered from a search warrant that was executed against the Diocese of Marquette on October 3, 2018. Those identified as abusers in the report were:
- Father Casimir Adasiewicz
- Father Thomas Anderson
- Father Emil Beyer
- Father Joseph Carne
- Father Leonard Cornelius, OFM – Active Ministry
- Father Richard T. Craig
- Father Timothy Desrochers
- Father Thomas Dunleavy
- Father Gino Ferraro
- Father Wilbur Gibbs
- Father Basil Goerner
- Father Michael Hale
- Father Gerald Harrington
- Father Donald Hartman
- Father Aloysius Hasenberg
- Father Terrence Healy
- Father Raymond Hoefgen
- Father John Hughes
- Father Gary Jacobs
- Father Roy Joseph
- Father Norbert Lacosse
- Father Frank Lenz
- Father Clement Lepine
- Father Mark McQuesten – Active Ministry (Retired)
- Father James Menapace
- Father Peter Minelli
- Father Albert Mligo
- Father Robert Monroe
- Father Aaron Nowicki
- Father Vincent Ouellette
- Father Wilfred Pelletier
- Father Anthony Polakowski
- Father Armour Roberts
- Father David Rocheleau
- Father Nelson Daniel Rupp
- Father Walter Sheedlo
- Father Don Shiroda
- Father Ephream/Ephraim Sitko
- Father Neil Smith
- Father Charles Strelick
- Father Jan Szczykowski
- Father Guy Thoren
- Father Bernard Van Der Schueren, SJ
- Father James Wolf O.F.M. CAP
This report does not take into account evangelical clergy members, or report on any of the other Catholic Dioceses within the State of Michigan. As a result, clergy members who have sexually assaulted children and/or adults over the last several decades are likely far larger.
Michigan Attorney General, Dana Nessel, has brought criminal charges against the following priests since she started her investigations:
- Father Neil Kalina – Archdiocese of Detroit – Former priest at St. Kiernan Catholic Church in Shelby Township, MI, Macomb County, from 1982-1985.
- Father Patrick Casey – Archdiocese of Detroit – Former priest at St. Theodore of Canterbury Parish, Westland, MI.
- Father Brian Stanley – Former priest at St. Margaret’s Church, Allegan County, MI.
- Father Joseph Baker – Archdiocese of Detroit – Former priest at St. Perpetua Parish (Waterford, MI); St. Mary Parish (Wayne, MI); Sacred Heart Parish (Dearborn, MI); St. Hugo of the Hills Parish (Bloomfield Hills, MI).
- Father Timothy Crowley – Lansing Diocese – Former priest at St. Thomas Rectory in Ann Arbor, MI.
- Father Vincent DeLorenzo – Lansing Diocese – Former priest at Holy Redeemer Church in Burton, MI.
- Father Jacob Vellian – Kalamazoo Diocese – Former priest at St. John the Evangelist Parish, Benton Harbor, MI.
Unfortunately, we may never know exactly how many clergy members were sexual predators and we may never know how many men, women or children they abused. However, if these sexual abuse survivors have the strength and courage to speak up and seek justice, the more light we can shine on these clergy members and the institutions that gave them access to their victims and covered up the abuses.