Abusive Clergy List
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November 22, 2022
My Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,
As Bishop of Superior, I am publicly releasing the names of clergy with substantiated allegations of child sexual abuse. This list of names is the result of three separate clergy file reviews (including security consultant firm Defenbaugh & Associates), more than a year of meetings, multiple sessions with the Diocesan Review Board, and much prayer and discernment. As this list is made public, I want to express my deepest apology and sympathy to all victims, survivors, and the family members who suffered with them. While most of the allegations in the list are more than 30 years old, I know that the wounds caused by abuse are as fresh as if the abuse happened yesterday. I understand that the publication of this list may reopen those wounds and I sincerely apologize. It is my hope and prayer that making this list public will bring healing.
I wish we could go back in time and undo all of the hurt and pain, the sins of the past. But we cannot. What we can do is learn from the past and do everything in our power to never repeat the abuse.
I firmly believe that the Diocese of Superior is clearly on the right path in protecting our children. Over the past 35 years, starting with our 1988 Morals and Ethics Policy, we have implemented the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ 2002 Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People, and we have established our Diocesan Safe Environment Office. Through the efforts and guidance of this Office, more than 15,000 adults have been background checked and trained to recognize abuse, the grooming behaviors of abusers, and that all abuse of minors must be reported to law enforcement. This number includes some 300 clergy, volunteers, and all adult employees. What began as “Safe and Sacred” training for children (now Circle of Grace) has trained thousands of children. Our children now have a greater sense of their own sanctity and how valuable they are in the eyes of God.
Again, I extend my deepest apology and sympathy to victims, survivors, their family members, and all the faithful of the Diocese of Superior. As a Diocese, we are committed to openness and transparency. I strongly urge all victims of clergy abuse to report their abuse to local law enforcement and to *Bonnie Thom, our Director of Respect Life & Safe Environment at 715-718-1110 (cell) anytime, 715-394-0206 (office), and email [email protected].
Please join me in prayer daily for victims of clergy abuse. May God bless and protect us.
Sincerely Yours in Christ,
Most Rev. James P. Powers
Bishop of Superior
*As of April 18, 2024, Bonnie Thom became the Director of Safe Environment
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Abusive Clergy List
* Not a priest of the Diocese of Superior
Religious Orders:- OMI - Order of Mary Immaculate
- CPPS - Congregation of the Missionaries of the Precious Blood
- ICKSP - Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest
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Date Added or Updated
November 22, 2022
Date of Birth
July 21, 1937
Date of Ordination
May 1, 1963Timeframe & Location of Abuse
Early 1960s, Hurley
Allegations
MultipleDate Left or Removed from Ministry
April 1978
Current Status
Deceased November 20, 2003
Notes/Comments
Priest of the Diocese of Superior
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Date Added or Updated
November 22, 2022
Date of Birth
February 23, 1913
Date of Ordination
December 20, 1944
Timeframe & Location of Abuse
1943 - 1946, Lublin
1955 - 1965, Shell Lake
Allegations
Multiple
Date Left or Removed from Ministry
November 2, 1966
Current Status
Deceased August 10, 1981
Notes/Comments
Priest of the Diocese of Superior
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Date Added or Updated
November 22, 2022
Date of Birth
March 27, 1951
Date of Ordination
June 11, 1982
Timeframe & Location of Abuse
1990 - 1991, Superior
Allegations
Single
Date Left or Removed from Ministry
September 8, 2022
Current Status
Administrative Leave
Notes/Comments
Priest of the Diocese of Superior
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Date Added or Updated
November 22, 2022
Date of Birth
March 29, 1940
Date of Ordination
May 29, 1965
Timeframe & Location of Abuse
1965 - 1970 & 1974 - 1975, Superior
Allegations
Multiple
Date Left or Removed from Ministry
April 2002
Current Status
Laicized March 14, 2006 | Deceased January 26, 2008
Notes/Comments
Priest of the Diocese of Superior
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Date Added or Updated
November 22, 2022
Date of Birth
June 22, 1945
Date of Ordination
August 21, 1971
Timeframe & Location of Abuse
1970s - 1980s, Outside of Diocese of Superior
Allegations
Multiple
Date Left or Removed from Ministry
1984Current Status
Laicized 1989
Notes/Comments
Not a priest of the Diocese of Superior, but served in River Falls in 1984
Listed as credibly accused by:- Diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau, Missouri
- Archdiocese of St. Paul-Minneapolis, Minnesota
- Diocese of Duluth, Minnesota
- Diocese of Belleville, Illinois
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Date Added or Updated
November 22, 2022
Date of Birth
October 23, 1937
Date of Ordination
December 19, 1964
Timeframe & Location of Abuse
1986, River Falls
Allegations
Single
Date Left or Removed from Ministry
December 30, 1986
Current Status
Laicized 2006
Notes/Comments
Not a priest of the Diocese of Superior, but served in River Falls
Listed as credibly accused by Archdiocese of St. Paul-Minneapolis, Minnesota
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Date Added or Updated
November 22, 2022
Date of Birth
June 17, 1947
Date of Ordination
June 2, 1973
Timeframe & Location of Abuse
1979 - 1983, Winter
Allegations
Multiple
Date Left or Removed from Ministry
June 30, 1983
Current Status
Laicized April 29, 1988 | Convicted/Incarcerated September 2019
Notes/Comments
Priest of the Diocese of Superior
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Date Added or Updated
November 22, 2022
Date of Birth
January 17, 1973
Date of Ordination
June 4, 2000
Timeframe & Location of Abuse
2000 - 2003, Hudson
Allegations
Single
Date Left or Removed from Ministry
December 19, 2004
Current Status
Deceased December 19, 2004
Notes/Comments
Priest of the Diocese of Superior
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Date Added or Updated
November 22, 2022
Date of Birth
July 29, 1924
Date of Ordination
May 18, 1952
Timeframe & Location of Abuse
1960s, Diocese of Dodge City, Kansas
1976 - 1984, Sanborn / Highbridge / Mason
Allegations
Multiple
Date Left or Removed from Ministry
Late 1984 | Reassigned outside of Diocese of Superior by Religious Order
Current Status
Deceased November 20, 2001
Notes/Comments
Not a priest of the Diocese of Superior, but served in the Westboro / Chelsea / Whittlesey area 1966 - 1968 and in the Sanborn / Highbridge / Mason area 1976 - 1984
Listed as credibly accused by Diocese of Dodge City, Kansas
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Date Added or Updated
November 22, 2022
Date of Birth
June 12, 1920
Date of Ordination
October 28, 1944
Timeframe & Location of Abuse
Dates unavailable - Abuse outside of Diocese of Superior
Allegations
Multiple
Date Left or Removed from Ministry
Date unavailable
Current Status
Deceased February 18, 2016
Notes/Comments
Not a priest of the Diocese of Superior, but served in Boulder Junction, Catawba, Conrath, Cumberland, Ladysmith, Presque Isle, Sayner, Spooner, and Trego
Listed as credibly accused by Diocese of La Crosse, Wisconsin
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Date Added or Updated
November 22, 2022
Date of Birth
February 25, 1920
Date of Ordination
June 29, 1946
Timeframe & Location of Abuse
Late 1960s, River Falls
Allegations
Single
Date Left or Removed from Ministry
February 17, 1974
Current Status
Deceased February 17, 1974
Notes/Comments
Priest of the Diocese of Superior
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Date Added or Updated
November 22, 2022
Date of Birth
September 7, 1915
Date of Ordination
May 27, 1944
Timeframe & Location of Abuse
1950s - 1960s, Outside of the Diocese of Superior
Allegations
Multiple
Date Left or Removed from Ministry
1995
Current Status
Deceased April 19, 1997
Notes/Comments
Priest of the Diocese of Superior until 1984 when incardinated in the Diocese of Santa Fe, New Mexico
Convicted of Federal child pornography charges in 1990
Listed as credibly accused by:- Diocese of Santa Fe, New Mexico
- Diocese of Las Cruces, New Mexico
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Date Added or Updated
November 22, 2022
Date of Birth
November 28, 1936
Date of Ordination
May 29, 1965
Timeframe & Location of Abuse
1988 - 1998, Hammond / Merrill
Allegations
Multiple
Date Left or Removed from Ministry
November 28, 2001
Current Status
Deceased December 8, 2013
Notes/Comments
Priest of the Diocese of Superior
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Date Added or Updated
November 22, 2022
Date of Birth
March 12, 1946
Date of Ordination
April 24, 1975
Timeframe & Location of Abuse
Dates unavailable - Abuse outside of the Diocese of Superior
Allegations
Multiple
Date Left or Removed from Ministry
June 2001
Current Status
Laicized February 17, 2006
Notes/Comments
Not a priest of the Diocese of Superior, but served as a transitional deacon in 1972
Listed as credibly accused by Diocese of Saginaw, Michigan
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Date Added or Updated
November 22, 2022
Date of Birth
December 1, 1904
Date of Ordination
June 14, 1930
Timeframe & Location of Abuse
1943 -1946, Superior
Allegations
Multiple
Date Left or Removed from Ministry
August 26, 1971
Current Status
Deceased August 27, 1977
Notes/Comments
Priest of the Diocese of Superior
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Date Added or Updated
November 22, 2022
Date of Birth
March 22, 1939
Date of Ordination
May 27, 1967
Timeframe & Location of Abuse
1987 - 1991, Tomahawk
Allegations
Multiple
Date Left or Removed from Ministry
October 26, 1993
Current Status
Laicized May 20, 2005 | Deceased May 20, 2022
Notes/Comments
Priest of the Diocese of Superior
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Date Added or Updated
November 22, 2022
Date of Birth
November 11, 1925Date of Ordination
May 1950
Timeframe & Location of Abuse
1963 - 1974, Archdiocese of Milwaukee
Allegations
Multiple
Date Left or Removed from Ministry
January 1993
Current Status
Deceased August 21, 1998Notes/Comments
Not a priest of the Diocese of Superior, but retired to and served the Boulder Junction / Sayner / Presque Isle area in a help-out capacity for nearly 20 years
Listed as credibly accused by Archdiocese of Milwaukee, Wisconsin
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Date Added or Updated
November 22, 2022
Date of Birth
December 6, 1945
Date of Ordination
May 27, 1972
Timeframe & Location of Abuse
Early 1970s, Rhinelander
Allegations
Multiple
Date Left or Removed from Ministry
June 22, 1988
Current Status
Laicization in progress
Notes/Comments
Priest of Diocese of Superior
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Date Added or Updated
November 22, 2022
Date of Birth
December 10, 1926
Date of Ordination
May 26, 1953
Timeframe & Location of Abuse
1973 - 1975, Catawba
Allegations
Single
Date Left or Removed from Ministry
June 8, 1993
Current Status
Deceased February 5, 2006
Notes/Comments
Priest of Diocese of Superior
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Date Added or Updated
November 22, 2022
Date of Birth
November 19, 1911
Date of Ordination
May 22, 1937
Timeframe & Location of Abuse
Unavailable - Abuse outside of the Diocese of Superior
Allegations
Single
Date Left or Removed from Ministry
1976
Current Status
Deceased April 30, 1979
Notes/Comments
Not a priest of the Diocese of Superior, but served in Lake Tomahawk and Rhinelander
Listed as credibly accused by Diocese of Jefferson City, Missouri
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Date Added or Updated
November 22, 2022
Date of Birth
April 13, 1934
Date of Ordination
June 11, 1960
Timeframe & Location of Abuse
Early 1970s, Superior
Allegations
Single
Date Left or Removed from Ministry
June 13, 1999
Current Status
Deceased July 13, 2004
Notes/Comments
Priest of the Diocese of Superior
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Date Added or Updated
November 22, 2022
Date of Birth
March 10, 1963
Date of Ordination
November 11, 1992
Timeframe & Location of Abuse
1990s, Diocese of La Crosse
Allegations
Multiple
Date Left or Removed from Ministry
November 2020
Current Status
Incarcerated
Notes/Comments
Grew up in the Diocese of Superior, but ordained by Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest
Listed as credibly accused by Diocese of La Crosse, Wisconsin
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Date Added or Updated
November 22, 2022
Date of Birth
February 2, 1911
Date of Ordination
March 8, 1942
Timeframe & Location of Abuse
1961 - 1962, Rib Lake
1962 - 1966, Park Falls
Multiple dates in other dioceses
Allegations
Single in Diocese of Superior, Multiple in other dioceses
Date Left or Removed from Ministry
1984
Current Status
Deceased January 21, 1995
Notes/Comments
Not a priest of the Diocese of Superior, but served in Rib Lake and Park Falls
Listed as credibly accused by:- Diocese of Davenport, Iowa
- Diocese of Owensboro, Kentucky
- Diocese of Stockton, California
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