INDIANAPOLIS – A Catholic diocese in northern Indiana on Tuesday released the names of more than a dozen clergy accused of sexual abuse. At the direction of Bishop…
INDIANAPOLIS – A Catholic diocese in northern Indiana on Tuesday released the names of more than a dozen clergy accused of sexual abuse.
At the direction of Bishop Kevin Rhoades, the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend published the names of 18 priests or deacons who the church said were “credibly” accused of sexual abuse of a minor.
Eight of the men listed are deceased, and two are incarcerated, according to the diocese. The remaining men have either been dismissed or removed from their ministerial or clerical duties.
The number of allegations levied against each ranges from one to nine, totaling 63 among the group. The diocese has not disclosed when the allegations were reported.
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The diocese could not confirm the status of any past or present criminal investigations but said each case Rhoades has received during his time in Fort Wayne-South Bend has been turned over to investigators.
“All of the allegations that Bishop Rhoades has received during his time as bishop have been reported to law enforcement,” diocesan spokeswoman Stephanie Patka said.
Rhoades, who once served as the bishop of the Diocese of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, announced in August that he would compile and release the list of clergy accused of abuse.
His decision follows a sweeping grand jury report out of Pennsylvania that accused more than 300 clergy members of the abuse of around 1,000 children.
The Pennsylvania report described how Rhoades years ago was hesitant to disclose the details of allegations against a pair of now-deceased priests because he feared a possible “scandal’ if the information became public. He did alert church officials and law enforcement about the complaints.
At an Aug. 17 news conference, Rhoades said the Pennsylvania report and other efforts to make such allegations public has prompted additional victims to come forward.
The list released Tuesday was developed in partnership with the Diocesan Review Board, which assesses all allegations of sexual abuse of minors reported to the Fort Wayne-South Bend diocese.
“For the purposes of this list, a ‘credible accusation’ against a priest or deacon of the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend is an accusation that, after a thorough investigation and review of available information, appears more likely true than not in the judgment of the Diocesan Review Board, and is accepted as credible by the Bishop,” the diocese said in a news release Tuesday.
Rhoades on Aug. 17 said he hopes releasing the names will help the victims in the healing process.
“The church failed you,” Rhoades said. “For that, I apologize.”
Since August, reports surfaced that Rhoades himself had been accused of inappropriate conduct in Pennsylvania. Officials announced Sept. 13 that Rhoades had been cleared of any wrongdoing and the allegation was unfounded.
In Indianapolis, Archbishop Charles C. Thompson said he would compile and release a similar list, but when that list might be released is unclear. The diocese also recently suspended two priests over allegations of sexual misconduct.
Here is a complete list of the names released Tuesday by the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend:
James Blume
Michael Buescher
Brian Carsten
William Ehrman
William Gieranowski
John Gillig
Gabriel Hernandez
Edward Krason
Paul LeBrun, CSC
Thomas Lombardi
Robert Mahoney
Eldon Miller
Edward O. Paquette
Cornelius Ryan, CSC
James Seculoff
Richard Stieglitz
Richard Thompson
James Trepanier, CSC
If an individual was dismissed or removed from his clerical state, that indicates that he left involuntarily, Patka said. If the list indicates he lost his clerical state, he left voluntarily.
A complete list of names, ministerial background and locations of service is available online at todayscatholic.org.
Contributing: Carley Lanich of The Indianapolis Star; follow Holly Hays on Twitter: @hollyvhays
