STATUS REPORT ON SUBSTANTIATED ALLEGATIONS OF SEXUAL ABUSE AGAINST CLERICS
The Archdiocese of Cincinnati’s Decree on Child Protection cites the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People. The Charter is very clear in regards to Clerics who have sexually abused children:
When even a single act of sexual abuse of a minor by a priest or deacon is admitted or is established after an appropriate process in accordance with canon law, the offending priest or deacon will be removed permanently from ecclesiastical ministry, not excluding dismissal from the clerical state, if the case so warrants.
If the penalty of dismissal from the clerical state has not been applied (e.g., for reasons of advanced age or infirmity), the offender ought to lead a life of prayer and penance. He will not be permitted to celebrate Mass publicly or to administer the sacraments. He is to be instructed not to wear clerical garb, or to present himself publicly as a priest.
When an accusation has been shown to be unfounded, every step possible will be taken to restore the good name of the person falsely accused.
Definitions
Substantiated Allegation – For purposes of the list below, a substantiated allegation is one which, based upon investigation and a review of the available facts and circumstances, is more likely than not to be true.
Laicized – When a Cleric is laicized (permanently dismissed from the clerical state) in accord with canon law at the direction of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith at the Vatican, he is no longer incardinated and is unable to function as a priest anywhere.
Permanently Removed from Ministry – When a Cleric is permanently removed from priestly ministry at the direction of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith at the Vatican, he is prohibited from wearing clerical clothing and publicly presenting himself as a priest. He is expected to lead a life of prayer and penance, and he is still under the authority of the bishop or archbishop and subject to certain priestly responsibilities including celibacy.
Incardinated – This refers to the dedication of a Cleric to ministry in a particular diocese, religious order, or other equivalent institution. All Clerics are incardinated when they are ordained deacons.
I. Status Report of Clerics incardinated in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati against whom a substantiated allegation of sexual abuse of a child was made and investigated while the Cleric was living.
Name
Ordained
Status
Keith Albercht
1977
Laicized/deceased
John Berning
1934
Removed from ministry/deceased
Thomas Brunner
1974
Laicized
George Cooley
1976
Laicized
Ronald Cooper
1983
Laicized
Geoff Drew**
2004
Laicized
Thomas Feldhaus
1976
Laicized
Ellis Harsham
1968
Laicized
Thomas Hopp
1966
Removed from ministry/deceased
1974
Died in Process
Thomas Kuhn
1967
Laicized
Francis Massarella
1941
Removed from ministry/deceased
Daniel Pater
1979
Removed from ministry
Kenneth Schoettmer
1968
Laicized/deceased
Lawrence Strittmatter
1957
Laicized/deceased
Richard Unwin
1979
Laicized
* The laicization case of David Kelley was in process at the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith when he died on June 6, 2009.
**In 2021, Geoff Drew pled guilty to rape. Drew’s criminal conduct occurred when he was a lay man, before he entered the seminary.
II. Status Report of Clerics who have ministered in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, but who were not incardinated in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, against whom a substantiated allegation of child abuse was made.
The names on the following list were provided to the Archdiocese of Cincinnati and based on investigations conducted by third-parties, such as the Society of Jesus (Jesuits), the Dominican Friars, Glenmary Home Missioners, The Marianists, and the Diocese of Cleveland.
Name
Ordained
Status
Harry Barton**
(Jesuit, Midwest Province)
1940
Deceased
Louis Bonacci**
(Jesuit, Maryland Province)
1973
Removed from ministry
Robert Broome
(Jesuit, Midwest Province)
1943
Deceased
Raymond Chappa**
(Franciscan Friars, Province of St. John the Baptist)
1975
Left the Order/Laicized
James Condon
(Jesuit, Midwest Province)
1939
Deceased
Barry (Finbar) Coyle
(Franciscan Friars, Province of St. John the Baptist)
1958
Deceased
Lambert Dannenfelser**
(Franciscan Friars, Province of St. John the Baptist)
1940
Deceased
Frank Davied**
(Franciscan Friars, Province of St. John the Baptist)
1976
Left the Order
Thomas Doyle**
(Marianist, Cincinnati Province)
1974
Deceased
Robert Erpenbeck
(Jesuit, Midwest Province)
1931
Deceased
Mark Finan
(Jesuit, Midwest Province)
1948
Deceased
John Finke**
(Marianist, Province of Cincinnati)
1937
Deceased
Kent Hajduk**
(Franciscan Friars, Province of St. John the Baptist)
1962
Left the Order/Laicized/Deceased
Marcan Hetteberg**
(Franciscan Friars, Province of St. John the Baptist)
1954
Deceased
Adelbert Holmes
(Glenmary Home Missioners)
Deceased
Bernard Horst**
(Marianist, Province of Cincinnati)
1945
Deceased
Christopher Kerr**
(Franciscan Friars, Province of St. John the Baptist)
1979
Left the Order/Laicized/Deceased
Allan Kirk**
(Jesuit, Midwest Province)
1965
Deceased
Frank Klamet**
(Diocese of Cleveland)
1978
Deceased
Severin Lamping
(Franciscan Friars, Province of St. John the Baptist)
1929
Left the Order/Secularized/Deceased
Stephen Lamping**
(Franciscan Friars, Province of St. John the Baptist)
1929
Left the Order/Secularized/Deceased
Joachim Lux**
(Franciscan Friars, Province of St. John the Baptist)
1961
Deceased
Frederick Mathues**
(Marianist, Province of Cincinnati)
1952
Deceased
Diego Mazon**
(Franciscan Friars, Province of St. John the Baptist)
1960
Deceased
David Meconi**
(Jesuit, Central and Southern Province)
2003
Left the Order & the Priesthood
Charles Meyer**
(Missionaries of the Precious Blood, Kansas City Province)
1931
Deceased
Michael Montgomery
(Franciscan Friars, Province of St. John the Baptist)
1983
Left the Order/Deceased
Donald Nastold
(Jesuit, Midwest Province)
1958
Deceased
Edward O’Brien
(Jesuit, Midwest Province)
1962
Deceased
Victorian Ostmeyer**
(Franciscan Friars, Province of St. John the Baptist)
1935
Deceased
Mariano Pariante**
(Marianist, Province of the Pacific)
1990
Laicized 2001
Carter Partee
(Franciscan Friars, Province of St. John the Baptist)
1947
Left the Order/Laicized/Deceased
Juvenal Pfalzer**
(Franciscan Friars, Province of St. John the Baptist)
1942
Deceased
Roman Pfalzer**
(Franciscan Friars, Province of St. John the Baptist)
1947
Deceased
Edward Pigott
(Jesuit, Midwest Province)
1955
Removed from Public Ministry/Deceased
Robert Poandl
(Glenmary Home Missioners)
Deceased
Peter Richardson
(Glenmary Home Missioners)
Left society in 2007/Deceased
Thomas Richstatter
(Franciscan Friars, Province of St. John the Baptist)
1966
Removed from Ministry
Lorenzo Ruiz**
(Franciscan Friars, Province of St. John the Baptist)
1966
Left the Order/Laicized
Lawrence Schreiber**
(Franciscan Friars, Province of St. John the Baptist)
1960
Removed from Ministry
Anslem Sippel**
(Franciscan Friars, Province of St. John the Baptist)
1929
Deceased
Wilton Skiffington**
(Jesuit, Midwest Province)
1936
Deceased
Ed Smith
(Glenmary Home Missioners)
–
Deceased
Michael Spegele**
(Missionaries of the Precious Blood, Kansas City Province)
1941
Deceased
Joseph Tedesco**
(Marianist, Province of Cincinnati)
Deceased
Randolph Thompson
(Franciscan Friars, Province of St. John the Baptist)
1948
Deceased
Daniel Triulzi**
(Marianist, Province of St. Louis)
1981
Removed from ministry 2006/Deceased
John Turnbull
(Franciscan Friars, Province of St. John the Baptist)
1955
Deceased
Francis Wendling**
(Franciscan Friars, Province of St. John the Baptist)
–
Deceased
Stanley Wisniewski**
(Jesuit, Midwest Province)
1964
Deceased
Benedict Wolf
(Glenmary Home Missioners)
Left society 1975/Deceased
** The substantiated allegation of child abuse occurred outside the Archdiocese of Cincinnati.
Frequently Asked Questions
regarding
substantiated allegations of sexual abuse against clerics incardinated in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati
Are any priests who have been identified as having a substantiated allegation of sexual abuse still serving in a parish, school or diocesan ministry?
No. All of the priests identified on the list have either passed away, returned to the lay state or been prohibited from public ministry as a priest.
As for what words to use, pray to the Holy Spirit for guidance and then trust that the words will come. The question of when is a tough one. Again, pray. When the process feels like it is not advancing in any direction, perhaps that is when to bring it to a spiritual director.
What is the definition of “sexual abuse” for the purposes of this list?
“Sexual abuse” is contact of a sexual nature that occurs between a minor (a person under the age of 18) and an adult, or contact of a sexual nature between an adult and a vulnerable adult. Sexual abuse includes:
— Any act constituting sexual abuse under Ohio law.
— Possessing, viewing, distributing or reproducing child pornography.
— Violating any state or federal law regarding receipt and/or possession of child pornography.
Sexual abuse of a minor is a serious sin against the Sixth Commandment and a grave delict (a serious crime) under the law of the Church.
What is the definition of “vulnerable adult?"
As defined in our Decree on Child Protection, a “vulnerable adult” is any person 18 years of age or older whose ability to physically protect himself or herself from any form of abuse (as defined in the decree) is impaired due to persistent mental, physical, cognitive or developmental disability.
In referencing this list of clerics with substantiated allegations of sexual abuse, what do the terms “laicized,” “permanently removed from ministry” and “substantiated allegation” mean?
Laicized: When a cleric is laicized (permanently dismissed from the clerical state) in accord with canon law at the direction of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith at the Vatican, he is no longer incardinated and is unable to function as a priest anywhere.
Permanently removed from ministry: When a cleric is permanently removed from priestly ministry at the direction of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith at the Vatican, he is prohibited from wearing clerical clothing and publicly presenting himself as a priest. He is expected to lead a life of prayer and penance, and he is still under the authority of the bishop or archbishop. While prohibited from public ministry, he remains obligated to his priestly promises of prayer and celibacy.
Substantiated allegation: For purposes of this list, a substantiated allegation is one which, based upon investigation and a review of the available facts and circumstances, is more likely than not to be true.
Have the priests on this list been reported to the civil authorities?
Yes. All of the priests on this list have been reported to the civil authorities.
Since the Decree on Child Abuse was first implemented in 1993, the Archdiocese of Cincinnati has reported all allegations of sexual abuse of a minor involving Church personnel (bishops, priests, deacons, lay employees and volunteers) to the civil authorities, regardless of when the abuse occurred and regardless of whether the accused person is living or in ministry.
When did the Archdiocese of Cincinnati begin publishing a list of clerics with substantiated allegations of child abuse?
In 2004, the archdiocese published on its website the first list of clerics with substantiated allegations of child abuse. The list included those incardinated clerics of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati who had cases in progress at the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, as well as the names of those men who had already been laicized and those who were permanently removed from ministry.
In 2019, Section II of this list was added to include clerics not incardinated in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati but who have ministered in the archdiocese. The names in Section II were provided to the archdiocese and based on investigations conducted by third parties, such as religious orders whose members have ministered in the archdiocese at some point.
Does the Archdiocese of Cincinnati update this list?
Yes. The Archdiocese of Cincinnati will update the list if or when the archdiocese becomes aware of other reports that meet the criteria for this list.
If a priest who is on this list celebrated a sacrament for me (e.g., baptism, marriage, penance, anointing of the sick), is that sacrament considered valid?
Yes. Sacraments administered by priests on this list are valid, as long as the priest was validly ordained at the time.
What can the faithful do to support victims of abuse and ensure a safe environment in the Church?
The sexual abuse of minors and vulnerable adults by clergy has had a profound effect on the body of Christ, the people of God. This is not something that we can or should forget, because the terrible reality of what happened has lasting repercussions for victims, their families, the communities involved and our Church as a whole.
As Catholics, we turn to Christ’s words and examples to guide us. Christ calls us to:
Pray: Prayer is the foundation of our daily life. Pray for the victims and their families. Pray for our clergy and all who minister in the Church. And pray to the Blessed Mother, asking her to guide the Church and provide comfort and healing to those who were harmed.
Take action: There are many actions that we can take to help comfort victims and combat abuse in the Church and society. For example:
— Educate yourself about child abuse and how to prevent it by completing our
archdiocesan VIRTUS training program, Protecting God’s Children.
— Teach your children about personal safety.
— Report any concerns you have about the abuse of a minor to civil authorities. In addition, you can report concerns online or by calling the Ministry for Survivors of Abuse coordinator at 513-263-6623 or 1-800-686-2724, ext. 6623.
— Ask what you can do to assist with safe environment efforts at your parish or school.
— Volunteer at a community agency that is dedicated to victims of violence and sexual abuse.
— Incorporate prayer for victims into existing parish prayer groups or Eucharistic adoration.
We must continue to support victims, keep them in our prayers and completely commit ourselves to ensuring a safe environment for children and vulnerable adults. We cannot allow ourselves to forget and become complacent — our dedication to these causes must be unwavering and must not cease.
