At 4:13pm on a Friday afternoon, the Diocese of Saint Cloud issued a press release identifying thirty-three religious who have been accused of sexual misconduct with minors. The list includes eight monk of the Saint John’s Abbey.
View Diocese’s Press Release as a PDF… Here
From Saint John’s Abbey:
Blumeyer, Robert
Dahlheimer, Cosmas
Eckroth, Richard
Gillespie, Thomas
Hoefgen, Francis
Hohmann, Othmar
Maiers, Brennan
Schulte, Francisco
View Diocese’s Press Release as a PDF… Here
Press Release from
+Donald J. Kettler
Bishop of Saint Cloud
January 3, 2014
For immediate release……………
When I became Bishop of the Diocese of Saint Cloud, in November 2013, I immediately began connecting with people, familiarizing myself with policies, and reviewing important documents that I am responsible for as Bishop. Part of that process has involved reviewing files regarding claims of sexual abuse of minors by clergy who served in parishes within the Diocese of Saint Cloud. I am struck by the courage and strength of the victims of abuse who have come forward. And I am impressed with the pastoral responses of my predecessors. So in mid-December, I decided to release the names of those clergy. Therefore, I asked my senior staff to make certain I had a complete list of all the clergy who had likely abused minors. It is my intent to continue to provide a pastoral response to such abuse. In that spirit, I am now disclosing a list of all clergy identified, to date, who were likely involved in the sexual abuse of minors. I am also disclosing the parishes where each of those clergy served within the Diocese of Saint Cloud. The list includes Diocesan priests as well as clergy who are members of religious communities who served in parishes in the Diocese. Additionally on this list are the names of several men of a religious community from outside the Diocese who served in schools within our Diocese.
It is my hope that the release of these names will provide validation to those victims who have been sexually abused and have already come forward. I pray it will also give strength to those who have remained silent and allow them to come forward.
The following statement is a part the Sexual Misconduct policy for the
Diocese of Saint Cloud:
If someone has sexually abused you or exploited you, and you feel that the time is right to come forward, there are professionals you can talk to about your experience. They can assist you in getting the help you need. You do not have to face or name your abuser. You don’t have to give any information you are not comfortable disclosing. It does not matter how long ago the abuse was. Assistance is available to you
List of Clergy:
Robert Blumeyer, OSB (Order of Saint Benedict): St. Augustine, St. Cloud; St. Benedict’s, Avon; St. Catherine, Farming. Deceased
Michael Brennan, TOR (Third Order Regular of Saint Francis): Our Lady of the Angels Boarding School, Belle Prairie. Status Unknown
Anthony Canu, TOR: Our Lady of the Angels Boarding School, Belle Prairie. Status Unknown
Cosmos Dalheimer, OSB: St. Mary’s, St. Cloud; St. Benedict’s Monastery and College, St. Joseph; St. Augustine, St. Cloud; St. Joseph, St. Joseph; St. Scholastica Convent, St. Cloud. Deceased
John Eccleston: Sacred Heart, Staples; St. Edward’s, Henning; Ave Maria, Wheaton; Chaplain St. Francis Convent, Little Falls. Deceased
Richard Eckroth, OSB: St. Benedict High School, St. Joseph; St. Augustine, St. Cloud; Seven Dolors, Albany; St. Raphael’s Convent, St. Cloud; St. Scholastica Convent, St. Cloud. Currently residing in Collegeville, MN.
Sylvester Gall: St. Joseph, Pierz; St. Mary’s Cathedral, St. Cloud; Chaplain, St. Raphael, St. Cloud; St. John the Baptist, Swanville; St. Nicholas, Belle River; St. Nicholas, St. Nicholas; St. Andrew, Elk River; St. Michael’s, Motley; St. John Nepomuk, Lastrup. Deceased.
William Garding: St. Mary’s, Melrose; St. Paul’s, Sauk Centre; St. John the Baptist, Bluffton; Holy Cross, Butler; Assumption, Menagha; Director, Cemetary Office, St. Cloud. Deceased
Raoul Gauthier: Chaplain, St. Michael’s Hospital, Sauk Centre. Deceased
Thomas Gillespie, OSB: St. Boniface, Cold Spring; St. Joseph, St. Joseph; St. Raphael’s Convent, St. Cloud; St. Scholastica Convent, St. Cloud; St. Benedict’s Monastery, St. Joseph. Currently residing in Collegeville, MN
Stanislaus Goryczka: Holy Cross, Harding (Pulaski); St. Edward’s Elmdale; Our Lady of Lourdes, Little Falls. Deceased
Francis Hoefgen, OSB: St. Bonface, Cold Spring; St. Benedict’s Monastery, St. Joseph. Laicized. Address unknown
Othmar Hohmann, OSB: Immaculate Conception, New Munich; St. Boniface, Cold Spring; St. Joseph, St. Joseph. Deceased
Raymond Jacques: St. Peter and Paul, Sauk Centre; Assumption, Morris; St. Anne’s, Kimball. Deceased
Val Klimek: St. Mary’s Cathedral, St. Cloud; Spiritual Director, Cathedral High School; St. Columbkill, St. Wendel; St. Lawrence, Duelm; Director, Catholic Charities; Holy Trinity, Royalton; Mary of the Immaculate Conception, Rockville. Deceased
Reginald Krakowski, TOR: Local Superior, St. Louis Monastery, St. Cloud; Cathedral High School. Current Status Unknown
Joseph Kremer: Sacred Heart, Sauk Rapids; Staff, St. John’s Seminary/Diocese of St. Cloud; St. Michael’s, Spring Hill; Holy Spirit, St.Cloud. Deceased
Richard Kujawa: St. Mary’s, Breckenridge; St. Joseph, Bertha; St. Edward’s, Henning; Sacred Heart, Flensburg; St. Mary’s, Melrose; St. Hubert, Blue Grass; Our Lady of the Assumption, Menagha. Deceased
Henry Lutgen: St. Mary’s, Alexandria; Superintendent, St. Cloud Children’s Home; Director, Catholic Charities. Deceased
Brennan Maiers, OSB: St. Joseph, St. Joseph; St. Boniface, Cold Spring; St. Raphael’s Convent, St. Cloud; St. Benedict’s Monastery, St. Joseph; St. Scholastica Convent, St. Cloud. Currently residing in Collegeville, MN
James Mohm: St. Joseph, Pierz; St. Joseph, Brushvale; St. James, Maine; Immaculate Conception, Osakis. Deceased
Donald Rieder: St. Mary’s, Alexandria; St. James, Randall; St. Anne’s, Kimball; Assumption, Morris; St. Agnes, Roscoe; St. Louis, Paynesville; Chaplain, St. Gabriel’s Hospital, Little Falls; St. Stanislaus, Sobieski; St. John Cantius, St. Cloud. Deceased
Francisco Schulte, OSB: St. Boniface, Cold Spring. Collegeville, MN
Robert Smith: Holy Angels, St. Cloud; Holy Family, Belle Prairie; Our Lady of Victory, Fergus Falls; St. Leonard’s, Pelican Rapids; St. Paul’s, Sauk Centre; Chaplain, Poor Clare Sisters, Sauk Rapids; Holy Cross, North Prairie; St. Stanislaus, Sobieski. Deceased
Peter Snyers: Immaculate Conception, Rice; St. Mary’s, Breckenridge; St. Kathyrn’s, Ogilvie; St. Louis, Foreston; Assumption, Eden Valley; St. Hedwig’s and St. Mary’s, Holdingford; St. John Cantius, St. Cloud. Deceased
Allan Speiser: St. Ann’s, Wadena; Sacred Heart, Sauk Rapids; Holy Angels, St. Cloud; Chaplain, St. Raphael’s, St. Cloud; Cathedral High School, St. Cloud; St. Anthony, St. Anthony; St. Nicholas, St. Nicholas; Immaculate Conception, Becker; St. Francis Xavier, Sartell; St. John Nepomuk, Lake Reno; Our Lady of the Runestone, Kensington;
Holy Cross, Butler; St. John the Baptist, Bluffton; Holy Spirit, St. Cloud; St. Francis, St. Francis. Deceased
James Thoennes: St. Anthony’s, St. Cloud; St. Mary’s, Melrose; St. Joseph, Waite Park; St. John’s, Foley; St. Anne’s, Kimball; Sacred Heart, Dent; St. Leonard’s, Pelican Rapids; St. Joseph, Bertha; St. Edward’s. Henning; Chaplain, St. Mary’s Villa, Pierz. Currently residing in St. Cloud, MN
Roger Vaughn, OSC (Canons Regular of the Order of the Holy Cross (Crosiers)) : St. Peter’s, St. Cloud. Currently residing in New York.
Michael Weber: Holy Spirit, St. Cloud as transitional deacon. Currently residing in Twin Cities, MN
William Wey: St. Mary’s Cathedral, St. Cloud; St. Donatus, Brooten; Immaculate Conception, Sedan; St. Gall, Tintah; Sacred Heart, Dent; St. Peter, Dumont; St. Patrick, Collis. Deceased
Adelbert Wolski, TOR: Cathedral High School. Current Status Unknown
Vincent Yzermanns: St. Boniface, Melrose; St. Mary’s Cathedral, St. Cloud; St. John the Baptist, Swanville; Editor, Saint Cloud Visitor; St. Nicholas, St. Nicholas; St. Rose, St. Rosa; St. Anthony, St. Anthony. Deceased
Francis Zilkowski: Chancellor, Diocese of Saint Cloud; St. Louis, Foreston; Sacred Heart, Flensburg; Our Lady of Lourdes, Little Falls; Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Opole. Deceased