ST. LOUIS – The Archdiocese of St. Louis released a public list of clergy with substantiated allegations of sexual abuse of a minor on Friday, and officials tell 5 On Your Side they will now send the names to the state attorney general's office.
There are 64 clergy members with credible abuse allegations against them. 61 of them are accused of sex abuse. Three are accused of child porn.
Archbishop Robert Carlson said he's making good on a promise by releasing the names, but survivors say the list is far from complete.
"The priest that molested me, his name isn't on this list, and I know at least two of us have come forward,” Barbara Dorris said.
Dorris said the priest at her St. Louis parish started raping her when she was six years old.
"I did everything I could to make sure my parents never found out, and it went on for about six years,” she said.
Her own experience is why she questions the process behind the investigation.
"What makes an allegation credible or not credible? Do we need a videotape?" she asked.
The Archdiocese didn't answer that question, only releasing a three-minute video statement from the archbishop.
"This kind of honesty on our part is one important step in the long process of healing,” Archbishop Carlson says in the video.
He says a third-party agency made up of people who used to be in the FBI and law enforcement did the investigating. They sent their findings to the Archdiocesan Review Board, which the archbishop says is composed of people not employed by the archdiocese. That board produced the list.
"I found one, and then I found a second and then I found a third,” Sharon Solomon said.
She said two priests on the list taught her. Another was the officiant of her wedding.
"That's what's most disturbing about it that I would know one person of one character, and yet to find this third-party investigation going on — and sanctioned by the church and the archbishop — it's a completely different person,” she said.
Sharon added that her faith in the church remains strong.
Barbara still has a lot of unanswered questions about the men included on and left off this list.
"Where are they now? Are they living next door to you? Are they babysitting? Are they a mentor at a school program? We don't know,” she said.
Some of the priests on the list are dead. The Archdiocese says the others are no longer working in ministry.
Archbishop Robert Carlson released the list on archstl.org. Here is the full transcript of his video statement:
‘Last September, I promised to publish the names of clergy who have had substantiated claims of sexual abuse of minors against them. Today, I am fulfilling that promise.
It will be painful for all of us to see the names of clergy accused of behavior we can barely allow ourselves to imagine. But publishing their names is the right thing to do.
For years, victims have carried the burden of the crimes committed against them. In talking with many of them, I have witnessed the devastating impact on their lives and the lives of their loved ones.’ Archbishop Robert Carlson said.
The list came from a long and extensive investigation by a third-party agency, Carlson said. The investigators included former FBI and state law enforcement.
‘The results were provided to the Archdiocesan Review Board—a board composed of a majority of lay members who are not employed by the Archdiocese of St. Louis. The Review Board produced the list and shared it with me for final review. I have accepted the results of this investigative process,’ Carlson said.
Carlson released a statement on the website,
Carlson said the Archdiocese of St. Louis is working with the Attorney General’s office throughout its review of clergy personnel records, which is ongoing, to ensure that any new information regarding allegations of sexual abuse of minors by clergy is considered and handled appropriately.
Anyone who has knowledge of sexual abuse of minors or misconduct by a member of the clergy, an employee or volunteer of the Archdiocese of St. Louis, call the Office of Child and Youth Protection at 314-792-7704. The names of any additional clergy who are found to have substantiated claims of sexual abuse of minors against them, based on new information, will be added to this list, Carlson said.
List of Archdiocesan clergy with substantiated allegations of sexual abuse of a minor
No. Last Name First Name Year of Ordination Date of Death Status
1 Babka Robert H. 1968 2013 Removed from ministry; deceased
2 Beckman Dcn. Carl 1986 Removed from ministry
3 Beine James A. 1967 Removed from ministry; laicized
4 Brinkman Don G. 1967 Removed from ministry
5 Campbell John R. 1958 Removed from ministry
6 Campbell Michael A. 1979 Removed from ministry
7 Christian Norman H. 1961 2004 Removed from ministry; deceased
8 Cooper Thomas T. 1955 2003 Removed from ministry; deceased
9 Creason Hubert E. 1958 2006 Removed from ministry; deceased
10 Fitzgerald Alfred J. 1966 Removed from ministry
11 Funke James A. 1974 1993 Removed from ministry; deceased
12 Ghio John J. 1980 Removed from ministry
13 Goellner Glennon J. 1950 2007 Removed from ministry; deceased
14 Graham Thomas J. 1960 Removed from ministry;
15 Gummersbach James L. 1954 2014 Removed from ministry; deceased
16 Heck Donald H. 1963 2015 Removed from ministry; deceased
17 Hederman Kevin F. 1975 Removed from ministry
18 Heier Vincent A. 1977 Removed from ministry; retired
19 Huhn Bernard 1952 2000 Ministry restricted; deceased
20 Hummel Dcn. Fred 1986 Removed from ministry; laicized
21 Johnston Robert F. 1962 Removed from ministry;
22 Kaske John J. 1956 Removed from ministry; laicized
23 Kelley William A. 1977 2013 Removed from ministry; deceased
24 Kopff Marvin C. 1963 2006 Removed from ministry; deceased
25 Kuchar Bryan M. 1993 Removed from ministry; laicized
26 Lessard Joseph P. 1952 2014 Removed from ministry; deceased
27 Lippert Alexander W. 1956 2000 Removed from ministry; deceased
28 McGrath Michael 1974 Removed from ministry; laicized
29 Marschner Aloysius J. 1936 2004 Ministry restricted; deceased
30 McClintock Dennis J. 1973 Removed from ministry; laicized
31 Obmann Russell 1951 2000 Removed from ministry; deceased
32 O'Brien Joseph M. 1957 2012 Removed from ministry; deceased
33 Pavlik James J. 1963 2015 Removed from ministry; deceased
34 Rehme Albert A. 1956 2012 Removed from ministry; deceased
35 Ross Joseph D. 1969 Removed from ministry; laicized
36 Schierhoff Lawrence C. 1952 2008 Removed from ministry; laicized
37 Seidel Michael L. 1987 Removed from ministry; laicized
38 Straub Donald J. 1975 Removed from ministry; laicized
39 Toohey Michael W. 1967 Removed from ministry; laicized
40 Valentine Leroy 1977 Removed from ministry
41 Westrich Keith M. 1981 Removed from ministry
42 Wolken Gary P. 1993 Removed from ministry; laicized
43 Yim Robert J. 1974 Removed from ministry; laicized
44 Zacheis Dennis B. 1975 Removed from ministry
List of Archdiocesan clergy with substantiated allegations of sexual abuse of a minor that were first accused after death
1 Blase' Francis 1941 1977 Deceased
2 Bockelmann Albert 1939 1975 Deceased
3 Byrne Maurice 1943 1993 Deceased
4 Craig Walter 1923 1971 Deceased
5 Galovich George W. 1971 2012 Deceased
6 Kertz Louis 1948 1985 Deceased
7 McLain James 1957 1998 Deceased
8 McDonough Roger 1965 1985 Deceased
9 O'Flynn Bernard 1917 1981 Deceased
10 Poepperling William 1934 1983 Deceased
11 Wieberg John 1918 1963 Deceased
12 Zimmer Ralph 1943 1981 Deceased
List of extern Clergy with substantiated allegations of sexual abuse of a minor
1 Ferraro Romano J. 1960 Removed from ministry; laicized
2 Frobas Victor A. 1966 1993 Removed from ministry; laicized; deceased
3 Lenczycki Frederick 1972 Removed from ministry; laicized
4 Roberts Kenneth J. 1966 2018 Removed from ministry; deceased
5 Stauber James F. 1959 2010 Removed from ministry; deceased
List of Archdiocesan clergy with substantiated allegations of possession of child pornography
1 Grady James P. 1977 Removed from ministry; laicized
2 Hess John P. 1983 Removed from ministry
3 Vatterott William F. 2003 Removed from ministry; laicized