Winona Dioceses Releases Names of 14 Catholic Priests Accused of Child Sexual Abuse

By Patrick Condon
Star Tribune
December 16, 2013

http://www.startribune.com/lifestyle/236034331.html

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Winona on Monday named 14 priests accused of sexually abusing minors, most of whom were not previously known by the public or local churchgoers to have faced such allegations.

The diocese filed the list in Ramsey County District Court, a day before a deadline set by a judge. Some of the listed priests served at dozens of Catholic churches and schools in southern Minnesota cities and small towns, primarily from the late 1940s to the early 1990s, although two served in the last decade.

Nine of the priests on the list are dead. Of the five still living, the diocese said one has been removed from priesthood, three are in that process, and one is on forced leaving pending criminal proceedings in Faribault County.

The list released Monday includes priests who the diocese considers to be credibly accused. A spokesman for the Winona Diocese did not immediately return a call seeking further comment.

It's the latest such disclosure as Catholic bishops in Minnesota face ongoing legal pressure after years of keeping the names secret. Attorneys for abuse victims had sought the public disclosure of the list, saying it was in the interest of public safety. Earlier this month, the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis named 34 priests accused of abuse under the same judicial order.