BELLEVILLE (IL)
The Record
8/7/2012 5:17 PM By Kelly Holleran
An Illinois man has filed suit against the diocese that he says hired a former Catholic priest who has already settled numerous lawsuits for millions of dollars. In the lawsuit, the man alleges he was abused by the priest for six months.
The man, identified only as John Doe S., claims former priest Raymond Kownacki sexually abused him in 1985 while Doe was a parishoner at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Valmeyer.
Before Kownacki was appointed to St. Mary’s, he had served at numerous churches throughout the region, according to the complaint filed July 26 in St. Clair County Circuit Court. The diocese had received reports of various instances of child abuse involving Kownacki, but continued to allow him to work around children, the complaint says. In addition, it failed to warn parishioners of the reports, Doe claims.
Because of the diocese’s failure to advise people of the alleged abuse, Doe claims he and his family trusted Kownacki. Doe began staying with Kownacki at the rectory, according to the complaint.
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