MINNESOTA
Winona Post

(4/13/2015)

by CHRIS ROGERS

The Diocese of Winona (DOW) released the names of two more priests who were accused of sexually abusing children. Unless victims or witnesses divulge new information about past abuses or new abuses occur, those two names will be the last. The priests, Father Harold Mountain and Father Thomas Duane, both died years ago, and it appears that in both cases, victims approached the diocese after the priests’ deaths.

Mountain served in Winona, LaMoille, Minneiska, Minnesota City, Hart, and a variety of other southern Minnesota communities before retiring in 1989. He died in 2006. In 2011, an alleged victim contacted the diocese claiming that Mountain molested him as a boy.

Duane served in St. Charles and numerous other southern Minnesota towns before retiring in 1979. He died in 1993. In 2002, an alleged victim wrote to Bishop Harrington, claiming that Duane sexually…