Name of diocesan priest removed from St. Bonaventure administration building

ST. BONAVENTURE (NY)
St. Bonaventure University

July 8, 2020

St. Bonaventure University has removed the name from Hopkins Hall, the university’s administration building.

Some investigative reporting this spring by Sean Mickey, a reporter for The Bona Venture student newspaper, revealed that the building was named after Msgr. James Hopkins, a diocesan priest who was credibly accused of sexual abuse.

“We didn’t realize that Hopkins was on a list of priests accused of sexual abuse, but when Sean inquired about it when he saw his name, I confirmed with the Diocese of Erie that Hopkins was on the list, and that he had more than one abuse claim,” said Tom Missel, chief communications officer. “Kudos to Sean for bringing it to the university’s attention.”

Dr. Dennis DePerro, university president, authored a resolution to have Hopkins’ name removed from the building. The university’s Board of Trustees approved the resolution at its annual summer board meeting.

“It’s reprehensible what’s been uncovered and heartbreaking for the families who’ve been victimized,” DePerro said. “It doesn’t matter that the abuses in this case might have happened a century ago. Anytime a story surfaces like this, anyone who’s been a victim of sexual abuse feels the pain.”

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