MADISON (WI)
The Pillar [Washington DC]
September 8, 2025
By Michelle La Rosa
The diocese said the person making the complaint declined to give the name of the priest, making it impossible to follow up on the allegations.
The Diocese of Madison has denied claims that it covered up a previous allegation of sexual assault against a priest arrested last month for attempting to meet a minor for sex.
In a September 5 statement, the diocese confirmed that a man had contacted the diocese last year to make an allegation against an unnamed Madison priest and was put in contact with appropriate diocesan officials.
That priest later was identified as Fr. Andrew Showers, who was arrested last month on unconnected charges, for allegedly attempting to meet with nefarious intentions a 14-year-old girl.
Following that arrest, a young woman and her father accused the diocese of failing to act last year on an allegation against Showers.
But the diocese said Saturday that while a complaint was made last year, the person who contacted the diocese refused to share essential details about the alleged assault, including the priest’s identity, making it impossible for the diocese to assess or respond to the allegations.
“[Madison] Bishop [Donald] Hying cannot discipline or remove a priest without knowing the priest’s name. He cannot discipline or remove a priest without knowing where a crime occurred. He cannot discipline or remove a priest if law enforcement or the Wisconsin Department of Justice do not inform him of allegations,” said the diocesan statement. “He cannot discipline or remove a priest when groups claiming to want to prevent victims of clergy abuse do not share reports of abuse with him.”
The statement was released the day after a press conference, organized by SNAP and the Wisconsin-based group Nate’s Mission, alleged Bishop Hying and diocesan officials had failed to act on a report of sexual assault by Fr. Showers.
Who is Fr. Showers?
Fr. Andrew Showers, 37, is a priest of the Diocese of Madison. He was ordained in 2017 and has served in a variety of assignments in the diocese, including at a local Catholic school, and as diocesan director of liturgy.
On August 27, Showers was charged with attempted child enticement, attempted second-degree sexual assault of a child, and attempted use of a computer to facilitate a sex crime against a child.
Prosecutors say the priest sent lewd pictures of himself and sexually explicit messages to an individual on Reddit whom he believed to be a 14-year-old girl, but who was actually an undercover police officer.
He was arrested August 25 when he attempted to meet up with the teen for a sexual encounter, according to the criminal complaint. Showers faces up to 50 years in prison if he is found guilty.
How did the diocese respond to Fr. Showers’ arrest?
In an August 25 statement, Madison Bishop Donald Hying acknowledged Showers’ arrest.
In his initial statement, Hying said that “There have been no previous allegations of misconduct connected to Fr. Showers.”
Two days later, however, the bishop said that “continued review of diocesan files, email messages, and phone records” showed that there had been a complaint made about Showers back in 2021, but it was determined that Showers had not committed misconduct in that case.
The diocese elaborated on the incident in a September 5 statement. It said the complaint was made by the parent of a middle school boy who said Showers had asked him about sexual sins during confession, making him uncomfortable.
Diocesan officials determined that the Showers was attempting to guide the teen’s confession by asking questions about sins that may be common to a specific age group, the diocese stated.
A report was filed at the time with the Lodi police, who determined that the incident was not a criminal act, the diocese said. It cited excerpts from the police report, which noted that the teen said Showers had also asked him about whether he had committed theft, and had not touched him or made any other sexually suggestive comments.
What happened at the September 4 press conference?
On September 4, speakers at a press conference in Madison alleged that the diocese had received an additional allegation of sexual assault by Showers last year and had failed to respond to it.
A young woman named Patricia Moriarty said Showers assaulted her at a social event in Chicago in January 2024. She said Showers walked up to her and introduced himself as a priest before groping her underneath her clothing and making sexual comments to her.
The woman said she filed a police report in Chicago. Her father, John Moriarty, said he contacted the Diocese of Madison repeatedly, asking to speak with Bishop Hying. He said he was not permitted to talk to the bishop, but was told that an internal investigation needed to take place first, local media reported.
How did the diocese respond to those allegations?
On September 5, the diocese released a statement rejecting claims of cover-up and offering what it said were “important corrections and clarifications” to what was said at the press conference.
“While it is true that Mr. Moriarty contacted the Diocese and that the Diocese communicated directly with him by both phone and email, it is critically important to note that Mr. Moriarty would not share essential information with diocesan staff designated to handle allegations, including the name of the priest, the location where the alleged incident occurred, and/or which police department was investigating,” the diocese said.
“Had we known that Fr. Showers was the priest in question behind the 2024 allegation, immediate action could and would have been taken,” said the statement.
The diocese acknowledged that Moriarty was not permitted to speak with the bishop, but said that this is part of standard diocesan protocol, and that Moriarty was informed about this protocol.
Once a police investigation has been initiated, the diocese said, “the Church’s abuse reporting protocols, which were put in place precisely to preserve the integrity of investigations and protect victims, preclude the bishop from speaking with those who have made allegations. This important precaution is there to remove any possibility or even suspicion of witness tampering, victim coercion, or potential cover-up.”
Moriarty was connected with a diocesan official who handles allegations against priests, and who urged Moriarty to share the name of the priest being accused, the diocese said, but Moriarty declined to provide that information or other details.
The diocese released on Saturday a timeline of correspondence with Moriarty in January and February 2024, as well as the text of a redacted email from a diocesan official to Moriarty, indicating diocesan officials’ willingness to cooperate with the police investigation that was underway, to initiate its own investigation after the police investigation had concluded, and to place the priest in question on leave while he was being investigated.
The diocese said that Moriarty told officials repeatedly that he would send Bishop Hying a copy of the police report but never did so.
It added that Nate’s Mission, one of the groups organizing the press conference, said it had reported the assault allegation to the Wisconsin Department of Justice. However, neither Nate’s Mission nor the Department of Justice had contacted the Diocese of Madison to report the possible assault, the diocese said.
“Without knowing the name of the priest involved, the name of the victim, or even which law enforcement agency was investigating, there was simply no way to pursue this or take corrective action.”
The diocese noted that Showers had undergone his most recent routine background check in June 2025, and no charges or convictions against him were found.
In a letter to members of the diocese, Bishop Hying also noted that the diocese played no role in posting Showers’ bail, nor will it provide or fund legal representation for him.
Hying said that he is heartbroken and devastated by the allegations of assault, and reiterated the Church’s commitment to standing against abuse and supporting victims.
“In the midst of life’s great storms, we know that Jesus is with us in the boat and will lead us to the safe harbor of His consoling love,” he concluded.
What happens next?
Showers is now facing accusations of attempting to meet a 14-year-old for a sexual encounter, and of sexually assaulting a young woman in Chicago last year.
There is also emerging evidence that a person with the same Reddit username as Showers has been engaged in extremely lewd conversations on pornographic subreddits for more than two years — including at least one post in which the priest allegedly sought out a sexual partner for a “hookup.”
Showers has been charged with attempted child enticement, attempted second-degree sexual assault of a child, and attempted use of a computer to facilitate a sex crime against a child. His first court appearance is scheduled for September 30.
After the criminal case concludes, a canonical penal process will take place. That process could result in a number of different canonical penalties, including laicization. Showers is unlikely ever to return to ministry again.