MADISON (WI)
WKOW [Madison, WI]
September 6, 2025
By Lauryn Abozeid
[Play Video]
MADISON (WKOW) — The Diocese of Madison has issued a statement addressing allegations of sexual assault against Fr. Andrew Showers, who is charged in a separate case with child sex crimes.
The statement comes after new testimony earlier this week from a woman who claimed Showers groped her under her clothes and made sexually inappropriate comments in 2024. You can read our full coverage of that story here.
In its release, the Diocese said it was “devastating to learn of this additional allegation,” adding that it “prayerfully supports and stands behind those who have suffered harm, especially at the hands of those entrusted to pastorally care for us.”
The diocese also rejected accusations made during a press conference by advocacy groups that church officials attempted a cover-up. “To be clear: there is no cover-up, and in the Diocese of Madison’s continued commitment to transparency and truth, we offer the following corrections, responses, and supporting documentation,” the statement read.
Church officials stressed that while the victim’s father contacted the diocese last year, he “would not share essential information… including the name of the priest, the location where the alleged incident occurred, and/or which police department was investigating.” The diocese said without that information, it could not take immediate action.
In response to the Diocese of Madison’s statement, Nate’s Mission, an advocacy organization that supports an abuse-free church, released a statement on how the Diocese’s handling of the situation. The group stated,
“The Diocese of Madison’s response to Thursday’s press conference is a textbook example of victim-blaming. To suggest that Ms. Moriarty and her father are responsible for the church’s failure to act because they did not feel comfortable with diocesan reporting procedures is deeply offensive.”
Nate’s Mission further noted that minimizing the incident as merely “helping a young man make a thorough confession” is outrageous. You can read the full response here.
Showers was arrested last week in Clintonville on separate charges. The Diocese of Madison since restricted him from public ministry.
Criminal charges filed against Madison priest accused of child sex crimes
This is the first public comment from the diocese since the latest allegations were made. You can find the diocese’s full statement here and below.