GRAND RAPIDS (MI)
WXMI - Fox 17 [Grand Rapids MI]
December 15, 2025
By Sam Landstra and Zac Harmon
A report by the Michigan Department of Attorney General has revealed allegations of sexual abuse and misconduct against 51 priests in the Catholic Diocese of Grand Rapids.
According to the 336-page report released Monday, 37 of these priests are known to be or presumed dead and, of the 14 who are living, none are in active ministry in the Grand Rapids Diocese.
The report is the fifth of seven, separate investigations by the department into clergy abuse in the state. While the reports on the Dioceses of Marquette, Gaylord, Kalamazoo, Lansing and Grand Rapids have now been released, the department says it plans to publish its reports on Detroit, where the Archdiocese is based, and Saginaw in the coming year before the expiration of Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel’s term in office.
As part of these investigations, the department “simultaneously executed” a search warrant at the Archdiocese and its six Dioceses in 2018, resulting in the seizure of 220-plus boxes containing 1.5 million paper documents. Additionally, 3.5 million electronic documents were also seized and a staffed tip line was created to collect information on sexual abuse “within the church and community at large,” per the report.
In Grand Rapids, 60 boxes containing around 150,000 paper documents were seized (in addition to 271,975 electronic documents) and 105 calls were made to the tip line, 27 of which were provided directly by the Diocese.
“The Diocese of Grand Rapids has fully cooperated with the Department in this investigation,” reads the report. “Additionally, the Department and the Diocese met multiple times to discuss the investigation, and the Diocese has provided additional information when requested.”
Notably, the Michigan Department of Attorney General has not filed any criminal charges against any of the priests in the report as a result of the investigation, though two — Shamaun Beas and Dennis Wagner — were previously, independently convicted.
In a virtual press conference, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said she did not pursue charges due to a “combination” of reasons, including the deaths of many of the alleged offenders, the expiration of the statutes of limitations on several claims and, in some cases, a disinterest from victims in pursuing criminal prosecution.
“I think it’s important to understand that criminal prosecution is only one way in which victims are helped to heal after suffering the trauma of sexual abuse,” Nessel said.
“With criminal prosecution, obviously, when we can do that, we make that effort. But there are a lot of victims who don’t want to go into a court of law,” she said. “They don’t want to tell their story.”
On Monday, Most Reverend David Walkowiak, bishop of the Diocese of Grand Rapids, responded to the report in a press conference.
“I offer my deepest and most sincere apologies to the victims, survivors of clerical abuse,” Walkowiak said. “ I am sorry that a church leader in whom you placed your trust misused his power and abused you.”
“These men have broken the sacred trust,” he said. “They have betrayed Christ and done violence to his beloved children.”
Walkowiak told reporters the 51 now-former priests abused a total of 152 victims and claimed the majority of these clergymen were alleged to have committed sexual abuse or misconduct against children (37), rather than adults (14).
“While it is difficult for our church to face the harsh reality contained in this report, it provides a necessary opportunity for us to pledge to do better and move forward in the light of Christ,” he said.
The report, Walkowiak said, dated back to the 1950s with “most” allegations of abuse or misconduct taking place in the 1970s.
He also noted all alleged conduct involving a minor occurred prior to 2002, the same year the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops enacted the Charter for the Protection of Young People, which is a comprehensive set of procedures designed to address and prevent the sexual abuse of minors by clergy in the church.
“Today confirms that the Catholic Church’s safeguards outlined in the charter are working,” Walkowiak said.
“In other words, what we’ve done in the past 20 years, I think, has shown we’re getting better at providing our young people,” he said.
If you’d like to report a potential abuse, the Michigan Attorney General’s tip line is still open and staffed during the day.
The Grand Rapids Catholic Diocese also has a professional Victim Assistance Coordinator who is available at all hours to answer calls from survivors of sexual abuse.
“We must break down the walls of silence that so often surround sexual assault and abuse,” Nessel said.
“In the end, we truly hope this report provides a voice to those who have suffered in silence for so long, and shines a light on those alleged offenders whose whose actions allowed them to evade true accountability.”