CHICAGO (IL)
Chicago Sun-Times [Chicago IL]
January 25, 2026
By Kaitlin Washburn
The Rev. Ronald Kondziolka was asked to step back from ministry work in August after the Archdiocese of Chicago received an allegation that he abused a child in the 1990s while working at St. Brendan’s Catholic Church.
A Chicago priest accused of sexually abusing a minor over 40 years ago has been reinstated by the Archdiocese of Chicago.
The Rev. Ronald Kondziolka was asked to step back from ministry work in August after the Archdiocese received an allegation that he abused a child in the 1990s while working at St. Brendan’s Catholic Church in the Englewood neighborhood.
The archdiocese’s Independent Review Board investigated the claim and found no “reasonable cause to believe Father Kondziolka sexually abused the person making the accusation,” Cardinal Blase Cupich wrote in a letter Saturday to parishioners at several churches where Kondziolka worked. The board recommended Kondziolka return to ministry and the file be closed, which Cupich accepted.
“I publicly affirm that Father Kondziolka is a priest in good standing and express sincere appreciation for his many years of service to the People of God in the Archdiocese of Chicago,” Cupich said in the letter. “He deserves our respect and gratitude and I hope you will join me in thanking him for his long-standing dedication.”
Kondziolka has served in parishes and as a hospital chaplain throughout the Chicago area for decades. He worked at St. Brendan’s Catholic Church from January 1983 to March 1986. The now-closed church once stood at Marquette Road and Racine Avenue.
He has also worked at Souls Parish, Mother of the Americas Parish, Our Lady of the Heights Parish, Our Lady of Unity Parish, St. Anthony of Padua Parish, St. Benedict the African Parish, St. John Neumann Parish, St. Veronica Parish and Franciscan Health Alliance.
In August, Cupich alerted the parishes and health care centers where Kondziolka worked in a letter. The letter offers no details on the allegations or an exact time frame for when the alleged abuse happened.
At the time, the cardinal said Kondziolka “strenuously” denied the allegations.
A request for comment from Kondziolka was not immediately answered on Sunday.