CHICAGO (IL)
Hoodline [San Francisco CA]
May 10, 2026
By Jo Marquez
Cardinal Blase Cupich has removed a priest from ministry at Little Italy’s St. Francis of Assisi after the Archdiocese of Chicago received allegations that he engaged in improper and inappropriate conversations and communications with minors and adult women. Rev. Jose Molina, identified by church officials, had been serving at the parish since August 2025 as a temporary minister. The archdiocese said it has reported the allegations to civil authorities and has offered support services to anyone affected.
In a letter to the St. Francis community, Cupich told parishioners that Molina, a member of the Institute of the Incarnate Word, will return to his religious order and that the Archdiocese will cooperate with the order’s investigation, as reported by the Chicago Sun-Times. The letter also revoked Molina’s faculties to minister in the Archdiocese of Chicago and reminded parishioners that support services had been offered to anyone who may have been harmed. Molina and representatives of the Institute could not immediately be reached for comment.
Order’s troubled history raises questions
The Institute of the Incarnate Word, which oversees Molina, has been under scrutiny in recent years after reports that its founder was found guilty by Vatican authorities of sexual misconduct with seminarians and that the community drew Vatican intervention, according to analysis in The Pillar. Reporting from Catholic News Agency has also detailed that history and past interventions, and some dioceses and watchdogs say those ties warrant close scrutiny when IVE priests are assigned to parishes. That backdrop means local Catholics are likely to watch closely as both the order and the archdiocese review the allegations against Molina.
What happens next in Chicago
The archdiocese told parishioners it has reported the allegations to civil authorities and will cooperate with any investigation, and that Molina will be returned to his order while the matter is addressed, as reported by the Chicago Sun-Times. No criminal charges were announced in the letter, and civil authorities will determine whether the allegations warrant a criminal probe. Parish leaders said they will work with the archdiocese and continue to offer support to anyone in the community affected by the news.
Advocates who track clergy misconduct say transparency around religious orders and Vatican interventions has often been uneven, which can muddy public understanding of how such cases are handled, according to watchdog coverage. BishopAccountability and other outlets note that congregations with troubled pasts tend to draw extra scrutiny from local faithful and diocesan leaders as investigations move forward.