SAGINAW (MI)
Midland Daily News [Midland MI]
June 25, 2026
[See also the full report on the Diocese of Saginaw.]
The Michigan Attorney General’s investigation into clergy sexual abuse in the Catholic Diocese of Saginaw identified allegations of sexual abuse or other sexual misconduct involving 38 clergy members over more than seven decades.
At the same time, the AG’s office concluded there is no evidence the diocese violated Michigan’s mandatory reporting law after the state added clergy as mandated reporters in 2003.
The 258-page report, released by Attorney General Dana Nessel, is the sixth of seven statewide reports examining Michigan’s Catholic dioceses following an investigation launched in 2018. It documents allegations involving 37 priests and one deacon who served in the Diocese of Saginaw between 1950 and the present.
The Diocese of Saginaw includes 56 parishes in 11 counties: Arenac, Bay, Clare, Gladwin, Gratiot, Huron, Isabella, Midland, Saginaw, Sanilac and Tuscola.
Investigators reviewed approximately 137,500 paper documents and nearly 483,000 electronic records related to the Saginaw Diocese after search warrants were executed in October 2018. The investigation also generated 180 tips concerning the diocese, including 115 referrals from diocesan officials.
Nessel’s office did not file criminal charges against any Saginaw Diocese priest as a result of the investigation. The report says most allegations involved deceased clergy, incidents outside Michigan’s statute of limitations or conduct that could no longer be prosecuted. Thirty of the 38 clergy members identified are known or presumed dead, while none of the remaining eight are in active ministry.
In a statement released after the report, the Diocese of Saginaw noted that the investigation “did not reveal any allegations of the sexual abuse of a minor regarding priests in active ministry” and that no priests face criminal charges as a result of the investigation.
The report identifies allegations involving 37 priests and one deacon over a 75-year period, while the diocese noted that more than 680 priests served in the diocese during that time. Four of the clergy members identified in the report were accused of misconduct involving adults rather than minors, according to the diocese.
Investigators stressed that inclusion in the report does not mean allegations were determined to be credible or criminal. The report states the allegations are summarized from interviews, diocesan files, police investigations and other sources, and “their inclusion does not reflect a determination” by the department that they are substantiated or constitute a crime.
The report also concludes that “there is no indication that the Diocese has violated Michigan’s reporting obligations to report the sexual abuse of minors,” noting that nearly all alleged conduct occurred before the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops adopted its Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People in 2002 and before Michigan designated clergy as mandated reporters in 2003.
Bishop Robert Gruss apologized to survivors in the diocese’s response to the report.
“As Bishop of the Diocese of Saginaw, I want to express my deepest sorrows to those who have been victims of abuse by members of the clergy,” Gruss said. “Please accept my sincere apology for the pain and suffering you have experienced by those who were entrusted with your care. I’m deeply saddened by it all. And, again, I apologize to you on behalf of the Church and our Diocese.”
Gruss said the diocese supports greater accountability and transparency.
“We fully believe in greater accountability and transparency, which is essential in restoring the trust that has been broken resulting from the misconduct of a few,” he said. “We must accept our personal and collective responsibility for protecting children and others and continue to remain vigilant in our response in protecting our young people and vulnerable adults.”
The diocese said it has maintained a zero-tolerance policy for more than two decades under the bishops’ Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People. It said every allegation, including those involving deceased clergy or allegations dating back decades, is immediately reported to civil authorities. The diocese also pointed to its victim assistance coordinator, independent diocesan review board, mandatory background checks and safe-environment training for employees and volunteers.
According to the diocese, 5,174 people have completed the safe-environment training program since 2020.
The Attorney General’s report identifies eight diocesan clergy members previously determined by the Diocese of Saginaw to have credible allegations of abuse and who were permanently removed from ministry. It also identifies five priests for whom credible allegations surfaced after their deaths and nine priests from religious orders or other dioceses with credible allegations involving ministry in Saginaw. The Attorney General included additional clergy members based on allegations uncovered during the investigation.
The Saginaw report follows previously released reports on the dioceses of Marquette, Gaylord, Kalamazoo, Lansing and Grand Rapids. A final report on the Archdiocese of Detroit is expected to complete the statewide investigation.