Diocese of Crookston MN

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Terry McKiernan February 26, 2021

20 Accused in This Diocese

Fr. James Bernauer

Ordained: 1952
Status: Accused

Died: 06/19/2016
Diocese: Diocese of Crookston MN

Named publicly as credibly accused of the sexual abuse of a minor(s) by the Diocese on its list sometime after 9/21/2017. Further, Bernauer was sued in 1991 by a woman claiming he harassed and molested her for a year while she sought counseling from him and while she was a part-time church office worker. Bernauer retired in 1991 and died 6/19/2016.

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Sources:

BishopAccountability 2004

Fr. Robert Bester

Ordained: 1979
Status: Accused

Died: 01/2/2019
Diocese: Diocese of Crookston MN

Named publicly as credibly accused of the sexual abuse of a minor(s) by the Diocese on its list sometime after 9/21/2017. It notes that Bester was a parish pastor until 1991, went on leave of absence 1991-1994, and had a hospital chaplaincy in the Duluth diocese 1995 until he retired 7/1/1999. Reportedly worked in Anchorage AK 2001-2005, when he was accused of soliciting sex from a man. The man sued the Diocese. Bester was laicized 12/15/2006 and died 1/2/2019.

Assignments:

Diocese of Crookston List accessed 01.26.20

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Fr. Stanley C. Bourassa

Ordained: 1955
Status: Accused

Died: 08/11/2004
Diocese: Diocese of Crookston MN

On 1/24/2014, the Crookston diocese released a list of accused persons, including Bourassa, who previously was not publicly known to be accused. The Diocese provided no information about the allegations against Bourassa. He was trained at Nazareth Hall Preparatory Seminary in St. Paul and St. John's University/Seminary in Collegeville. Bourassa worked in the Crookston diocese his entire career, as a parish priest, high school teacher, and diocesan school administrator. He was made monsignor on 4/11/1990. Died 8/11/2004. Accused in a 5/2016 lawsuit of sexually abusing a minor 1965-1968 while at Sacred Heart in East Grand Forks.

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Fr. Richard Boyd

Ordained: 1979
Status: Convicted

Diocese: Diocese of Crookston MN

"Rick." Convicted in 1984 of possession of hundreds of items, including about 20 magazines, plus photos and albums, with images of teenage boys younger than 18 engaged in sex. Completed 2 years of probation and 6 months of treatment at a Catholic facility in MA. Responding to concerns of parishioners in 2003, the Crookston review board found no evidence of abuse. A police investigation found photos of nude young men, not evidently underage, posted by Boyd on the internet. Boyd denied wrongdoing. He took an indefinite leave of absence and resigned from his parish in 2003 saying 'innuendo and gossip' destroyed his credibility as a minister. Laicized in 2006. Boyd's appeal was pending. Added sometime after 9/21/2017 to the Diocese's list of those with credible allegations against them of the sexual abuse of minors.

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Diocese of Crookston List accessed 01.26.20

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Fr. Victor Cardin

Ordained: 1926
Status: Accused

Died: 11/10/1992
Diocese: Diocese of Crookston MN

Monsignor. Named publicly as credibly accused of the sexual abuse of a minor(s) by the Diocese on its list sometime after 9/21/2017. Pastor of St. Peter in Gentilly 1960-1983. Retired in 1983. Died 11/10/1992.

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Diocese of Crookston List accessed 01.26.20

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Fr. Henry G. Carriere

Ordained: 1946
Status: Guilty plea

Died: 11/3/2003
Diocese: Diocese of Crookston MN

Pleaded guilty in 12/1991 to three counts of child sexual abuse. Retired in 7/1990. Died in 11/2003.

Assignments:

BA.org Assignment Record

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Fr. Lawrence J. Davis

Ordained: 1952
Status: Accused

Died: 11/15/1979
Diocese: Diocese of Crookston MN

Named publicly as credibly accused of the sexual abuse of a minor(s) by the Crookston diocese on its list sometime after 9/21/2017. Priest of the Diocese of Saginaw, worked in E. Grand Forks 1952 and in Argyle 1952-1953. Died 11/15/1979.

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Diocese of Crookston List accessed 01.26.20

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Fr. Gerald K. Foley

Ordained: 1961
Status: Accused

Diocese: Diocese of Crookston MN

"Jerry." Foley admitted, some time before 2005, to sexual misconduct in the 1970s and early 1980s with women in his pastoral care. By 2005, Vicar General McDonough of St. Paul and Minneapolis was aware that at least one of those women was 'as young as 17,' and that some of the women whom Foley 'exploited' were known to Foley through Retrouvaille, a marriage renewal program. Foley had been a leader of Retrouvaille at least from 1984 to 2005. He was laicized on 9/22/2006. In the 1960s and 1970s, he was Director of Crookston's Catholic Social Services Association, and for a year or two in the late 1970s he was the Executive Director of the National Catholic Rural Life Conference, based in Des Moines IA. Foley was transferred in 1985 from the Diocese of Crookston to the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, where he was a chaplain at St. Joseph Hospital in St. Paul until about 2004. In these years he was listed by Crookston as 'on duty outside the diocese.' Name included in 10/2023 on the St. Paul and Minneapolis archdiocese list of accused.

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Diocese of Crookston List accessed 01.26.20

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Fr. Charles J. Gormly

Donate Photo

Ordained: 1936
Status: Sued

Died: 01/11/1968
Diocese: Diocese of Crookston MN

From Ireland, ordained for the Cheyenne WY diocese. Left WY in the mid-1940s. Accused in a claim filed in 12/2014 of sexual misconduct with a child at St. Francis in Brainerd MN, in the Duluth diocese, in the early 1960s. Worked in diocesan parishes 1960-1961. Removed and sent to a psychiatric hospital in Milwaukee. Records released in 11/2015 indicate he worked and abused in the Crookston diocese, likely in the 1950s, prior to his transfer to Duluth. Had been sent to Via Coeli in NM for treatment. Letters written by Duluth bishop Francis Schenk in 1960 and 1961 stated Gormly had a history of molesting small girls. In 1960 Schenk wrote that despite Gormly's [poor] record in Crookston he wanted "to give him one more chance." Gormly worked under Schenk in both Crookston and Duluth. Gormly died in 1968. Included on the Cheyenne diocese's list 6/12/2019. On the Duluth diocese's list 3/28/2024.

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Fr. Roger Grundhaus

Ordained: 1966
Status: Settled

Diocese: Diocese of Crookston MN

Monsignor, Vicar General. Retired in 2010. Publicly accused in 5/2017 of the sexual abuse in 1971 of a 16-year-old boy. The alleged victim, who was seeking to train as a deacon, said he told Bishop Hoeppner of the abuse in 2010. In 5/2017 the alleged victim sued Hoeppner and the Diocese, claiming Hoeppner told him to keep it quiet or he would not become a deacon and that his priest-son's career would be harmed. Hoeppner had him sign a letter in 2015 rescinding the allegation. The man said he signed it to protect his son. The Diocese denied coercion and said they reported the allegations to law enforcement in 2011. The man's attorney said Grundhaus' name was not on a court-ordered list of accused priests given to his office in 10/2015. Grundhaus was suspended in 5/2017. The Diocese settled with the man in 9/2017; there was no admission of wrongdoing by Hoeppner, as a condition of the settlement. Another lawsuit naming Grundhaus settled 7/2019. In 9/2019 Grundhaus stated the incident occurred when the boy was 18, and was a misunderstanding. Hoeppner was forced to resign per the Pope's Vos Estis Lux Mundi in 4/2021. In 3/2022 the Diocese announced that its review board determined that Hoeppner had "engaged in inappropriate activity....with a young man." Prohibition from public ministry was to continue for a year, then the case was to be reviewed. In 4/2025 the Diocesan website shows Grundhaus as "Retired (On Leave from Public Ministry)."

Assignments:

Jeff Anderson & Associates

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Fr. Joseph Palanivel Jeyapaul

Ordained: 1982
Status: Convicted

Diocese: Diocese of Crookston MN

From India. Arrived in the Crookston diocese in 2004. The Diocese knew rumors of his behavior by 8/2004. Jeyapaul abruptly returned to India in 9/2005 and was given a job by the bishop overseeing schools. In 2006, a girl told the Crookston Diocese that he abused her many times when she was age 14 in 2004-2005, including rape and forced oral sex. The Diocese deemed the allegations credible. She sued in 7/2009; settled in 9/2011 for $750K. Another girl said he sexually assaulted her on her 16th birthday in 2005. Sued; settled. The Vatican recommended laicization; the bishop in India refused. Suspended from ministry in India in 2010. Arrested in 3/2012 on an Interpol warrant. Extradited to the U.S. in 11/2014 to face charges in both cases. Pleaded guilty in 5/2015 to the 2005 sexual assault of the 16-year-old girl; sentenced to 1 year; freed due to time served. No conviction in the other case due to a plea deal. Deported to India. Bishop Arulappan Amalraj in Ootacamund, India lifted Jeyapaul's suspension in 1/2016, citing consultation with the Vatican's CDF. MN victim filed fed suit in 4/19/2016 against the India diocese. She won in 10/2016. As part of terms, Jeyapaul was removed by his Diocese.

Assignments:

Jeyapaul Timeline with Documents 04.05.10

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Deacon Aaron Kaiser

Ordained: 2017
Status: Accused

Diocese: Diocese of Crookston MN

Assigned to St. Joseph's in Bagley. In 10/2019 was named pastoral associate for the diocese's Formation in Discipleship Office. Placed on leave in 6/2021 due to allegations of child sexual abuse. In 4/2022 Bishop Cozzens announced that the allegations were determined to be founded but did not "constitute a grave delict of sexual abuse of a minor." Kaiser was a minor when the alleged abuse occurred. He was not to be returned to ministry "at this time."

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Fr. Stephen S. Murawski

Ordained: 1945
Status: Accused

Died: 02/20/1976
Diocese: Diocese of Crookston MN

Priest of the Diocese of Pueblo. Named publicly as credibly accused of the sexual abuse of a minor(s) by the Crookston diocese on its list sometime after 9/21/2017. The alleged abuse occurred outside of the Crookston diocese. Murawski died in 1976.

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Fr. Michael O’Reilly

Donate Photo

Status: Accused

Diocese: Diocese of Crookston MN

Named publicly as credibly accused of the sexual abuse of a minor(s) by the Crookston diocese on its list sometime after 9/21/2017. The alleged abuse occurred outside of the diocese. O'Reilly reportedly was not incardinated in the diocese but at some point lived or worked there.

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Fr. Casimir Plakut

Order: OSB
Ordained: 1938
Status: Accused

Died: 11/10/1988
Diocese: Diocese of Crookston MN

Also know as Fr. Francis J. Michael. Name (Plakut) released by St. John's Abbey in 9/2017 as added to its list of those "likely to have offended against minors." Ordained for the Benedictines. Plakut worked in the Dioceses of St. Cloud, Crookston, Duluth, the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, Nassau in the Bahamas, as chaplain in the US Army, and at Harvard University. He left St. John's in 1962. Also worked in KY, NE, TX, SD and Ontario Canada. Died in 1988.

Assignments:

Anderson and Associates

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Fr. Francis R. Reid

Ordained: 1964
Status: Accused

Died: 04/15/2007
Diocese: Diocese of Crookston MN

On 1/24/2014, the Crookston diocese released a list of accused persons, including Reid, who previously was not publicly known to be accused. The diocese provided no information about the allegations against him. He was trained at Mount St. Bernard Seminary in Dubuque IA and St Procopius Seminary in Lisle IL. Reid was ordained in Omaha but worked in the Crookston diocese his entire career as a parish priest. He was reportedly removed from ministry on 7/1/1992 but is subsequently listed in the Official Catholic Directory as in residence at St. Michael's in Mahnomen 1992-1997, after which he is listed as living in Park Rapids. After the USCCB's Dallas meeting, he was dropped from the Directory in 2003, only to reappear with his death on 4/15/2007.

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MPR 01.26.14

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Fr. James Rellihan

Order: OMI
Ordained: 1965
Status: Accused

Diocese: Diocese of Crookston MN

Raised in Kansas City MO. Ordained for the Oblates in Belleville IL. Married in 2002. Named publicly as credibly accused of the sexual abuse of a minor(s) by the Crookston diocese on its list sometime after 9/21/2017. Worked in the diocese 1986-1992. In 6/2025 Rellihan's Linkedin page shows that he is Director in Kansas City MO of "Mother God Ministries, Inc.", since 2003 or 2008.

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Diocese of Crookston List accessed 01.26.20

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Fr. Joseph D. Richards

Ordained: 1990
Status: Accused

Diocese: Diocese of Crookston MN

Named publicly as accused of the sexual abuse of a minor(s) by the Crookston diocese on its list sometime after 9/21/2017. Categorized under "internal and/or independent investigation has not been able to substantiate that a claim made was credible. Some of these individuals have been named in lawsuits."

Sources:

Diocese of Crookston List accessed 01.26.20

Fr. Augustine John Strub

Order: OSB
Ordained: 1947
Status: Accused

Died: 07/17/2015
Diocese: Diocese of Crookston MN

Name released by St. John's Abbey 9/19/2017 as added to its list of monks "most likely to have offended minors." Included on the St. Cloud diocese's list. Worked in the Crookston, Duluth and St. Cloud dioceses and the Archdiocese of Mexico City. Left the priesthood in 1961-1962. Died 7/17/2015.

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Jeff Anderson & Associates Timeline and Bio

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Fr. Patrick A. Sullivan

Ordained: 1982
Status: Reinstated

Diocese: Diocese of Crookston MN

Assigned to St. Eizabeth's in Dilworth and St. Andrew's in Hawley when placed on leave in 4/2016 during the investigation of an accusation that he had sexually abused a 15-year-old boy in 2008. The abuse was said to have occurred at St. Mary's Mission on Red Lake Reservation. Sullivan denied the accusation. No charges were filed. Reinstated in 12/2017 after the Diocese determined that the allegation was not credible. Placed again on leave in 2/2019 for alleged "boundary issues." Deemed not credible; to return to ministry 7/1/2021.

Assignments:

BA.org Assignment Record

Sources:

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