CHICAGO (IL)
CBS Chicago [Chicago, IL]
November 25, 2025
By Todd Feurer
The Archdiocese of Chicago faces new accusations and three lawsuits accusing the Catholic church of keeping two priests in the ministry for decades, despite warnings and complaints of sexual abuse of children.
The lawsuits claim the Archdiocese kept reassigning Fr. John William Curran and Fr. Daniel Mark Holihan to parishes and schools, even after church leaders were aware of allegations of sexual abuse.
One of the lawsuits claims Holihan groomed a high school student at Quigley Preparatory Seminary in the 1980s, convincing him to visit him at his cottage in northwest suburban Wonder Lake, and the rectory of Our Lady of the Snows Parish in Chicago, where he sexually abused the boy.
According to the lawsuit, the Archdiocese at the time already was aware of sexual misconduct reports from more than 20 people against Holihan dating back to the 1960s. Instead of removing him from the ministry, the lawsuit claims the Archdiocese repeatedly reassigned Holihan to new parishes and schools for decades.
Two other lawsuits accuse Curran of grooming two students at St. Christina Catholic School and Parish in the 1980s, sexually abusing them in his bedroom at the rectory, despite the Archdiocese knowing about complaints against him since the 1960s.
“These cases show a pattern, not a misunderstanding,” attorney Valerie Letko said in a statement. “Families trusted the Archdiocese to be transparent about clergy assignments. Instead, the Church moved priests like Holihan quietly and without warning, leaving parents and children unaware of the danger.”
The lawsuits accuse the Archdiocese of negligence and civil conspiracy, and seek unspecified compensatory damages for the victims.
The Archdiocese declined to comment on the lawsuits.