MADISON (WI)
WISN 12 - ABC [Milwaukee WI]
June 26, 2026
By Mariana La Roche
[See also the criminal complaints 1 2]
The former priest faces charges stemming from a 2025 undercover sting operation and a subsequent discovery of child sexual abuse material on his devices
The Diocese of Madison announced that Andrew Showers has been removed from the clerical state by Pope Leo XIV, effective June 24, 2026.
The decision follows a series of felony charges against Showers, including attempted child enticement and possession of child pornography.
According to a media statement from the diocese, Showers was the one who petitioned the Vatican for a dispensation from his priestly obligations.
The granting of this petition, known as laicization, means Showers is prohibited from exercising priestly ministry, wearing clerical attire, and being addressed as “Father” or “Reverend.”
The loss of the clerical state comes as Showers faces two separate criminal cases in Waupaca County Circuit Court.
Criminal charges
In August 2025, Showers was charged with attempted use of a computer to facilitate a child sex crime, attempted child enticement, and attempted second-degree sexual assault of a child under 16.
According to the criminal complaint, Showers was detained in Clintonville, Wisconsin, after he traveled there to meet someone he thought was a 14-year-old girl named “Abby.” In reality, the person was an undercover police officer involved in an investigation into internet crimes against children.
Upon his arrest, officers found two hotel room keys in his possession, along with a small white pill identified as sildenafil, commonly known as Viagra.
Following his arrest, Showers drafted a letter addressed to “Abby,” writing that he had put his “own desires, wants, and brokenness before [her] wellbeing” and apologizing for his “poor decisions and selfish pursuits.”
In March 2026, Showers faced two additional felony charges of possession of child pornography.
According to that criminal complaint, a forensic analysis of Showers’ cellphone, seized during the execution of search warrants in both Waupaca and Dane counties, revealed two images that investigators determined depicted minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. The images were accessed on Aug. 16 and Aug. 18, 2025, the complaint states.
Our ABC affiliate in Madison, WKOW, contributed to this report.
Diocese Response
The Diocese of Madison first disclosed Showers’ arrest on Aug. 25, 2025, the day after he was taken into custody.
“The Diocese of Madison was notified on Aug. 25, 2025 by the City of Madison Police Department that Fr. Andrew Showers, Parochial Vicar at Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish in Madison, was taken into custody in Waupaca County on allegations of child enticement, use of a computer to facilitate a child sex crime, and attempted second degree sexual assault of a child,” the diocese said at the time.
The diocese said it was cooperating fully with authorities in both Dane and Waupaca counties and that Showers was immediately restricted from all exercise of public ministry.
In his June 25 letter, Bishop Hying said he remains “committed to transparent and timely communication regarding this sad and difficult situation” and will continue to share significant legal developments as they become available.
“I ask for your continued prayers for all those affected and commend everyone involved, including Andrew, to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus,” Hying wrote.
Showers was ordained in 2017 and served in multiple assignments across the diocese, including as Director of the Office of Worship and Parochial Vicar at Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish in Madison. He also served at parishes in Berlin, Green Lake, Waunakee, Clinton, and Wisconsin Dells.