Fr. Francis E. Bass

Accused of abusing many boys and sharing his victims with Revs. Janssen, Geerts, and James W. Murphy. All were trained at Kenrick Seminary in St. Louis. Bass was Director of Vocations and on Personnel Board for 15 years. Dean of Grinnell deanery for a year. Chaplain at Ottumwa Heights College. Bishop Hayes first learned Bass was connected with Janssen’s abuse of children in 1958. The earliest known alleged abuse by Bass that is the late 1950s. Set to retire in 1992 when the Diocese received an allegation preserved in a file. A 1974 allegation was not included in the released file. Accused by two alleged victims of taking them to the Cook County Morgue; alleged to have brought victims to his family farm in NE. First suit filed in 2003. Settlements in 2004 and 2006. As of 7/14/2008, the Diocese stated Bass was accused of abusing 18 male minors. It requested that Bass be laicized but announced on 1/18/2005 that the Vatican had ordered him to live a life of prayer and penance. Died 9/18/2014. In 2018 a man stated publicly that he was abused as a child by Bass and three other priests.