Fr. John Minkler

Ordained: 1972
Status: Sued

Died: 02/15/2004
Diocese: Diocese of Albany NY

Accused in a lawsuit 8/2019 filed under the NY Child Victims Act of sexually abusing an 8-year-old boy beginning around 1965. Minkler was a seminarian assisting at St. Joseph’s parish and school in Rensselaer at the time. Minkler would allegedly give the boy wine, then abuse him. Worked at the parish until transferred in 1979 after complaints from staff members of “an atmosphere of fear and repression.” Briefly at St. Teresa of Avila, then four years in the Military Ordinate in NYC. Assigned in 1984 to the VA in Albany. Died by suicide in 2/2004 after identified as having written a letter in 1995 to NY’s Cardinal O’Connor saying Albany Bishop Hubbard and other priests were gay and having sex with one another.


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