Rev. Ronald G. Engel

Summary of Case: Engel was investigated for possesion of child pornography on his computer and placed on leave by the Archdiocese in April 2004. The Archdiocesan Review Board determined that the allegations were substantiated. Per a list updated in December 2009 on the Milwaukee Archdiocesan website, Engel was "fully restricted from ministry." In 2011 Engel's case was submitted to the Vatican which, in turn, authorized Archbishop Listecki to initiated an administrative penal process. In February 2021 Engel remained fully restricted.     

Ordained: 1977

   

Start Stop Parish Town/Accusations State Position Notes

1977

Milwaukee archbishop was Rembert George Weakland, O.S.B. (1977-2002)

1983 Immaculate Conception Milwaukee WI 2/3 Immaculate Conception had a school with 441-475 students.
1983 1984 Messmer High School Milwaukee WI Pastoral Coordinator Messmer High had 318 students.
1984 1992 St. Matthias Milwaukee WI 4/4, 3/4, 3/3 St. Matthias' had 484-511 students.
1992 1998 St. Mary's South Milwaukee WI 1/1

St. Mary's had a school with 142-176 students until it consolidated with St. John's and Holy Cross in 1994. St. Mary's had a religious education program with 175-181 students.

1998 1999 On Leave        

1999

Weakland was replaced by Timothy Michael Dolan (2002-2009)

  2004 St. Veronica's

Milwaukee

• Engel was placed on leave in late April 2004 due to a law enforcement investigation on suspicion that he had child pornography on his computer. (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel May 11, 2004)

 WI   2/2 St. Veronica's had a school with 443-370 students, and a religious education program with 218-175 students. It consolidated with others in 2004 to form St. Thomas Aquinas Elementary. 
 2004  2021        

Engel is indexed through but not beyond the 2005 Directory.

The Archdiocesan Review Board deemed the allegations substantiated.

Included on the Archdiocese's list updated in December 2009 as "fully restricted"  from ministry."

Engel's case was sent to the Vatican in 2011. Remained fully restricted per the Archdiocese in February 2021.(archmil.org)

 

Source: Official Catholic Directory (New York: P.J. Kenedy and Sons, 1978-2005)

Priests in a Parish: We use the following convention to show a priest's place among the clergy of a parish: 1/2 means that he is the first priest listed in the Official Catholic Directory (usually the pastor) and that there is a total of two priests at the parish. The shorthand 3/4 means that the priest is listed third on a four-priest roster. See our sample page from the Directory.

Note: The Official Catholic Directory aims to report the whereabouts of Catholic priests in the United States on January 1 of the Directory's publication year. Our working assumption is that a priest listed in the Directory for a given year was at the same assignment for part of the previous year as well. However, Kenedy and Sons will sometimes accept updates well into the year of publication. Diocesan clergy records are rarely available to correct this information. The Directory is also sometimes misleading or wrong. We have tried to create an accurate assignment record, given the source materials and their limitations. Assignment records are a work in progress and we are always improving the records that we post. Please email us with new information and corrections.

This assignment record collates Engel's career history as it is represented in the Official Catholic Directory with allegations as reported in the media. We make no representation regarding the truth of the allegation we report, and we remind our readers that the U.S. legal system presumes that a person accused of or charged with a crime is innocent until proven guilty. Similarly, individuals who may be defendants in civil actions are presumed not to be liable for such claims unless a plaintiff proves otherwise. Admissions of guilt or liability are not typically a part of civil or private settlements. For more information, see our posting policy.

This assignment record was last updated on February 11, 2021.