Rev. Joseph H. Stoltz

Summary of Case: Stoltz was first accused in 1990 of having abused a boy in the 1970s. He was sent to counseling and put on restricted ministry. He was removed from ministry in June 2002 after the U.S. Catholic Bishops implemented a new "zero tolerance" policy. A second man subsequently reported that he had been sexually abused as a teenager by Stoltz in the 1970s. Stoltz was laicized in August 2004.

Ordained: 1973

   

Start Stop Assignment Town/Accusations State Position Notes

1973

Louisville archbishop was Thomas Joseph McDonough (1967-1981)

1977 St. Bernard

Louisville

• A man came forward in 1990 to report that Stoltz had sexually abused him as a boy in the 1970s. (Courier-Journal [Louisville, KY]
October 13, 2002)

KY

2/2

 

 Parish had a school wtih 309-411 students.
1977 1980 St. Edward's

Jeffersontown

• A second man accused Stoltz, in 2002, of having sexually abused him as a teenager and St. Edward's parishioner, from 1975-1977. (Louisville Courier-Journal
September 29, 2002)

KY 2/2 Parish had a school with 540-580 students.

1980

McDonough was succeeded by Thomas Cajetan Kelly, O.P. (1981-2007)

1982 St. Benedict Louisville KY 1/1  
1980 1982 Senate of Priests        
1985 1986 Priests' Council        
1982 1986 St. Mary's Louisville KY

1/1

 

  
1986 1987 Our Lady of Peace Hospital Louisville KY Chaplain This was a psychiatric hospital.
1991 1993 Retired      

Stoltz is indexed as retired, but is not listed as such in the Louisville diocesan pages of the Directories.

He was sent to counseling and put on restricted ministry in 1990 after an allegation that he had sexually abused a boy in the 1970s. (Louisville Courier-Journal
September 29, 20)

1993 1995 Saints Mary and Elizabeth Hospital Louisville KY Chaplain  
1995 2002 Caritas Medical Center Louisville KY Chaplain  
1999 2002 St. William's Louisville KY

1/1

 

Stoltz was removed from ministry in June 2002 due to an allegation of abuse of a minor in the 1970s. (Courier-Journal (Louisville, KY)
October 13, 2002)

Stoltz was laicized, per his request, in Aug. 2004. (Courier-Journal
October 21, 2004)


Source: Official Catholic Directory (New York: P.J. Kenedy and Sons, 1960-2003)

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 Stoltz'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 Jan. 22, 2010