22 Accused in this Diocese
- Archdiocese of St Paul Statement 10.23.14
- MN SNAP Statement 10.23.14
- Bismarck Tribune 10.23.14
- Minnesota Public Radio News 10.23.14
- Anderson & Assoc Press Release 10.23.14
- Archdiocese of St Paul and Minneapolis 10.23.14
- Pioneer Press 10.23.14
- Star Tribune 10.23.14
- SafeCatholicSMP 10.23.14
- ND–SNAP Statement 10.23.14
- Diocese of Bismarck List 01.02.20
- AM 1100 01.04.21
- Grand Forks Herald 01.04.21
- Bismarck Tribune 02.20.21
- KFYR 04.05.21
- Hawaii Reporter 08.03.07
- Honolulu Star Advertiser 10.01.11
- SNAP Statement 06.07.12
- Las Vegas Review-Journal 06.20.12
- San Antonio Express News 06.21.12
- Garden Island 10.04.12
- KHON 2 10.04.12
- SNAP Statement 10.04.12
- Hawaii Reporter 10.15.12
- Dickinson Press 01.06.13
- SNAP Letter to Archbishop Vigneron 01.30.13
- Dickinson Press 05.04.13
- SNAP Statement 05.06.13
- Bismarck Tribune Obituary 10.06.17
- Diocese of Bismarck List 01.02.20
Fr. Eugene Frank
A man filed suit in 12/2009 in federal court alleging that Fr. Frank, a priest assigned to St. Joseph Church and School in Mandan ND, abused and raped him on multiple occasions between 1955-1957, when he was an altar boy. Frank died in 2002.
Fr. Aloysius P. Simon
Named publicly as accused by the Bismarck diocese on its list 1/2/2020. Allegations were substantiated and Simon's faculties were permanently removed 6/18/1985. Included on the Diocese of Crookston's list, where he worked 1977-1978. A news article in 1989 places Simon in San Luis Obispo, CA. He died 10/31/1991 in CA.
Fr. Charles J. Meyer
Named publicly as accused by the Bismarck diocese on its list 1/2/2020. Died 12/16/1997. Added to the La Crosse diocese's list 2/5/2020, where was assigned at some point to St. Rose Convent. Included 2/7/2020 on the Diocese of Wichita's list, where he worked 1948-1951. Added in 6/2020 to the St. Cloud diocese's list, where he was pastor of St. Lawrence in Rush Lake 1966-1985. On the Cincinnati archdiocese's list in 2/2022. Meyer died 12/16/1997.
Assignments:
Sources:
Fr. Donald W. Hill
Parish priest, pastor, high school teacher. Ecumenical Director for the diocese 1979-1983, Chancellor 1980-1985. Hospital chaplain. Army National Guard chaplain in Washington D.C. 1993-2003. Died 11/21/2004. Named publicly as accused by the Diocese on its list 1/2/2020. Allegations substantiated. Hill's faculties were permanently removed 1/6/2003.
Fr. Earl J. Becwar
Parish priest, pastor; educator. Named publicly as accused by the Diocese on its list 1/2/2020. Allegations were reported after Becwar's death and substantiated. Died 9/5/1991.
Fr. Eugene J. Haspert
Named publicly as accused by the Diocese on its list 1/2/2020. Died 7/3/1979. Allegations were reported after Haspert's death. Substantiated.
Fr. Frederic J. Nelson
Named publicly as accused by the Diocese on its list 1/2/2020. Allegations substantiated. Faculties permanently removed 2/20/1984, reportedly due to Nelson's defying the bishops by insisting on pre-Vatican ways in terms of liturgy and not following canon law. He died 8/13/1988.
Fr. Hugh C. McGovern
Named publicly as accused by the Diocese on its list 1/2/2020. Allegations were reported after McGovern's death. Substantiated. Died 7/22/1988.
Fr. James E. Reardon
Parish priest, pastor; teacher; chaplain at the ND Industrial School in Mandan. Named publicly as accused by the Diocese on its list 1/2/2020. Allegations substantiated. Faculties permanently removed 4/16/2002. Died 3/11/2007.
Fr. James W. Pommier
Personnel file showed numerous allegations in 1960s and 1970s. Pommier left the Bismarck diocese in 1977 without permission of the bishop. Began working in Seattle at some point until 1985 when his faculties were removed by the archbishop. His Bismarck faculties were removed in 1990. May have later worked in MT. The Diocese announced in 3/2008 that the Vatican had laicized Pommier for "ecclesiastical crimes against youth." Lived in WA until his death 1/28/2012. At least four settlements. Name included on the Seattle archdiocese's list 1/15/2016. On Bismarck's list of those with substantiated allegations 1/2/2020.
Fr. John Herman Kuhn
Named publicly as accused by the Diocese on its list 1/2/2020. Allegations substantiated. Died 3/15/2006.
Fr. John J. Owens
Ordained for Diocese of Bismarck, where he worked 1960-1999. Fill-in for the Archdiocese of St. Paul-Minneapolis near Forest Lake 1999-2004, despite Bismarck's removal of faculties in 2002. First named publicly as accused by the St. Paul- Minneapolis archdiocese on its list 10/23/2014, for abuse in the Bismarck diocese. Living in Forest Lake, MN. Faculties removed in 2005 by St. Paul-Minneapolis. Ordered by the Vatican to a life of prayer and penance. St. Paul-Minneapolis said it was not aware of any substantiated claim in the archdiocese. Included on the Bismarck diocese's list 1/2/2020, which notes faculties permanently removed 4/13/2010. Allegedly abused boys In the late 1960s or early 1970s, along with Rev. Armour Roberts, after giving them alcohol. Owens had brought the three boys, who were high school freshmen, to visit Roberts in Leipzig. Owens died in 10/2020.
Assignments:
Sources:
Fr. Laurence R. Talty
Parish priest, pastor; Director of the Catholic Boys Camp at Lake Metigoshe 1949-1959 and of Camp Dominic Savio at Riverdale 1960-1983; Director of Emmaus Place Retirement Home for Priests from 1985. Talty died 8/22/1989. He was named publicly as accused by the Bismarck diocese on its list 1/2/2020. Allegation(s) substantiated.
Fr. Maurice G. McNeely
Ordained for the Diocese of Bismarck. "Fr. Mac." Military chaplain at Ft. Shafter in HI 1974-1977. A man filed a lawsuit in 2011 in HI against McNeely and the Bismarck diocese alleging sexual abuse by McNeely when he was an altar boy. Per the suit, McNeely forced the boy to perform oral sex on him. Settled in 4/2013. McNeely worked at Holy Family Catholic Academy in Honolulu 1987-2001 and then in Las Vegas. He was retired and living in MI in 2012. A new suit was filed in HI 10/2012. In 2013 a woman claimed he sexually abused her late husband as a child in ND in the 1960s. McNeely's name was included on the Bismarck diocese's list 1/2/2020. Allegations substantiated. He died 7/29/2017.
Sources:
Fr. Michael A. Spegele
Named publicly as accused by the Bismarck diocese on its list 1/2/2020. Allegations were made after his death. Substantiated. Died 3/16/1998. Added to the La Crosse diocese's list 2/5/2020, where he was assigned at some point to St. Francis Hospital. Added to the Kansas City-St Joseph diocese's list as of 4/2021, which notes one substantiated allegation. Included on the Cincinnati archdiocese's list in 2/2022.
Fr. Michael T. Krank
Named publicly as accused by the Diocese on its list 1/2/2020. Allegations substantiated. Faculties permanently removed 3/11/2004. Died 11/28/2010.
Fr. Norman J. Dukart
Transferred to Crosby ND in 1999; Dukart told the parish then of his history of sexual abuse. He had sexually abused three boys decades prior. The parish council met with Bishop Zipfel, who would not remove him and seemed to be saying that Dukart had been in therapy and had been cured. Many parishioners left the parish, returning only after Dukart was removed in 3/2002. Included on the Diocese's list 1/2/2020. Allegations were substantiated. Included in the ND Attorney General's investigation which concluded in 1/2021. There were no criminal charges due to the statute of limitations. Abuse allegedly occurred in the 1970s, involving two children. Dukart was living in 2021 in Dickinson, near a preschool.
Fr. Odo Muggli
Assumption Abbey Benedictine in Richardton. Included in the ND Attorney General's investigation which concluded in 1/2021. Muggli allegedly sexually abused a minor, ages 13-17, beginning in 1971. The A.G. found probable cause to prosecute, but prosecution was not possible due to the statute of limitations. The investigation found that the Abbey and Diocese received a report in 1991 of the allegations against Muggli. Per the Abbey, Muggli has since been on a "safety plan," working in the Abbey's business office and not in ministry.
Fr. Robert O. Wuest
Assigned in OH, IN, MI, NE, WI, ND. Died in OH 3/26/1988. Named publicly as accused by the Bismarck diocese on its list 1/2/2020. Allegations were made after his death. Substantiated.
Fr. Stephen R. Zastoupil
Parish priest, pastor; teacher. Removed in 3/2002 from ministry because of 'misconduct' involving two children 31 years prior. Zastoupil had received years of counseling and reconciled with the families and victims. The counseling discontinued when the bishop determined it was no longer necessary. No criminal charges were filed. Died 7/2/2018. Included on the Diocese's list 1/2/2020.
Fr. Theodore F. Gustin
Parish priest. Held chancery positions, including as a long-time Tribunal official. Named publicly as accused by the Diocese on its list 1/2/2020. Allegations were substantiated and Gustin's faculties were permanently removed 6/18/2002. He died 12/27/2006.
Fr. Victor J. Heinen
Assigned in MO and ND. Parish priest, teacher, hospital chaplain. Died 6/24/1953, age 44. Allegations were reported and substantiated after Heinen's death. Accused of sexually abusing a boy for three years in the early 1950s, beginning when the boy was age 9. Heinen was assigned at the time to St. Philomena's in Selfridge. He was named publicly as accused by the Bismarck diocese on its list 1/2/2020. Included on the Conception Abbey Benedictines list in 4/2020.