Diocese of Superior WI - BishopAccountability.org

18 Accused in This Diocese

Fr. Theodore Ahrens

Ordained: 1963
Status: Accused

Died: 11/20/2003
Diocese: Diocese of Superior WI

Named publicly as credibly accused by the Diocese of Superior on its list in 11/22. Multiple allegations notes, occurring in the early 1960s in Hurley. Removed from or left ministry in 4/78. Died in 2003.

Sources:

Fr. Thaddeus A. Augustyn

Ordained: 1944
Status: Sued

Died: 08/10/1981
Diocese: Diocese of Superior WI

Arrested in 1966 and pled guilty to public indecency in a bus station. Frequently visited in the Miami archdiocese and worked in various parishes there. Died 8/10/81. Named in a 1992 civil suit against the Superior diocese. One man alleged abuse 1955-61 when he was a minor and Augustyn was assigned to St Joseph's in Shell Lake WI. Diocese said suit was dismissed due to the statute of limitations; no settlement was paid. Included in 11/22 on the diocese's list of credibly accused. Multiple allegations noted, of abuse occurring 1943-1946 in Lublin and 1955-1965 in Shell Lake. Removed from or left ministry 11/2/66.

Sources:

Fr. James Bartelme

Ordained: 1982
Status: Accused

Diocese: Diocese of Superior WI

Named publicly as credibly accused by the diocese on its list in 11/22. Placed on administrative leave 9/8/22 due to a single allegation of abuse, occurring 1990-1991 in Superior. Assigned at the time in question to the Cathedral of Christ the King.

Sources:

Fr. Edward F. Beutner

Ordained: 1965
Status: Sued

Died: 01/26/2008
Diocese: Diocese of Superior WI

Placed on leave in 2002 due to allegations. Laicized 3/14/06. Accused by a man in a civil suit 11/21/06 claiming abuse of 4 boys in the late 1960s. Per plaintiff, the abuse occurred during an overnight trip to MN; suit filed in that state. Assigned to Cathedral of Christ the King 1966-68 and Holy Assumption Church 1975-78, as well as numerous other churches and colleges. A woman claimed she told Bishop Fliss in 2002 that Beutner had abused her 10 years prior. Beutner died 1/26/08. Name included on the St. Paul and Minneapolis archdiocese's list of accused in 10/14. On the Santa Rosa diocese's list 1/12/19. Noted to have been assigned to the Christian Brothers' Mont LaSalle in Napa in 1987. Also resided with the Christian Brothers in Concord CA, Oakland diocese, 1982-86. Included in 11/22 on the Diocese of Superior's list of credibly accused; multiple allegations of abuse noted to have occurred, 1965-70 and 1974-75 in Superior.

Assignments:

BA.org Assignment Record

Sources:

Fr. Thomas A. Conway

Donate Photo

Order: CPPS
Ordained: 1957
Status: Accused

Diocese: Diocese of Superior WI

Placed on leave in 6/02 after the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph received a complaint from a woman who accused him of inappropriate behavior in another state in the 1970s when she was age 14 or 15. Conway was assigned to parishes through the 1970s, until 1979, in the Diocese of Superior, WI. By 1979-80 he was working in the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph, MO. Conway died 10/6/10.

Sources:

Kansas City Star 06.18.02
CPPS Missionaries 10.08.10

Fr. Lawrence Dudink

Order: SVD
Ordained: 1939
Status: Guilty plea

Died: 10/20/1984
Diocese: Diocese of Superior WI

Pleaded guilty in 1960 to abduction of a 17-year-old girl. Sentenced to three years in prison. Was chaplain at a Superior WI hospital when he took the girl on a car ride and didn't return. She had been admitted to the hospital that morning for a "nervous condition." Dudink was a family friend and had permission to take her for a ride. The two were found at a Phoenix AZ hotel. Went on to marry. Died in Oklahoma in 1984. Included in the 5/23/2023 IL Attorney General's Report.

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Fr. Thomas Edward Ericksen

Ordained: 1973
Status: Convicted

Diocese: Diocese of Superior WI

Accused of molesting three boys in 1983 while assigned to St. Peter's in Winter, WI. Two accusers sued and settled in 1989 for nearly $3M. Ericksen was removed from the priesthood 1988. In 6/2010 two men claimed rape as children. Efforts were underway in 7/2010 to extradite him from MO. Left WI in 1983. Lived in MN, MO and Indonesia. Denied the allegations. Included in 10/2014 on the St. Paul and Minneapolis archdiocese's list of accused. "Partially confessed" in 2016. Charged 11/16/2018 with sexually assaulting altar boys at St. Peter's 1982-1983. In 12/2018 a judge ordered trial. Three new accusers in 1/1209 alleged abuse in the late 1970s-early 1980s. Pleaded not guilty 3/2019 to four open cases. Convicted. Sentenced in 9/2019 to 30 years in prison. Accused of the sexual abuse of a boy, age 9, in the hospital in the late 1970s. Included in 11/2022 on the Diocese of Superior's list of credibly accused. In 6/2025 was incarcerated at a correctional facility in Oshkosh.

Assignments:

BA.org Assignment Record

Sources:

Fr. Ryan Erickson

Ordained: 2000
Status: Sued

Died: 12/19/2004
Diocese: Diocese of Superior WI

Accused of abuse of at least one young boy and possession of child porn in about 1992. Identified as a murder suspect in a double homicide in 2002. Died by suicide during investigation in 2004. Special hearing in 2005 found there was probable cause to rule he was probably the murderer. Parents filed two suits (one naming ALL bishops) and a separate wrongful death suit against the diocese. Suit against diocese dismissed in 9/08. Included in 11/22 on the diocese's list of credibly accused.

Fr. Joseph Higgins

Ordained: 1946
Status: Accused

Died: 02/17/1974
Diocese: Diocese of Superior WI

Named publicly as credibly accused by the Diocese of Superior on its list in 11/22. Abuse noted to have occurred in the late 1960s in River Falls. Died in 2/74.

Sources:

Fr. Irving Frederick Klister

Ordained: 1944
Status: Convicted

Died: 04/19/1997
Diocese: Diocese of Superior WI

Chancellor. Founder of the diocesan newspaper. Accused of abuse of a 14-year-old boy in Superior in the early 1950s. Transferred in 1955 to the Diocese of El Paso. Sent in about 1966 to St. Vincent Hospital in St. Louis, then to Servants of the Paraclete in Jemez Springs NM for treatment. Allowed ministry in the archdiocese (Santa Fe). A man from OR filed claim in 2013 in NM alleging abuse at age 7 or 8 by Klister at St. Vincent de Paul parish in Maxwell in the early to mid-1980s. Settled in 4/2014. Klister was convicted in 1990 on child pornography charges. Named in a civil suit filed in El Paso in 1995. Died 4/19/1997. Included on the Santa Fe archdiocese's list of accused on 9/12/2017. On the Las Cruces diocese's list 11/8/2018. On El Paso's list 1/31/2019. On the Superior diocese's list in 11/2022, which notes he was a priest of the diocese until incardinated in 1984 into the Archdiocese of Santa Fe.

Assignments:

Sources:

Fr. James J. Kraker

Ordained: 1965
Status: Accused

Died: 12/8/2013
Diocese: Diocese of Superior WI

Named publicly as credibly accused by the Diocese of Superior on its list in 11/22. Multiple allegations of abuse, occurring 1988-1998 in Merrill, where he was pastor of St. Robert Bellarmine, and Hammond, where he was pastor of Immaculate Conception. Left or was removed from ministry 11/28/01. Died 12/8/13.

Assignments:

Findagrave 12.08.13

Sources:

Fr. Gerald F. Mahon

Donate Photo

Ordained: 1930
Status: Accused

Died: 08/27/1977
Diocese: Diocese of Superior WI

Monsignor. Named publicly as credibly accused by the Diocese of Superior on its list in 11/22. Multiple allegations of abuse, occurring 1943-1946 in Superior. Was removed or left ministry 8/26/71.

Sources:

Diocese of Superior List 11.22.22

Fr. David J. Malsch

Ordained: 1967
Status: Convicted

Died: 05/20/2022
Diocese: Diocese of Superior WI

Accused in 1984 of molesting three boys; bishop didn't investigate. Accused in 1991 of molesting a 15-year-old boy with emotional, learning and behavioral issues. Criminal charges in 1992. Convicted in 1993. Received a 5-year suspended sentence; violated parole in 1997, sent to prison. Civil suit filed in 1995. Sent to Wounded Brothers in MO after release. Indicted in 2003 for child porn while at the facility. Pled guilty in 2005, sentenced to 9 years in federal prison. Laicized in 6/05. Released 9/9/11. Per MO Sex Offender Register in 12/11, incarcerated in WI. Was to be released 6/19/19, under commitment in WI, with intensive supervision and GPS monitoring. Died 5/20/22. Included in 11/22 on the Diocese of Superior's list of credibly accused.

Assignments:

BA.org Assignment Record

Sources:

Fr. Alan Payne

Donate Photo

Ordained: 1972
Status: Accused

Diocese: Diocese of Superior WI

Named publicly as credibly accused by the Diocese of Superior on its list in 11/22. Multiple allegations noted, of abuse in the early 1970s in Rhinelander. Left or was removed from ministry in 1988. Laicization in progress.

Sources:

Diocese of Superior List 11.22.22

Fr. John A. Regh

Donate Photo

Ordained: 1953
Status: Accused

Died: 02/5/2006
Diocese: Diocese of Superior WI

"Jack." Named publicly as credibly accused by the Diocese of Superior on its list in 11/22. Noted to be the subject of a single allegation of abuse, occurring 1973-1975 in Catawba. Pastor at the time in question of St. Paul the Apostle. Left or was removed from ministry 6/8/93.

Sources:

Fr. John P. Stremski

Ordained: 1960
Status: Accused

Died: 07/13/2004
Diocese: Diocese of Superior WI

Named publicly as credibly accused by the Diocese of Superior on its list in 11/22. A single allegation noted, of abuse in the early 1970s in Superior. Left ministry or was removed 6/13/99.

Sources:

Diocese of Superior List 11.22.2

Fr. Robert M. Urban

Ordained: 1960
Status: Accused

Died: 08/17/2015
Diocese: Diocese of Superior WI

Urban retired in approximately 1997. Assisted parishes in retirement. Placed on leave in 4/10 after a report of "inappropriate conduct" with an unnamed individual who may or may not have been a minor. Urban was accused of paying young men for sex. Diocese waited two weeks to reveal his name. D.A.'s office very slow to investigate. Not complete as of 1/1/11. Died 8/17/15.

Sources:

Fr. Henry V. Willenborg

Order: OFM
Ordained: 1976
Status: Accused

Diocese: Diocese of Superior WI

Accused in 2009 of a 5-year affair in IL with a woman beginning in the early 1980s. Another woman came forward during that time to allege a long relationship with him when she was in high school. Order sent him to Paraclete facility for treatment for 7 months. The first woman gave birth to his son after his return. She received support from the Franciscans over the years, and made the matter public in 10/2009 because the 22-year-old son had terminal cancer and she also had cancer. Diocese placed Willenborg on leave pending investigation. The son died in 12/2009. Included on the Springfield-Cape Girardeau diocese's list updated 4/1/2019. Worked in New Orleans 1988-1993. Included on the Franciscans' Our Lady of Guadalupe Province's list of credibly accused as of 1/2024. (Willenborg was a member of the Sacred Heart Province.)

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