Names Released of Three More New Ulm Diocese Priests Accused of Abuse

West Central Tribune
April 15, 2016

http://www.wctrib.com/news/state/4010506-names-released-three-more-new-ulm-diocese-priests-accused-abuse

Three priests in the Diocese of New Ulm have been named for the first time in civil lawsuits accusing them of abusing children.

Revs. Bernard Steiner, Richard Gross and Edward Ardolf were named Friday in a press release through the law firm Jeff Anderson and Associates.

The three victims bringing the lawsuits against Steiner, Gross and Ardolf, named under the anonymous John Doe monikers 172, 62 and 294, alledge they were abused as children in the mid-1960s and 1970s in Comfrey, New Ulm and Springfield.

The three newly-accused priests worked in multiple parishes throughout southern and west central Minnesota from the 1960s up to as late as 2012.

Steiner worked in nearly two dozen communities before retiring in 2005, including Appleton, Madison, Granite Falls, Clara City, Raymond, Benson, Danvers, Dawson and Clarkfield.

Gross worked in New Ulm, Taunton, Rosen, Hutchinson and Watkins until he retired in 2003.

Ardolf served in over eight parishes and schools, including Winsted, New Ulm, Mankato, Springfield and Canby.

The lawsuits were brought under the Minnesota Child Victims Act, a law that temporarily extended the statute of limitations in child sex abuse cases.

The deadline to file a claim under the law is May 25.