Indiana bishop names 18 ex-Catholic priests accused of sex abuse

The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Fort Wayne, Ind., is among the churches where priests have been credibly accused of sexually abusing children, the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend says

By Jessie Higgins, UPI

A Catholic Diocese in Indiana published the names of 18 former priests and deacons the diocese said have been "credibly accused" of sexually abusing children.

The list, published Tuesday, contains the names of men who at some point served in the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend.

"It is my hope that by releasing these names, the innocent victims of these horrific and heartbreaking crimes can finally begin the process of healing," Bishop Kevin Rhoades said during an August news conference when the diocese announced it was compiling the list.

The list was compiled by the church review board, comprising mostly lay people, according to a diocese news release. That board investigated all abuse allegations in their district. The men whose names appear on the list were accused of actions that appeared "more likely (to be) true than not in the judgment of the Diocesan Review Board" and were "accepted as credible by the bishop."

Two of the men on the list are serving prison sentences for child molestation charges; eight are dead; and the status of the other eight was unclear.

The decision to release the names comes as the Catholic Church faces thousands of new abuse allegations, and law enforcement agencies are opening investigations into parishes around the country.

A Pennsylvania grand jury in August released a report that found around 300 priests in the state molested at least 1,000 children since the 1940s. The report also accused senior church officials of systematically covering up the assaults.

Since that report was released, attorneys general in New York and Nebraska have opened statewide investigations into the church. The New Jersey AG established a hotline victims could call to report sexual abuse by a clergy member.

Here are the names of former priests and deacons accused of sexual abuse, released by the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend:

James Blume
Date of ordination: June 14, 1980
Removed from public ministry: April 1989
Dismissed from clerical state: June 23, 2007
Number of credible allegations: 5
Places served:
July 7, 1980 -- St. Anthony de Padua Parish, South Bend
July 7, 1982 -- Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Fort Wayne
Sept. 8, 1987 -- St. Andrew/St. Hyacinth Parishes, Fort Wayne
Current status: Incarcerated

Michael Buescher
Date of ordination: June 16, 1979
Removed from parish ministry: November 1989
Loss of clerical state: May 14, 1991
Number of credible allegations: 6
Places served:
July 9, 1979 -- St. Charles Borromeo Parish, Fort Wayne
Aug. 1, 1983 -- Part-time membership on the faculty of Bishop Dwenger High School, Fort Wayne; continuing at St. Charles Borromeo
July 9, 1984 -- Chaplain, Marian High School, Mishawaka, with residency in the Marian High School rectory
Aug. 8, 1985 -- Culver Military Academy, coordinator of priests who offer Mass and provide spiritual guidance
Dec. 20, 1985 -- St. Francis Xavier Parish, Pierceton.
June 24, 1986 -- St. Patrick Parish, Ligonier; Blessed Sacrament Parish, Albion.

Brian Carsten
Date of ordination: May 30, 1970
Terminated as pastor and resigned as a member of the Roman Catholic Church: May 9, 1987
Dismissed from the clerical state: June 23, 2007
Number of credible allegations: 1
Died: March 27, 2009
Places served:
July 1, 1970 -- St. Vincent de Paul Parish, Elkhart.
July 2, 1973 -- St. Henry Parish, Fort Wayne
July 1, 1974 -- St. Patrick Parish, Fort Wayne
July 1, 1975 -- Chaplain, Allen County Police with residence at St. Andrew Parish, Fort Wayne
July 5, 1977 -- St. Hyacinth Parish, Fort Wayne
July 9, 1979 - St. Andrew Parish, while continuing as pastor of St. Hyacinth Parish

William Ehrman
Date of ordination: June 10, 1922
Retired: July 1, 1970
Number of credible allegations: 8
Allegations received after the death of the priest.
Died: Aug. 7, 1983
Places served:
June 1922 -- St. Patrick Parish, Kokomo
January 1926 -- St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception Parish, Michigan City; chaplain at St. Anthony Hospital and Indiana State Prison
April 12, 1929 -- Immaculate Conception Parish, Kendallville; St. Patrick Mission Parish, Ligonier
July 8, 1939 -- St. John the Baptist Parish, New Haven
September 1, 1964 -- St. Paul Parish, Fort Wayne

William Gieranowski
Date of ordination: June 11, 1949
Retired: July 1, 1981
Number of credible allegations: 3
Allegations received after the death of the priest.
Died: April 24, 2000
Places served:
July 7, 1949 -- St. Stanislaus Parish, East Chicago
April 20, 1951 -- St. Adalbert Parish, South Bend
July 3, 1951 -- St. Thomas More Parish, Munster
May 20, 1955 -- St. Vincent de Paul Parish, Elkhart
January 15, 1960 -- St. Henry Parish, Fort Wayne
June 15, 1960 -- St. Jude Parish, South Bend
Sept. 1, 1964 -- St. Hyacinth Parish, Fort Wayne
July 1, 1970 -- St. Monica Parish, Mishawaka
July 6, 1978 -- St. Stanislaus Kostka Parish, New Carlisle

John Gillig
Date of ordination: May 25, 1957
Retired: April 26, 1988
Suspended from all public ministry: March 25, 2002
Dismissed from clerical state: Feb. 8, 2008
Number of credible allegations: 9
Died: July 27, 2011
Places served:
June 7, 1957 -- Our Lady of Hungary Parish, South Bend
Feb. 15, 1958 -- St. Monica Parish, Mishawaka
June 15, 1962 -- St. Jude Parish, Fort Wayne
Aug. 30, 1963 -- Teacher, Bishop Dwenger High School, Fort Wayne
June 13, 1964 -- Director of CYO and CYA, Fort Wayne Deanery
June 15, 1972 -- Sacred Heart Parish, Fort Wayne
April 18, 1974 -- Chaplain, Allen County Jail, Fort Wayne
July 5, 1977 -- St. Mary of the Assumption Parish, Decatur
Sept. 17, 1985 -- Holy Family Parish, South Bend
Nov. 15, 1986 -- St. Peter Parish, Fort Wayne

Gabriel Hernandez
Date of diaconate ordination: April 27, 2008
Dismissed from seminary: April 22, 2009
Dismissed from clerical state: Feb. 25, 2010
Number of credible allegations: 1

Edward Krason
Date of ordination: Feb. 3, 1958
Resigned as pastor: July 8, 1998
Ordered to cease all ministry: April 16, 1999
Retired: May 1, 1999
Removed faculties to perform ministry and to present himself as a priest: March 21, 2003
Ordered to a life of prayer and penance: Nov. 8, 2005
Number of credible allegations: 2
Died: March 25, 2013
Places served:
Feb. 15, 1958 -- St. Jude Parish, Fort Wayne
Sept. 2, 1960 -- Teacher, Central Catholic High School, Fort Wayne
Aug. 14, 1961 -- SS. Peter & Paul Parish, director of guidance, Huntington Catholic High School, Huntington
June 1, 1963 -- Principal, Bishop Dwenger High School, Fort Wayne
July 9, 1979 -- Continuing Education, University of Notre Dame
July 7, 1980 -- Continuing Education of the clergy with residence at Queen of Angels Parish, Fort Wayne
July 11, 1983 -- St. Joseph Parish, Garrett
July 22, 1986 -- St. John the Baptist Parish, Fort Wayne
August 1990 -- St. John the Evangelist Parish, Goshen

Paul LeBrun, CSC
Date of ordination: April 9, 1983
Faculties for ministry removed from Diocese of Fort Wayne--South Bend: April 2000
Dismissed from clerical state: Aug. 26, 2008
Number of credible allegations: 1 (from Diocese of Fort Wayne--South Bend)
Places served:
St. Therese, Little Flower Parish, South Bend
Blessed Sacrament Parish, Tolleson, Ariz.
St. John Vianney Parish, Goodyear, Ariz.
Current status: Incarcerated

Thomas Lombardi
Date of ordination: May 31, 1975
Removed from public ministry during investigation of allegation: Dec. 2, 2011
Removed from public ministry: Aug. 9, 2015
Number of credible allegations: 1
Died: Dec. 28, 2017
Places served:
July 1, 1975 -- St. Mary Parish, Huntington
Sept. 1, 1977 -- Faculty, Huntington Catholic High School, residency at St. Mary Parish, Huntington; available for weekend duties
Sept. 12, 1977 -- Chaplain, Huntington Catholic High School
Aug. 1, 1983 -- St. Mary Parish, Huntington; principal, Huntington Catholic High School
July 9, 1984 -- St. Joseph Parish, Mishawaka
June 1985 -- American College Louvain, Belgium
July 1, 1986 -- St. Louis, Besancon Parish, New Haven
July 28, 1997 -- St. Joseph Parish, Garrett
July 6, 2006 -- St. Joseph-Hessen Cassel Parish, Fort Wayne
Nov. 11, 2009 -- Chaplain, St. Vincent de Paul Society, Fort Wayne

Robert Mahoney
Date of ordination: May 27, 1967
Resigned from ministry as a priest: June 15, 1993
Dismissed from clerical state: July 25, 2006
Number of credible allegations: 4
Places served:
July 1, 1967 -- St. John the Baptist Parish, Fort Wayne
Aug. 31, 1968 -- St. Bavo Parish, Mishawaka
July 7, 1980 -- Our Lady of Hungary Parish, South Bend
Feb. 28, 1984 -- St. Robert Bellarmine Parish, North Manchester
August 1988 -- Chaplain, Ancilla Domini Convent, Donaldson

Eldon Miller
Date of ordination: May 8, 1954
Retired: July 15, 2003
Removed from public ministry: Dec. 18, 2006
Number of credible allegations: 2
Died: July 26, 2008
Places served:
June 11, 1954 -- St. Joseph Parish, Mishawaka
July 1, 1971 -- St. Joseph Parish, Roanoke; St. Catherine of Alexandria Parish, Nix Settlement, Columbia City
July 1, 1974 -- St. Vincent de Paul Parish, Fort Wayne
July 9, 1984 -- Immaculate Conception Parish, Kendallville
Feb. 10, 1988 -- Queen of Peace Parish, Mishawaka

Edward O. Paquette
Date of ordination: Feb. 2, 1957
Faculties for ministry removed from Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend: July 14, 1978
Dismissed from clerical state: Jan. 31, 2009
Number of credible allegations: 7
Places served:
April 15, 1964 -- St. Anthony de Padua Parish, South Bend
Sept. 1, 1964 -- St. Vincent de Paul Parish, Elkhart
Sept. 1, 1965 -- St. Mary of the Assumption Parish, Decatur
Aug. 13, 1969 -- Our Lady of Hungary Parish, South Bend
June 5, 1971 -- St. Anthony Hospital, Michigan City
June 19, 1972 -- Christ the King Parish, Rutland, Vt.

Cornelius Ryan, CSC
Date of ordination: June 9, 1966
Faculties for ministry removed from Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend: June 10, 2013
Number of credible allegations: 1
Allegation made outside the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend
Places served:
Uganda & Kenya until 2002
Sept. 19, 2002 to July 1, 2007 -- Associate pastor, St. Therese, Little Flower Parish, South Bend
July 1, 2007 -- June 30, 2011 -- Pastor, St. Therese
Dec. 13, 2011 -- June 10, 2013 -- St. Joseph-Hessen Cassel Parish, Fort Wayne

James Seculoff
Date of ordination: May 26, 1962
Removed from public ministry during investigation of allegation: Jan. 8, 2014
Removal from public ministry: Oct. 13, 2015
Number of credible allegations: 5
Places served:
June 15, 1962 -- St. Monica Parish, Mishawaka
Aug. 16, 1963 -- St. Vincent de Paul Parish, teacher, Bishop Dwenger High School, Fort Wayne
Sept. 1, 1964 -- Teacher, Bishop Dwenger High School, Fort Wayne
June 15, 1965 -- SS. Peter & Paul Parish, principal, Huntington Catholic High School, Huntington
July 1, 1970 -- Superintendent of Catholic Schools; principal of Huntington Catholic School, Huntington; chaplain for St. Vincent Villa, Fort Wayne
July 1, 1974 -- Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception Parish, Fort Wayne
Feb. 14, 1978 -- St. John Bosco Parish, Churubusco; Immaculate Conception Parish, Ege; Indiana; continuing as superintendent of Catholic Schools
July 6, 1978 -- St. Mary Parish, Huntington
June 18, 1979 -- SS. Peter & Paul Parish, St. Mary Parish, Huntington
Aug. 1, 1983 -- St. Robert Bellarmine Parish, director of Campus Ministry, Manchester College, North Manchester
Feb. 28, 1984 -- Our Lady of Hungary Parish, South Bend
May 21, 1987 -- Sacred Heart Parish, Fort Wayne
July 8, 1992 -- St. Mary of the Assumption Parish, Avilla
June 21, 1994 -- St. Mary of the Annunciation Parish, Bristol
Aug. 3, 2004 -- St. John the Baptist Parish, South Bend
July 17, 2007 -- St. John the Baptist Parish, New Haven
June 5, 2013 -- St. Patrick Parish, Walkerton

Richard Stieglitz
Date of ordination: May 26, 1973
Decree of suspension from all acts of ministry: Dec. 7, 1993
Dismissal from the clerical state: July 7, 2007
Number of credible allegations: 5
Places served:
July 2, 1973 -- Our Lady of Good Hope Parish, Fort Wayne
July 11, 1973 -- Chaplain, Anthony Wayne Council of Catholic Boy Scouts
Feb. 4, 1974 -- Chaplain, Fort Wayne Serra Club
July 1, 1976 -- Holy Family Parish, South Bend
Feb. 19, 1977 -- Holy Family Parish, South Bend (weekends); Sacred Heart Parish, Fort Wayne (weekdays)
Sept. 1, 1977 -- St. Jude Parish, Fort Wayne
July 6, 1978 -- Chaplain, Catholic Committee on Scouting, Fort Wayne area; continuing at St. Jude Parish
July 9, 1979 -- Faculty, Bishop Dwenger High School, Fort Wayne
Aug. 1, 1983 -- Sacred Heart Parish, Warsaw
Aug. 1, 1988 -- Queen of Angels, Fort Wayne

Richard Thompson
Date of ordination: June 17, 1978
Resigned from active ministry as a priest: Oct. 24, 1989
Loss of clerical state: July 25, 2006
Died: 2015
Number of credible allegations: 1
Places served:
July 6, 1978 -- St. John the Baptist Parish, New Haven
Feb. 15, 1982 -- Covenant House, New York (home for runaway children)
April 14, 1983 -- St. Monica Parish, Mishawaka
July 11, 1983 -- St. Mary of the Presentation Parish, Geneva

James Trepanier, CSC
Date of ordination: June 8, 1955
Faculties for ministry removed from Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend: Oct. 18, 2002
Number of credible allegations: 1 in Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend
Places served:
University of Portland in Oregon
Holy Cross Mission House (Fatima)
July 1, 1981 -- June 30, 1987 -- Holy Cross Parish, South Bend
July 1, 1987 -- June 4, 1991 -- St. Pius X Parish, Granger
1994 -- St. Mary's Convent, Notre Dame.