In 2006, the student newspaper at St. John’s featured an article [ View ] about sexual abuse by the monks at St. John’s Abbey. The article referenced research showing that “more monks will be named and more victims will come forward”. Abbot John Klassen said those claims were “unfounded” and “false”. At a press conference in St. Paul on Monday, three more monks were named and several more victims came forward. [ View ]
At the press conference on Monday, March 28, 2011, a letter co-written by Abbot Klassen [ View ] named seventeen monks:
Brother Andre Bennett
Brother Isaac Connolly
Rev. Richard Eckroth
Rev. Thomas Gillespie
Brother John Kelly
Rev. Brennan Maiers
Rev. Dunstan Moorse
Rev. Francisco Schulte
Rev. Bruce Wollmering
Rev. Michael Bik
Rev. Cosmas Dahlheimer
Abbot John Eidenschink
Rev. Fran Hoefgen
Brother Steve Lilly
Rev. Finian McDonald
Brother Jim Phillips
Rev. Allen Tarlton
According to abbey’s attorney, the list of seventeen monks is comprehensive.
However…
The list does not include a former monk who was named by the abbey in 2006.
Rev. Robert Blumeyer
The list does not include a former monk who was named in a formal complaint (which was settled by the abbey in 2002):
Rev. James Kelly [ More ]
[Webmaster’s Note: The abbey edited the letter after the press conference to include Fr. James Kelly.]
The list does not include two monks who were named in Monday’s press conference:
Br. Paschal Brisson
Rev. Pirmim Wendt
The list does not include many others
This wasn’t the first time the Abbey deceived its community:
More Deception from St. John’s Abbey
Abbot Klassen and Allen Tarlton Deceive the Oblates
Abbot Kelly and Others Deceived, Outright Lied
Originally posted on March 29, 2011. Updated April 26, 2011.
