Category Archives: John Klassen

St. John’s Abbey Responds

Posted on May 9, 2002
Posted in Jacob Wetterling, Jim Kostreba, John Klassen, Richard Eckroth

New information is passing between St. John’s Abbey and the Stearns County sheriff about monks accused of sexual abuse. Officials at the abbey say the information was never restricted. But recent interest in cases of sex abuse by clergy led … Continue reading →

St. John’s Abbey to Give Information

Posted on May 9, 2002
Posted in Jim Kostreba, John Klassen, Richard Eckroth

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) _ Investigators looking into the unsolved 1974 killings of two girls have asked St. John’s Abbey for information on several monks and priests accused of sexual abuse.

Priest is among suspects in ’74 deaths

Posted on May 8, 2002
Posted in John Klassen, Richard Eckroth

ST. CLOUD, MINN. — A Benedictine priest suspected of sexually abusing young people as far back as the 1960s has re-emerged as a possible suspect in the 1974 slayings of two girls in the St. Cloud area.

Data on clerics given to sheriff

Posted on May 8, 2002
Posted in John Klassen

The abbot at St. John’s Abbey is providing Stearns County authorities with a list of the whereabouts of 13 Benedictine monks and priests between 1970 and 1990. Abbot John Klassen recently revealed that 11 monks or priests have admitted to … Continue reading →

Abbot to Give Sheriff List

Posted on May 8, 2002
Posted in Allen Tarlton, Brennan Maiers, Cosmas Dahlheimer, Dunstan Moorse, Finian McDonald, Fran Hoefgen, Jacob Wetterling, Jim Kostreba, John Eidenschink, John Kelly, John Klassen, Richard Eckroth

COLLEGEVILLE – Stearns County Sheriff Jim Kostreba has asked St. John’s Abbot John Klassen to list the whereabouts from 1970 to 1990 of 13 Benedictine monks and priests accused of sexual misdeeds.

Abbey could offer guidance amid scandal

Posted on May 5, 2002
Posted in David Clohessy, John Klassen, Richard Sipe, SNAP, St. John's History

In an idyllic campus setting 80 miles from the Twin Cities, the world’s largest Benedictine abbey houses a university, prep school, monastery _ and more than a dozen monks under restrictions for life for sexually abusing adolescents or young adults.

Abbot opens monastery records on monk abuse

Posted on May 3, 2002
Posted in BS, Dunstan Moorse, Francisco Schulte, Jeff Anderson, John Klassen, Richard Eckroth

[Webmaster’s note: Klassen was not being truthful when he said for this article that 13 to 15 monks at the monastery have been accused of sexual abuse in cases dating from the 1960s to early ’80s. The Abbot also said … Continue reading →

Sex Abuse Details Emerge At St. John’s

Posted on May 1, 2002
Posted in John Eidenschink, John Klassen

Less than two weeks after word surfaced that a former abbot of St. John’s Abbey admitted to past sexual abuse of monks, current abbot John Klassen acknowledged that 15 priests or monks have been accused, or have admitted to, past … Continue reading →

Accused clergy remain at St. John’s Abbey

Posted on May 1, 2002
Posted in Allen Tarlton, Brennan Maiers, BS, Cosmas Dahlheimer, Dunstan Moorse, Finian McDonald, Fran Hoefgen, John Eidenschink, John Kelly, John Klassen, Restricted List, Richard Eckroth

COLLEGEVILLE, Minn. — Thirteen to 15 monks or priests live and work under restrictions at St. John’s Abbey after being accused of or admitting to sexual abuse, the abbot for the monastery said.

Clergy Sexual Abuse at Saint John’s Abbey and in the Catholic Church

Posted on April 26, 2002
Posted in BS, ISTI, Jerome Thiesen, John Klassen, LINKUP, Timothy Kelly

“Since his election as Abbot in 2000, Abbot John Klassen, OSB, has continued the Abbey’s commitment to openness and asserted his determination to assure that “no remnants of the veil of secrecy remain.” – [Webmaster’s Note: This is not true.]

Abuse in the Abbey Shocks Community

Posted on April 25, 2002
Posted in Allen Tarlton, Brennan Maiers, BS, Cosmas Dahlheimer, Dietrich Reinhart, Dunstan Moorse, Finian McDonald, Fran Hoefgen, John Eidenschink, John Kelly, John Klassen, Monk Travel, Restricted List, Richard Eckroth, SG, The Liturgical Press

The revelation that a former St. John’s abbot committed sexual abuse in the 1970s rocked the local community this week and left the monastery in a state of shock.

Sex Scandal Hits Home At St. John’s

Posted on April 22, 2002
Posted in John Eidenschink, John Klassen

As every U.S. Roman Catholic Cardinal except one in poor health is at the Vatican preparing to meet with the Pope about the spreading sexual abuse scandal, word from one Minnesota religious institution brought the scandal close to home.

Abbot John Klassen – Letter to Friends and Constituents

Posted on April 19, 2002
Posted in Jerome Thiesen, John Eidenschink, John Klassen, Letters to Community

Dear Friends of Saint John’s, The last months have been filled with painful stories about sexual abuse committed by priests and religious. The fact that the stories are most often about events which occurred years, even decades ago, does not … Continue reading →

Abbot Klassen with Offenders Schulte and Tarlton

Posted on December 1, 2001
Posted in Allen Tarlton, Francisco Schulte, John Klassen, Oblates

When this photo was taken, Abbot Klassen was aware that both Fr. Schulte and Fr. Tarlton had credible allegations of sexual misconduct against them.

Abbot Klassen Poses with Two Perpetrators

Posted on May 1, 2001
Posted in Allen Tarlton, Francisco Schulte, John Klassen, Oblates

All eight of the, momentarily, “in-the-country” CSB/SJU [College of St. Benedict-Saint John’s University] Oblate Candidates (“OCs”) gathered on Saturday, March 3, for their first mini-retreat or Day of Reflection.   Fr. Francisco Schulte, Abbot John Klassen and Fr. Allen Tarlton, … Continue reading →