Category Archives: Tom Andert

Eleven SJP Grads Among Monk Perpetrators

Posted on November 2, 2021
Posted in Allen Tarlton, Aloysius Michels, Angelo Zankl, Brennan Maiers, Bruce Wollmering, Dan Ward, John Eidenschink, Steve Lilly, Thomas Gillespie, Tom Andert, Tom Thole

Among the 100+ accused perpetrators at St. John’s are eleven graduates of St. John’s Preparatory School: Fr. Angelo Zankl (SJP ’18) Abbot John Eidenschink (SJP ’31) Fr. Aloysius Michels (SJP ’30) Fr. Allen Tarlton (SJP ’46) Fr. Thomas Thole (SJP … Continue reading →

Father Andert Removed from Prep School’s Melk Reunion Page

Posted on April 12, 2016
Posted in Dennis Beach, Jason Griffith, Jerome Tupa, Melk, Tom Andert

In the past 24 hours, Father Tom Andert’s name was removed from the “Melk Reunion” page on the St. John’s Prep School Web Site.

St. John’s Abbey Hit With Two New Clergy Sex Abuse Cases

Posted on April 12, 2016
Posted in Tom Andert

ST. PAUL, Minn. (WCCO) — Fighting through tears on Tuesday, Todd Belrose recounted 35 years of pain resulting from alleged clergy sex abuse by Father Thomas Andert.

Ex-prior abused St. John’s Prep students

Posted on April 12, 2016
Posted in Tom Andert

(SC Times) Two lawsuits filed Tuesday name St. John’s Abbey’s former prior the Rev. Tom Andert as an abuser of two former students in the 1970s and early ’80s.

Andert Named in Two Lawsuits

Posted on April 11, 2016
Posted in Tom Andert

Announce the filing of two civil lawsuits naming St. John’s Abbey and Father Tom Andert as defendants. One of the survivors, sexually abused by Fr. Andert when he was 14 years old, will speak publicly using his name at tomorrow’s … Continue reading →

Abbey Admits: Andert Victim Never Interviewed

Posted on April 11, 2016
Posted in Dennis Beach, John Klassen, Review Board, Tom Andert

A February 6, 2016 press release from St. John’s Abbey [ View ] claimed that allegations of sexual abuse against Father Tom Andert were found to be unsubstantiated after “a six-month-long, comprehensive investigation into the claims.” However, according to a February 12, 2016 … Continue reading →

Klassen: Allegation against Andert is unsubstantiated

Posted on February 8, 2016
Posted in Allen Tarlton, John Klassen, PR Machine, Review Board, Tom Andert

(SC Times) Allegations of sexual abuse against the former prior of St. John’s Abbey have been found to be unsubstantiated, according to Abbot John Klassen.

Abbey Statement Regarding Father Tom Andert

Posted on February 6, 2016
Posted in Allen Tarlton, John Klassen, Review Board, Tom Andert

Allegations of sexual abuse brought last year against the Rev. Thomas Andert, OSB, have been found to be unsubstantiated. The conclusion comes at the end of a six-month-long, comprehensive investigation into the claims.

Abuse allegations ‘unsubstantiated’ against former St. John’s Abbey prior

Posted on February 6, 2016
Posted in Allen Tarlton, John Klassen, PR Machine, Review Board, Tom Andert

(MPR) Sexual abuse allegations against the former prior at St. John’s Abbey were found to be unsupported after a 6-month investigation, Abbey officials said Thursday.

29 Questions for Abbot John Klassen, OSB

Posted on February 3, 2016
Posted in Agustin Cerezo, Allen Tarlton, Angelo Zankl, Anthony Smithwick, Bede Parry, Ben Spanier, Dan Ward, Francisco Schulte, Isaac Connolly, John Eidenschink, John Klassen, Mel Taylor, Michael Brunovsky, Notker Wolf, Othmar Hohmann, Paul GoPaul, Steve Lilly, Terry DeSutter, Thomas Gillespie, Tim Backous, Tom Andert

A list of questions for the open forum “regarding sexual abuse” to be held at 3:00pm today on the campus of Saint John’s University in Collegeville, Minnesota.

A year after son’s suicide, parents seek change at St. John’s

Posted on December 18, 2015
Posted in John Klassen, Tom Andert

(MPR) It’s been a year since Ben Spanier took his life. His parents say his problems began 20 years earlier, when he was a student at St. John’s Prep in Collegeville. They say their son wasn’t the same after he … Continue reading →

Catholic Church Sex Abuse Survivors Frustrated By Pope Francis’ US Visit, Lack Of Action

Posted on September 25, 2015
Posted in Ben Spanier, Pat Marker, Tom Andert

[Marker] pointed to the case of his classmate Ben Spanier, whose parents allege he was abused by the Rev. Thomas Andert at Saint John’s Abbey in the mid-1990s. Pending a separate investigation, the accused priest was put on leave this past … Continue reading →

‘Incest’ best describes abuse by those you trust

Posted on September 24, 2015
Posted in Opinion, Tom Andert

“I thought of this when I recently learned a victim of sexual predation at St. John’s Preparatory School recently took his life. I thought of this as I reflected on my own experience as a victim of sexual assault while … Continue reading →

Andert, Taylor, Ward, Backous “Under Investigation”

Posted on August 24, 2015
Posted in Dan Ward, Mel Taylor, Tim Backous, Tom Andert

An investigation into misconduct by Father Tom Andert is reportedly underway [ Link ]. The results of three previously announced “investigations” into alleged abuse by three monk perpetrators (Fathers Dan Ward, Mel Taylor and Timothy Backous) have yet to be … Continue reading →

No. 2 Leader at St. John’s Abbey Steps Aside on Abuse Claim

Posted on August 21, 2015
Posted in Richard Sipe, Tom Andert

(KSTP – 5) St. John’s Abbey says its No. 2 leader, the Rev. Tom Andert, has stepped aside because of an allegation of a sex crime involving a former student at Saint John’s Preparatory School.

Klassen to Saint John’s Friends, Faculty and Staff

Posted on August 21, 2015
Posted in Bradley Jenniges, John Klassen, Tom Andert

Fri 8/21/2015 12:31 PM Dear Saint John’s Friends, Faculty and Staff,

Longtime leader at St. John’s Abbey accused of sex abuse

Posted on August 20, 2015
Posted in Aelred Senna, Bradley Jenniges, David Clohessy, Richard Sipe, Tom Andert

(StarTribune) The Rev. Thomas Andert, the prior at St. John’s Abbey in Collegeville, has been removed from his leadership position following an allegation of student sex abuse.

(MPR) Monastery prior steps aside pending investigation

Posted on August 20, 2015
Posted in Aelred Senna, John Klassen, Tom Andert

The prior of the monastery at Saint John’s Abbey has stepped aside because of an allegation of sexual misconduct involving a former student at Saint John’s Preparatory School, according to a spokesperson for the abbey in Collegeville, Minn. View entire … Continue reading →

Prep School Staff Members Take a Stand

Posted on August 6, 2015
Posted in Dan Ward, Jennifer Whitehead, Jeremy Meyer, Jonathan Licari, Mary Jo Leighton, Mel Taylor, Sally Battig, Sandra L. Ernst, Tim Backous, Tom Andert

On Wednesday, six brave staff members at the Saint John’s Preparatory School took a stand. The six: Jennifer Whitehead – Guidance/Counseling Sally Battig – Executive Administrative Assistant to the Headmaster Jeffrey R Engholm – Music Teacher Sandra L. Ernst – Student Accounts and Records Mary Jo … Continue reading →

Andert Will Attend Reunion This Weekend, His Victim Will Not

Posted on June 25, 2015
Posted in Brennan Maiers, John Klassen, Richard Sipe, Timothy Kelly, Tom Andert

Ben will not be attending his 20-year reunion, however. He committed suicide in December of 2014.