Statement from Klassen re Backous

Posted on June 10, 2014
Posted in John Klassen, Tim Backous

Statement from Abbot John Klassen, 10 June 2014:
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Letter from Victim’s Parents Regarding Father Tim Backous

Posted on June 10, 2014
Posted in Donald Kettler, John Klassen, John Nienstedt, Paul Richards, Tim Backous

May 31, 2014

Most Reverend John Neinstedt D.D., S.T.D.
Office of the Archbishop
266 Summit Avenue
Saint Paul, MN 55102
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Hoefgen at Archdiocesan Rectory in 2005

Posted on May 29, 2014
Posted in David Ostrowski, Fran Hoefgen, Sister M. Benita

Last week, we received a tip from a former parishioner that admitted child molester Fran Hoefgen lived with Father David Ostrowski at the Church of the Holy Cross rectory in Minneapolis around 2005.  In 2005, Fran Hoefgen was still a priest and on restriction (since 2002) at Saint John’s Abbey. Father Hoefgen was laicized in 2011.

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Former Hastings priest charged with raping altar boy for years

Posted on May 21, 2014
Posted in Fran Hoefgen, Joelle Casteix

(StarTribune) A onetime priest at a Catholic parish in Hastings was charged Wednesday with repeatedly sexually abusing an altar boy in the late 1980s and into early 1990s, acts that allegedly occurred after he was removed from a central Minnesota parish after similar behavior.

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Former St. John’s Abbey monk accused of abusing boy

Posted on May 21, 2014
Posted in Fran Hoefgen

(SC Times) A former St. John’s Abbey monk who then served St. Cloud diocese as a priest was charged Wednesday in Dakota County, accused of sexually abusing an altar boy in Hastings.

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Flashback: Hoefgen “Not a Pedophile”

Posted on May 21, 2014
Posted in David Ostrowski, Fran Hoefgen

According to archdiocesan priest Rev. David Ostrowski, former Saint John’s priest Fran Hoefgen is “not a pedophile.”

Rev. David Ostrowski and Fran Hoefgen live together in Columbia Heights.
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Minnesota priest charged with sexual assault of altar boy from 1989-91

Posted on May 21, 2014
Posted in Fran Hoefgen, Jeff Anderson, John Roach

2014_Booking_Hoefgen_Front(KMSP / Fox 9) – Former Rev. Francis Hoefgen was charged Wednesday in Dakota County with two counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct in connection with allegations he sexually abused a former altar boy.

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Former Saint John’s Abbot Proved Wrong

Posted on May 21, 2014
Posted in Fran Hoefgen, Jerome Thiesen

In an October, 31, 1992 letter to Rev. Kevin McDonough, Abbot Jerome Theisen from Saint John’s Abbey wrote:
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Hoefgen to be Charged

Posted on May 21, 2014
Posted in Fran Hoefgen

NOTICE OF PRESS CONFERENCE
2:00 P.M. TODAY IN HASTINGS

FORMER CATHOLIC PRIEST TO BE CHARGED WITH SEXUAL ABUSE IN DAKOTA COUNTY

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Archdiocese Statement re Hoefgen

Posted on May 20, 2014
Posted in Fran Hoefgen

The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis released the following statement Tuesday:

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Files Released on Monday, May 19, 2014

Posted on May 20, 2014
Posted in Brennan Maiers, Cosmas Dahlheimer, Fran Hoefgen, Richard Eckroth, Robert Blumeyer, Thomas Gillespie

The following files were released on Monday, May 19, 2014:

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1984 Statement: Hoefgen Admitted Contact With Minor

Posted on May 20, 2014
Posted in Fran Hoefgen

hoefgen_1984_statementAccording to a 2002 St. Paul Pioneer Press article:

“Although the Rev. Francis Hoefgen admitted to police in 1984 that he had sexual encounters with a teenager in the St. Cloud area, the Stearns County Attorney’s Office did not prosecute the Catholic priest.”

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Suits allege St. John’s Abbey monk abused 2 ‘cabin kids’

Posted on May 19, 2014
Posted in Cosmas Dahlheimer, Harry Flynn, Jeff Anderson, Kevin McDonough, Patrick Wall, Richard Eckroth, Thomas Gillespie

(StarTribune) The clergy sex abuse lawsuit against the Twin Cities archdiocese headed northwest Monday, when documents related to child abuse by five monks at St. John’s Abbey in Collegeville, Minn., were released and a lawsuit was filed to pry open the abbey’s files.

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St. John’s Abbey responds to lawsuit announcement

Posted on May 19, 2014
Posted in Aelred Senna, Richard Eckroth

(SC Times) St. Paul attorney Jeff Anderson is expected to file a sexual abuse lawsuit against St. John’s Abbey and one of its monks, Richard Eckroth on Monday.
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Cabin Photos

Posted on May 19, 2014
Posted in Richard Eckroth

Photos of Father Richard Eckroth at the St. John’s Abbey cabin:

1974_Eckroth_Cabin

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Files to be Released on 5 Monks Accused of Sexual Abuse

Posted on May 19, 2014
Posted in Brennan Maiers, Cosmas Dahlheimer, Fran Hoefgen, Jeff Anderson, Michael Bryant, Richard Eckroth, Robert Blumeyer, Thomas Gillespie

More details are expected Monday about five monks from Saint John’s Abbey who are accused of sexually abusing children.

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Gagliardi: Knowledge of Misconduct Since 1950’s

Posted on May 19, 2014
Posted in Dunstan Tucker, Joe Paterno, John Gagliardi, Penn State, Robert Burke, Roger Julkowski, Tom Stock

20120723_Gagliardi_w_Players_bDuring a two-and-a-half hour visit with two former Johnnie football players on July 23, 2012, Saint John’s University football coach John Gagliardi reportedly admitted that he first became aware of misconduct at Saint John’s in the 1950’s.

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The List

Posted on May 19, 2014
Posted in Agustin Cerezo, Allen Tarlton, Aloysius Michels, Andre Bennett, Angelo Zankl, Ann Marie Biermaier, Anthony Oelrich, Anthony Ruff, Anthony Smithwick, Anthony Tabor, Antonio Marfori, Augustine Strub, Barry Vinyard, Bede Parry, Brennan Maiers, Bruce Wollmering, Bruno Ugliano, Casimir Plakut, Chrysostom Kim, Dan Ward, Dominic Keller, Don Tauscher, Donal Fox, Dunstan Moorse, Finian McDonald, Fr. Burkard Arnheiter, Fran Hoefgen, Francisco Schulte, Frank Donovan, Gerald Farrell, Gil Gustafson, Gregory Soukup, Howard Oaks, Isaac Connolly, James Kelly, Jim Phillips, John Eidenschink, John Gallen, John Kelly, Jonathan Licari, Jure Kristo, Justin Capato, Mathias Faue, Matthew Feeney, Mel Taylor, Michael Bik, Michael Brunovsky, Michael Weber, Miguel Diaz, Nathan Libaire, Othmar Hohmann, Paschal Brisson, Paul GoPaul, Peregrin Berres, Richard Eckroth, Robert Blumeyer, Robert Burke, Robert Koopmann, Roger Julkowski, Simeon Thole, Stephen Lilly, Steve Lilly, Steve Pavkovich, Terry DeSutter, The List, Thomas Gillespie, Tim Backous, Timothy Kelly, Tom Andert, Tom Thole, Vincent Yzermanns, William Skudlarek

The List: 104 Credibly Accused

Tracking the Public Lists

Since the 1930s, fifty-eight (58) monks and thirteen (13) other members of the Saint John’s community have been credibly accused of sexual abuse and/or other misconduct. Another thirty-two (32) individuals with strong ties to St. John’s have also been accused of abuse or other misconduct.

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Abbey, Archdiocese Misled re Blumeyer

Posted on May 18, 2014
Posted in Robert Blumeyer

In May of 2006, the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, along with Saint John’s Abbey, misled the public regarding misconduct by Father Robert Blumeyer.

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The Paynesville Incidents

Posted on May 12, 2014
Posted in Jacob Wetterling

From Joy Baker’s Blog:

“Just a quick shout-out to let you know that WCCO-TV in Minneapolis will be running a news story on my blog article, “The Paynesville Incidents,” that talks about several stranger assaults on young teenage boys that took place during 1986-1987, prior to Jacob Wetterling’s abduction. The story will also feature “Jared’s Story,” the 12 year old boy from Cold Spring who was also abducted and assaulted just 9 months prior to Jacob’s disappearance.”

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