After a new search of its files, the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis has found records indicating that a man did come forward eight years ago alleging he was abused as a teenager in the 1970s by the Rev. Michael Bik, before the priest was ordained.
The archdiocese had said last week it hadn’t heard of Bik until an announcement in July by St. John’s Abbey saying Bik had been accused in 1997 of molesting two teenage boys two decades earlier. Bik is a monk of the abbey in Collegeville, Minn.
Archdiocese spokesman Dennis McGrath said a further search of records indicated that an alleged victim of Bik, requesting anonymity, met with Archbishop Harry Flynn in 1998. Flynn subsequently relayed the information to the abbey, McGrath said.
Although not a priest of the archdiocese, Bik formerly taught at St. Stephen’s Catholic School in Anoka.
A member of the St. John’s abuse-review board quit three weeks ago protesting that the abbey and archdiocese kept silent for nine years about allegations against Bik and two other recently identified abbey monks.
– Steve Scott
Archdiocese finds old abuse records
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