[/spoiler]An updated version of this post is available… Here
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– Fmr. President and CEO of Volunteers of America – Minnesota
View All Posts Regarding Michael Weber
An updated version of this post is available… Here
Michael W Weber: Allegations
It has been alleged that Michael Weber sexually abused at least five minors (three girls and two boys) prior to and while he was a deacon at Holy Spirit Church (Diocese of St. Cloud, Minnesota) between September, 1969 and February, 1970.
At the 4pm mass on November 12, 2011, Holy Spirit’s Rev. Tom Knoblach announced that a listening session had been scheduled [ View ] to discuss an allegation of sexual misconduct by former deacon Michael Weber. On November 13, 2011, Knoblach announced that there were multiple allegations.
Weber allegedly met at least one of his victims through the “big brother” program while he was a “St. Cloud Diocesan Seminarian at St. John’s Seminary”. Weber first expressed interest in the “big brother” program in March of 1967 when he was living among other seminarians and monks at Saint John’s Abbey.
In 1969 or 1970, one of Weber’s victims reported misconduct to a counselor. Soon after, Weber (then an ordained transitional deacon with the St. Cloud Diocese) withdrew from the School of Theology, the St. Cloud Diocese and asked the Vatican to be laicized.
Circa 2001, the St. Cloud Diocese gave money to one of Weber’s victims after a meeting at the chancery.
In 2009, the St. Cloud Diocese was made aware of another Weber victim. An official with the diocese reported Weber to the St. Cloud Police Department and notified both Saint John’s Abbey’s Abbot John Klassen and the Saint John’s Abbey External Review Board.
Despite their knowledge of his misconduct, Saint John’s allowed Weber to act as mentor for young men and women through the Saint John’s University Donald McNeely Center for Entrepreneurship, a position that Weber held since 2005.
In 2010, Weber resigned from his position at Volunteers of America – Minnesota when yet another victim allegedly contacted at least one board member at VoA.
Michael W Weber: Subject of Police Reports
St. Cloud Police Department; Case #09052904 (2009)
Crow Wing County Sheriff; Case #11017808 (2011)
Benton County Sheriff’s Department; Case # 1120010 (2011)
Michael W Weber: Background
Born June 25, 1944
1966 BA from St. John’s University (Collegeville, MN)
1967 – 1970
“St. Cloud Diocesan Seminarian at St. John’s Seminary”
Seminarian with St. Cloud Diocese
Lived at Saint John’s
Attended Saint John’s School of Theology (SOT)
1969 – 1970
Transitional Deacon with the St. Cloud Diocese
On track for summer, 1970 ordination with the St. Cloud Diocese
Deacon at Church of the Holy Spirit (St. Cloud, MN) (9/69 – 2/70)
Wore priest’s collar, referred to as “Father Mike”
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Withdraws from St. Cloud Seminary Program
Withdraws from St. John’s School of Theology
Petitioned & granted laicization (from Rome)
1972
MA from the U of Chicago School of Social Service Administration
Circa 2001
St. Cloud Diocese sends Victim #2 a letter and check for $2000 following a meeting with church officials at a diocesan office.
Oct, 2009
Victim #2 and/or Victim #5 report misconduct to St. Cloud Diocese
Report filed with St. Cloud Police Department (Case #09052904)
2009
St. John’s Abbey’s Abbot John Klassen notified is writing and on multiple occasions (via mail and telephone) regarding misconduct by Weber. The Saint John’s Abbey External Review Board was also made aware, in a letter from the St. Cloud Diocese, of Weber’s misconduct.
2010
Victim #5 reportedly contacts one or more members of the Volunteers of America Board of Directors about Michael Weber.
Weber resigned his position as President and CEO of Volunteers of America – Minnesota.
Michael W. Weber: Current Roles
Chairman of the Board; Rainbow Research (Minneapolis, MN)
Resigned
Rainbow Research has demonstrated background and experience in designing and conducting evaluations of programs and services dedicated to the prevention of and protection from events that could endanger the safety of children, youth, and families.
http://www.rainbowresearch.org/whatwedo/08publicsafety.html
http://www.rainbowresearch.org/whoweare/board/weber.html
Mentor; Donald McNeely Center for Entrepreneurship (St. John’s University)
Resigned
The Donald McNeely Center for Entrepreneurship is an entrepreneurship education resource that provides classes, coaching and assistance to entrepreneurs. It builds relationships among and between CSB/SJU students, faculty, alumnae/i, and community members to create and strengthen the entrepreneurial spirit.
http://www.csbsju.edu/center-for-entrepreneurship.htm
Board of Directors; Greater Twin Cities United Way
Resigned
Greater Twin Cities United Way is governed by a 51-member volunteer Board of Directors. They guide United Way’s senior leadership staff to achieve the strategic goals of the organization.
https://www.unitedwaytwincities.org/about_us/leadership/board_of_directors/
Michael W. Weber: Previous Roles
President and Chief Executive Officer of Volunteers of America – Minnesota
Michael Weber will step down from his role effective March 31, 2011. Weber has held the position since 1997.
http://www.bizjournals.com/twincities/news/2010/12/10/volunteers-of-america-minnesota-ceo-to.html
Associate Director and acting Executive Director of the National Committee to Prevent Child Abuse
The Battered Child by Mary Edna Helfer, Ruth S. Kempe, Richard D. Krugman
Director; Hennepin County Community Services Department
One such study conducted in the Minneapolis area found that between 14% and 26% of homeless adults were former foster care children, explained Michael Weber, Director of the Hennepin County Community Services Department, during joint hearings examining Foster Care, Child Welfare, and Adoption Reforms (1988).
http://www.ipt-forensics.com/journal/volume10/j10_10_20.htm
http://www.liftingtheveil.org/fosref14.htm
Chairperson of the U.S. Advisory Board on Child Abuse and Neglect
The board recently selected Michael W. Weber of Minnesota as Chairperson and Randell C. Alexander, M.D., of Iowa as Vice- Chairperson. August 31, 1995
http://scienceblog.com/community/older/archives/A/hhs1206.html
Co-chairman; Minnesota Leadership Council on Aging
But to make that happen before there is a crisis, “we need to figure out what we agree on, what is most needed, and we need to get pretty creative about it,” warned Mike Weber, co-chairman of the Minnesota Leadership Council on Aging.
“There’s a new voice for Minnesota’s aging population” (StarTribune 12/12/2006)
Michael W. Weber: Other Roles & Awards
- Director of the Program for the Community Protection of Children, a program of the Chapin Hall Center for Children at the University of Chicago
- Assistant Commissioner for the Minnesota Department of Human Services.
- President of the National Association of Public Child Welfare Administrators
- Chairperson of the Intensive Family Preservation Services National Network
- National advisory committee of the Children’s Division of the American Human Association
- Member of the Executive Committee of the National Association of Public Child Welfare Administrators
- Member of the national advisory board of the Intensive Family Preservation Services National Network
- Member of the National Commission on Child Welfare and Family Preservation
- Member of the National Commission on Family Foster Care
- Recipient of the 1990 Vincent DeFrancis Award from the American Humane Association
- Recipient of the 1993 Award for Excellence in Public Child Welfare Administration
Michael W Weber: Quotes
The public, elected officials, children’s advocates, and families and children will be better served by the development of clear policies to guide our society in better protecting children and enabling them to live in safe, nurturing families. In addition, we need to develop program strategies and foster serious research to guide child welfare professionals in better determining which services and supports have a realistic expectation of assisting parents in safely raising and nurturing their children. – Michael Weber; 1996
Family Preservation Can Be an Appropriate Strategy If Realistic Expectations Are Maintained
Michael Weber, Associate Director National Committee to Prevent Child Abuse
NRCCSA News, the newsletter of the National Resource Center on Child Sexual Abuse, March/April 1996 issue
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Moreover, since many abused children become abusers as they grow into adolescence and adulthood, a prevention orientation must also include the clinical treatment of abused children to stop the intergenerational cycle of abuse. – Michael Weber; 1998
Four Commentaries: How We Can Better Protect Children from Abuse and Neglect [PDF], The Future of Children, Spring 1998
Douglas J. Besharov, Marcia Robinson Lowry, Leroy H. Pelton, and Michael W. Weber
“The preservation of families is an important goal, but not more important than the safety of children. All of us should be seeking to keep families together – as long as we can provide for the safety of all family members.”
Michael Weber, ABCAN Board member, Director of the Program for the Community Protection of Children, Washington DC Board meeting, 1994
