CINCINNATI — The Marianist Province of the United States on Wednesday published a list of 43 priests and brothers found to have sexually abused minors in the U.S. since 1950.
The list includes 16 people who were assigned to Cincinnati-area high schools. Of that group, 15 are dead. The list also includes two Marianist brothers who were part of the Cincinnati Province but had no local assignments.
Six of the 43 were previously identified as accused sex abusers in November 2019, when the I-Team published "Culture of Silence," a three-month investigation of local clergy sex abuse.
It included a list of Cincinnati-area priests and brothers who were accused of sexually abusing minors in public disclosures by churches, religious orders and court records.
The new Marianist list was compiled after “a careful review of more than 2,500 member personnel files,” wrote Marianist Provincial Father Oscar Vasquez in a March 31 letter announcing the list. The original plan was to release the list during the Lenten season, but the publication was delayed by the coronavirus pandemic.
“I offer my heartfelt apology for the transgressions committed by Marianist priests and brothers,” Vasquez wrote. “We pray that those in need of healing will find peace, and that this evil will never again darken the light of God’s church.”
The Marianist Province said the list is based on information available in March 2020, but it could be amended based on “new allegations from previously unknown survivors, victims or the families.”
In addition to the 43 accused priests and brothers, the Marianist list also includes two people whose abuse allegations were "limited to child pornography" and one who was arrested while studying for the ministry. Of the 46 names, 37 are listed as deceased.
The list includes no information about specific allegations against priests and brothers, nor does it say when each Marianist member worked in the schools identified.
"The Marianist Province decided not to include dates with ministry assignments in order to help protect their privacy," said Bernadette Groner, communications director for the St. Louis, Mo. -based province, in an email reponse to WCPO's questions.
WCPO tried to reach officials at Moeller, Purcell Marian and Covington Catholic high schools, all named in the Marianist list. Moeller provided dates for seven Marianist members who worked at the school and said none of them had allegations against them from their time at Moeller. Covington Catholic and Purcell Marian have not responded.
The Archdiocese of Cincinnati added five Marianist priests to its list of clerics who had "substantiated allegations" against them but all five were classified as having no local allegations against them.
Spokeswoman Jennifer Shack said that's based on this line from a letter the Marianists sent to the Cincinnati archdiocese: “There is no report of Sexual Abuse of a Minor by these men while serving in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, but these men are on our published list for sexual abuse of a minor that occurred while serving in other Arch/Dioceses.”
Here are the priests and brothers with local connections identified in the newly published list:
- Jerome J. Binder – Professed vows in 1957 and died in 2000. Assignments included Archbishop Moeller High School in Cincinnati. Moeller said Binder worked at the school from 1960-61 and again from 1990-98.
- Paul F.X. Botty – Professed vows in 1980 and died in 2007. He was part of the Cincinnati Province but his closest local assignment was at Chaminade Julienne in Dayton.
- Edward J. Dury – Professed vows in 1920 and died in 1974. Assignments included Purcell Marian High School in Cincinnati.
- John J. Finke – Professed vows in 1925, ordained in 1937 and died in 1983. Assignments included Purcell Marian.
- Bernard J. Hartman – Professed vows in 1958, removed from public ministry in 1997. Assignments included Moeller (from 1965-70) and Covington Catholic High School in Northern Kentucky.
- William C. Hildebrand – Professed vows in 1922 and died in 1979. Assignments included Covington Catholic and Purcell Marian.
- Bernard L. Horst – Professed vows in 1934, ordained in 1945, died in 2001. Assignments included Moeller (in 1965) and Purcell Marian.
- John J. Keegan – Professed vows in 1945, withdrew from the Society of Mary in 1962 and died in 2007. Assignments included Hamilton Catholic High School.
- Walter A. Klick – Professed vows in 1931 and died in 1979. Assignments included Moeller (in 1962), Purcell Marian and Covington Catholic.
- Fredick F. Mathues – Professed vows in 1943, ordained in 1952 and died in 1972. Assignments include Purcell Marian.
- Julius F. May – Professed vows in 1924, died in 1970. Assignments included Hamilton Catholic.
- Francis P. Meder – Professed vows in 1911, died in 1976. Assignments included Moeller (from 1967-70).
- Ralph A. Mravintz – Professed vows in 1944, died in 1966. Assignments included Moeller (from 1964-65), Hamilton Catholic and Purcell Marian.
- Francis A. Russell – Professed vows in 1939, died in 1991. Assignments included Purcell Marian and Hamilton Catholic.
- Lawrence W. Sandman – Professed vows in 1944, died in 2009. He was part of the Cincinnati Province but his closest local assignment was Chaminade High School in Dayton.
- Joseph P. Tedesco – Professed vows in 1971, died in 2016. Assignments included Moeller (from 1974-79 and 1983-89) and Chaminade Julienne in Dayton.
- Thomas J. Doyle – Professed vows in 1952, ordained in 1974, died in 2007. Part of the New York Province, assignments included Hamilton Catholic.
- Robert A. Lindemann – Professed vows in 1941, died in 1995. Part of the New York Province, assignments included Covington Catholic.
