March 1, 2019
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ:
I am releasing today a list of the names of clergy who have served in the Diocese of Columbus, and who have been credibly accused of sexual abuse of a minor. I share with the faithful of our diocese sorrow, sadness, and anger over such behavior. I apologize to all victims for the abuse suffered, and hope that these disclosures will help bring healing to all victims and their families. The Diocese of Columbus is committed to maintaining a safe environment for all children and youth, and I am hopeful that the release of this information will help restore the confidence of all faithful in the Church and in its clergy. I urge anyone with claims of abuse by clergy or Church personnel to contact law enforcement immediately and also our Victim’s Assistance Coordinator at 614-224-2251, 866-448-0217, or helpisavailable@columbuscatholic.org.
In compiling this list, Diocesan staff reviewed the files of nearly 2,000 clergy who served in the Diocese of Columbus since its beginning in 1868. The list is organized into five sections:
- The first section contains the names of clergy incardinated in the Diocese of Columbus (officially a member of the Diocese’s clergy) against whom a credible allegation of sexual abuse of a minor was made and investigated while the cleric was living.
- The second section contains the names of clergy incardinated in the Diocese of Columbus against whom a credible allegation of sexual abuse of a minor was made after the cleric’s death. This distinction recognizes that an allegation received after a cleric is deceased does not provide the opportunity for the accused cleric to be questioned.
- The third section contains the name of one priest incardinated in the Diocese of Columbus who was credibly accused of sexual abuse of a minor while on assignment outside the Diocese.
- The fourth and fifth sections contain the names of extern (incardinated outside the Diocese of Columbus) or religious (members of different religious orders) clergy who served in the Diocese of Columbus and who were credibly accused of sexual abuse of minors, separated based upon where the alleged abuse occurred.
The most recent credible allegation of sexual abuse of a minor by a clergy member incardinated in the Diocese of Columbus involved alleged conduct that occurred in 1992.
The Diocese of Columbus is committed to full compliance with civil law and the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People and the Essential Norms for Diocesan/Eparchial Policies Dealing with Allegations of Sexual Abuse of Minors by Priests, Deacons, or Other Church Personnel, as established by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops in 2002. The Charter and Essential Norms contain a comprehensive set of policies and procedures for addressing allegations of sexual abuse of minors by Catholic clergy, ensuring the safety of our children and youth, and creating an environment of transparency, accountability, reconciliation and healing. Furthermore, the Diocese of Columbus is committed to providing law enforcement officials its full cooperation with all matters of criminal behavior by anyone acting on behalf of the Church. The Diocese continues the practice of reporting information, credible or otherwise, about abuse of minors it receives to legal authorities, a practice adopted in 2002 prior to the creation of the Charter and Norms. Also, since the initiation of the Charter and Norms, as called for by those documents, the Diocese has trained more than 62,000 through the Protecting God’s Children program, and more than 93,000 criminal background checks have been done on people working with minors.
I want to thank everyone at all levels who dedicate themselves to assuring the safety of our children and young people. As we move forward together into the future, let us all be strengthened by our loving Lord in the continuing work of assuring safe environments for all children and young people.
Sincerely in Christ,
Most Reverend Frederick F. Campbell
Apostolic Administrator
CLERGY CREDIBLY ACCUSED OF SEXUAL ABUSE OF A MINOR
Updated May 19, 2022
For purposes of this list, a credible allegation is one which, based upon a review of the available facts and circumstances, is more likely than not to be true. Factors considered in making this determination included the details provided by the accuser(s); corroborating evidence; sincerity, circumstances, and reputation of the accuser and the accused; the accused clergy’s history (including any previous difficulties, suspicions or, in the case of previously accused clergy, allegations); and, if applicable, the accused’s admission of wrongdoing. No one factor was determinative. Rather, a totality of the circumstances was considered. Since the establishment of the Review Board in 2003, the determination of credibility is made in consultation with the Review Board in all cases of incardinated clergy (priests and deacons) accused of sexual abuse of a minor while the clergy is still living and not yet laicized (removed from the clergy state).
While this list is as comprehensive as possible, there are challenges presented by the age of or lack of information relating to certain allegations as well as the reality of human fallibility. Therefore, it can never be said with complete certainty that this list contains the names of every cleric who has ever sexually abused a child in the Diocese of Columbus. In light of this, there may be those who experienced abuse but who do not see the name of the cleric who abused them on this list. The fact that the name of an accused diocesan cleric does not appear on this list is not a repudiation of an allegation or a denial that the alleged abuse occurred. Likewise, it is possible that new information could be presented that might clear an accused cleric of wrongdoing. Because of these factors, this list will always be a work in progress, and the Diocese will continue to consider both new allegations as well as new information about old allegations so that, as much as humanly possible, this list will be complete and accurate.
- Clergy incardinated in the Diocese of Columbus against whom a credible allegation of sexual abuse of a minor within the Diocese was made and investigated while the clergy was living
| Name | Ordained | Status |
| Fr. Ronald Atwood | 1969 | Deceased |
| Fr. Thomas Brosmer | 1969 | Deceased |
| Fr. R. Michael Ellifritz | 1967 | Deceased |
| Fr. Roger Emmert | 1962 | Deceased |
| Msgr. Joseph Fete | 1974 | Laicized |
| Fr. Michael Hanrahan | 1971 | Laicized, deceased |
| Dcn. James Hutson | 1982 | Deceased |
| Fr. Philip Jacobs | 1974 | Laicized |
| Fr. Raymond Lavelle | 1957 | Deceased |
| Fr. Frederick Loyd | 1970 | Laicized, deceased |
| Fr. Robert Luchi | 1957 | Deceased |
| Fr. Kevin Lutz | 1978 | Removed from ministry |
| Fr. Dean A. Mathewson | 1973 | Administrative leave |
| Fr. Bernard McClory | 1953 | Deceased |
| Fr. Thomas McLaughlin | 1956 | Laicized, deceased |
| Fr. Samuel Ritchey | 1973 | Laicized, deceased |
| Fr. Francis Schaefer | 1955 | Deceased |
| Fr. David Schilder | 1968 | Deceased |
| Fr. George Tumeo | 1965 | Laicized |
| Fr. Martin Weithman | 1980 | Laicized |
- Clergy incardinated in the Diocese of Columbus against whom a credible allegation of sexual abuse of a minor within the Diocese was made after the clergy’s death1
| Name | Ordained | Status |
| Msgr. Robert Brown | 1939 | Deceased |
| Msgr. Harry Estadt | 1932 | Deceased |
| Fr. John Gamba | 1942 | Deceased |
| Fr. John Geiger | 1957 | Deceased |
| Fr. Louis Hoffman | 1943 | Deceased |
| Fr. John Ryan | 1959 | Deceased |
| Fr. Robert Schmidt | 1943 | Deceased |
| Fr. Ted Spires | 1961 | Laicized, deceased |
| Fr. Alan Sprenger | 1960 | Deceased |
| Fr. John Tague | 1951 | Deceased |
- Clergy incardinated in the Diocese of Columbus against whom a credible allegation of sexual abuse of a minor at a location outside the Diocese was made and investigated while the cleric was living.
| Name | Ordained | Status |
| Fr. Carl Drake | 1964 | Deceased |
- Extern or religious clergy (clergy from other dioceses or religious orders) who served in the Diocese of Columbus who were credibly accused of sexual abuse of minors (alleged conduct occurred in the Diocese of Columbus).
| Name | Ordained | Status |
| Fr. Hector Bellinato, PIME | 1935 | Deceased |
| Fr. David Heimann | 1958 | Deceased |
| Dcn. Gabriel Hernandez | 2008 | Dismissed from the Josephinum, laicized |
| Fr. Robert Hunt, C.PP.S. | 1954 | Deceased |
| Fr. Timothy Keane, SS.CC. | 1950 | Deceased |
- Extern or religious clergy who served in the Diocese of Columbus that were credibly accused of sexual abuse of minors elsewhere (alleged conduct occurred outside the Diocese of Columbus)
| Ordained | Status | |
| Fr. Pierre Albalaa, MSM | 1995 | Removed from ministry |
| Fr. Frank Benham | 1963 | Left ministry |
| Fr. Stuart Campbell, OP | 1930 | Deceased |
| Fr. Aaron Cote, OP | 1986 | Deceased |
| Fr. Kenneth France-Kelly, OP | 1981 | Deceased |
| Fr. Joseph Herlihy, OP | 1939 | Deceased |
| Fr. Walter Horan, OP | 1945 | Deceased |
| Fr. Stephan Johnson, CSP | 1981 | No longer in ministry |
| Fr. James Kilkenny, OP | 1936 | Deceased |
| Fr. Francis Masserella, GHM | 1941 | Deceased |
| Fr. Thomas McCarthy, OP | 1960 | Deceased |
| Fr. Richard J. McCormick, SDB | 1970 | Incarcerated |
| Fr. Joseph McGuiness, OP | 1939 | Deceased |
| Fr. Robert Pelkington, OP | 1968 | Deceased |
| Fr. John Powers, OP | 1952 | Deceased |
| Fr. Francis Sweeney, CSP | 1961 | Deceased |
| Fr. John Walsh, OMI | 1940 | Deceased |
This list will be supplemented based upon any future determinations of credible allegations.
Updated: 6/9/2023
[1] The Diocese of Columbus also received an allegation of sexual abuse concerning Monsignor Thomas Bennett. The abuse allegedly occurred during the 2002-2003 school year. Monsignor Bennett served within the Diocese from 1957 until his death in 2008. The allegation was first made known to the Diocese of Columbus in May 2018 and was the subject of a lawsuit filed on July 5, 2018, in the Franklin County Common Pleas Court, Ohio. That lawsuit was settled in 2020.
- The Diocese of Columbus also received an allegation of sexual abuse concerning Monsignor Thomas Bennett. The abuse allegedly occurred during the 2002-2003 school year. Monsignor Bennett served within the Diocese from 1957 until his death in 2008. The allegation was first made known to the Diocese of Columbus in May 2018 and was the subject of a lawsuit filed on July 5, 2018, in the Franklin County Common Pleas Court, Ohio. That lawsuit was settled in 2020. ↩︎