James A. Hoder
Ordained: 1975
- 1975-1982: St. Ita, Chicago, IL (CHI)
- 1982-1985: Assumption BVM, Chicago, IL (CHI)
- 1985-1990: St. David, Chicago, IL (CHI)
- 1990: Sabbatical
- 1991: St. Joseph, Chicago, IL (CHI)
- 1991-1995: Administrative Leave (CHI)
- 1992: University of Illinois Hospital, Chicago, IL (CHI)
- 1995: Wounded Brothers, St. Louis, MO (STL)
- 1996: Unknown
- 1997: Resigned
- 1998-2008: Unknown
- 2009: Laicized
- 2010-2019: Unknown
Multiple people have accused Fr. James A. Hoder of sexually abusing them as children. In 1985, the Archdiocese of Chicago received an allegation that Fr. Hoder had sexually abused a child in 1976. The Archdiocese permitted Fr. Hoder to remain in active ministry and he reportedly continued to sexually abuse children until his resignation in 1997. Fr. Hoder was laicized in 2009. Fr. Hoder is included in the Archdiocese of Chicago’s list of “Clergy with Substantiated Allegations of Sexual Misconduct with Minors.” His whereabouts and whether he has access to children are unknown
5/14/1975 Ordained
1976 – “Cluster” Vocations Director (AOC – 014708)
6/8/1982 – Associate Pastor, Assumption Parish
6/1/1985 – Associate Pastor, St. David Parish
7/15/1985 Report to AD of abuse by a teenage boy who was abused in 1976 by Hoder and another unknown priest while in seminary (AOC 014713, AOC 014884)
10/22/1985 Letter from Rev. Thomas Ventura to Hoder: no contact with young people other than telephone conversations. Good intentions with young people are interfering with your overall ministry. (AOC 014714)
5/12/1986 Rev. Millard O’Keefe reports to AD that his housekeeper informed him that while he was away from the parish, Hoder had a young man stay there with him in the rectory. (AOC 014722)
8/10/1986 Chancellor Kealy discovers that administrators recommended delaying Hoder’s ordination while in seminary because of problems with all of his superiors. (AOC 014723)
12/12/1988 AD gets a report that Hoder may have been involved in a “major burglary.” Goedert has someone check with police department. “Wonderful policeman” there who has “done enough covering for priests in the past” to have recognized if a priest were involved says he didn’t think a priest was involved in the burglary. Goedert says he’ll just drop it because no use wrecking a priest’s reputation based on “flimsy” evidence from “unreliable sources.” (AOC 014725) 2
2/9/1990 Rev. O’Keefe and housekeeper contact Goedert at the AD with concerns about Hoder prior to his term at St. David ending. Hoder is irresponsible, has minor males coming to his room, male pornography all over his room, a photograph of a man on the visor of his Mercedes (that the man got for him), a man of about 18 stay in his room at the rectory with him, receives collect calls from men in prison. Goedert asked if they suspected anything Hoder had was stolen. (AOC 014732-33)
8/23/1990 Memo from Goedert to file. Cardinal Bernadin has become aware Hoder is under investigation for drugs.
5/6/1991 Memo from Goedert – I see no reason Hoder can’t be reassigned in the usual manner.
8/23/1991 – Associate Pastor, St. Joseph’s, Chicago (AOC 014789)
11/14/1991 – Administrative Leave
8/8/1992 – Part time work at University of Illinois Hospital
11/11/1992 Report of sex abuse by Hoder made to Fr. Thomas Paprocki. No details given (AOC 014829)
11/13/1992 Call from U of Illinois hospital administrator. Hoder not doing his work. Hospital was never informed of his background. (AOC 014830-31)
11/21/1992 Report of sex abuse by Hoder made to AD. Man said he was in his mid to late teens when he was abused (AOC 014832)
11/25/1992 – Administrative Leave from all ministry (AOC 014834)
1/18/1993 Letter from O’Keefe defending Hoder and contradicting his own reports during Hoder’s time at St. David (AOC 014849)
1/21/1993 Letter from lawyer to Patrick O’Malley, Vicar for Priests, saying Hoder hired him, and that statute of limitations have run on the sexual abuse and he should be considered for ministry (AOC 014850-51)
1/25/1995 O’Malley memo to file: Now that he has a job I asked Hoder to offset costs for his stay in St. Louis. (AOC 014882)
2/12/1995- At “Wounded Brothers” in St. Louis (AOC 014886)
5/24/1997 Resigned from active ministry (AOC 014937)
3/8/2001 Hoder writes to AD that he got his masters and received certification in substance abuse counseling (AOC 014944)
2/6/2004 New abuse report against Hoder (AOC 014945)
7/27/2007 Allegation of abuse to AD. Victim was abused by Hoder and Fr. Flosi in 1977 when victim was 17 (AOC 014951-52) – same as person who called Ventura in 85 (AOC 3 014956) – abuse lasted began in 76 and went to 81. Involved mutual masturbation, oral sex and intercourse (AOC 014963)
12/18/2009 Laicized (AOC 015014)