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After hearing oral arguments from all parties on July 21, 2014, Ramsey County District Court Judge John Van de North issued an Order today denying the Archdiocese of St. Paul & Minneapolis and Diocese of Winona’s request to dismiss the public nuisance legal claim in the Doe 1 lawsuit.

The Court found, “Failing to disclose information about an accused priest is akin to, and conceivably more offensive and dangerous, than other acts that have been considered public nuisances . . . . [t]he Court need look no further than Fathers Adamson and Curtis Wehmeyer as unfortunate examples of the horren…

The secret priest file of Father Thomas Stitts was released today as part of a civil lawsuit filed in Ramsey County. Stitts was assigned to multiple parishes, abusing boys everywhere he worked.  Eventually, Stitts admitted to having a sexual relationship with two boys.
Upon his death in 1985, Stitts wrote a letter outlining not only his own, but other priest’s sexual activities in the Archdiocese. The priests implicated in the letter begged the Archdiocese to keep the letter secret and eventually the letter was destroyed.
A summary of the Stitts documents, a timeline, and a summary of …

Father Kenneth LaVan, removed from ministry in December 2013, is a serial predator whom the Archdiocese continually disregarded as being a threat to women and children.   Allegations of inappropriate sexual behavior were made in the 1980s and twice LaVan was sent for treatment. A lawsuit involving one of LaVan’s victims was settled in 1985 and by 1989 LaVan was diagnosed with a compulsive sexuality disorder. In 1995 the Clergy Review Board examined LaVan’s history and recommended he continue in ministry. Archbishop Flynn was informed in 2005 that LaVan was not part of the monitoring sys…

Father Francis Garvey Deposition: New Ulm Priests Accused of Sexual Abuse Identified
 
In a deposition taken on January 24, 2014 Father Francis Garvey identified Diocese of New Ulm priests accused of sexual misconduct. To-date, the Diocese of New Ulm refuses to publicly release its list of priests accused of sexual misconduct, or information about the priests.
 
Archbishop John Nienstedt served as Bishop of the Diocese of New Ulm from 2001 to 2007 before his appointment as Archbishop of St. Paul-Minneapolis. As Bishop of New Ulm, Nienstedt oversaw the Diocese of New Ulm’s compila…

Father Francis Garvey Deposition: New Ulm Priests Accused of Sexual Abuse Identified

In a deposition taken on January 24, 2014 Father Francis Garvey identified Diocese of New Ulm priests accused of sexual misconduct. To-date, the Diocese of New Ulm refuses to publicly release its list of priests accused of sexual misconduct, or information about the priests.

Archbishop John Nienstedt served as Bishop of the Diocese of New Ulm from 2001 to 2007 before his appointment as Archbishop of St. Paul-Minneapolis. As Bishop of New Ulm, Nienstedt oversaw the Diocese of New Ulm’