Category Archives: Aelred Senna

Personal files of clergy abuse victim were made public

(Star Tribune) Louise read with curiosity that St. John’s Abbey was making public its files on 18 monks who had sexually abused minors — until she clicked open the online file about the monk who abused her.

St. John’s Abbey monk accused of abuse reports 200-plus sexual encounters

(StarTribune) The first batch of personnel files on monks accused of sex abuse at St. John’s Abbey in Collegeville were released Tuesday, in which a former counselor and dormitory prefect at St. John’s University reported having 200 sexual encounters — … Continue reading

Longtime leader at St. John’s Abbey accused of sex abuse

(StarTribune) The Rev. Thomas Andert, the prior at St. John’s Abbey in Collegeville, has been removed from his leadership position following an allegation of student sex abuse.

(MPR) Monastery prior steps aside pending investigation

The prior of the monastery at Saint John’s Abbey has stepped aside because of an allegation of sexual misconduct involving a former student at Saint John’s Preparatory School, according to a spokesperson for the abbey in Collegeville, Minn. View entire … Continue reading

Clergy abuse allegation surfaces against ex-St. John’s Prep headmaster

(MPR) A former member of a central Minnesota boys’ choir says a priest at St. John’s Abbey in Collegeville abused him while on a trip to Europe more than two decades ago.

Family accuses Ex-St. John’s Prep headmaster of abuse

(SC Times) St. John’s Abbey Abbot John Klassen on Tuesday called allegations of inappropriate sexual contact by a former St. John’s Prep School headmaster against a former member of the St. John’s Boys’ Choir unsubstantiated and defended his integrity and … Continue reading

St. John’s Abbey responds to lawsuit announcement

(SC Times) St. Paul attorney Jeff Anderson is expected to file a sexual abuse lawsuit against St. John’s Abbey and one of its monks, Richard Eckroth on Monday.

Duluth list of accused priests includes 3 with Collegeville ties

(SC Times) The Diocese of Duluth on Tuesday released the names of 17 priests who it says were credibly accused of sexual abuse.

Tevlin: The Catholic Church’s long, weird week

Patrick Marker has run a website dedicated to exposing abusive priests and offering a platform for victims for more than 10 years, so he’s used to getting mail.

Monk, St. John’s Abbey apologize for message prompted by blog post

(SC Times) COLLEGEVILLE — Officials at St. John’s Abbey are doing damage control after one of its monks sent an expletive-ridden anonymous message to a blogger who has chronicled sexual abuse of students by abbey monks.

3 new names on St. John’s accused monks list (Video)

(KARE 11) COLLEGEVILLE, Minn. — St. John’s Abbey has released an updated list of monks “who likely have offended against minors.” The new list contains three names that have not been on previous lists.

St. John’s Abbey Releases List Of 18 Accused Monks

COLLEGEVILLE, Minn. (AP) — St. John’s Abbey published the names Monday of 18 current and former monks it says likely have sexually abused minors, but victims’ advocates say the list is incomplete and years overdue.

St. John’s Abbey issues list of clergy ‘likely’ to have abused minors

(SC Times) COLLEGEVILLE — St. John’s Abbey released a list Monday of 18 monks and priests who it believes “likely have offended against minors.”

Clergy Misconduct Lawsuit Targets St. John’s Abbey (Video)

(KARE 11) In his latest John Doe sex abuse lawsuit, attorney Jeffrey Anderson targets a former Twin Cities priest and the order he belonged to until 2011, based at St. John’s Abbey in Collegeville.

Ex-Hastings priest living in Anoka County named in abuse suit

(Pioneer Press) A former Hastings priest and St. John’s Abbey are among defendants in a lawsuit filed Tuesday by a Minnesota man who alleges the priest sexually abused him after “graduating” from a sex-offender treatment facility.

Demands grow to see secret list of Minnesota priests accused of abuse

(StarTribune.com)  Sometimes lists are posted online and then disappear. Such was the case with St. John’s Abbey in Collegeville. In the spring of 2011, the abbey became the first religious order in Minnesota to publicly release a list of monks who … Continue reading

The Evidence against Father Dan Ward

In a July 31, 2013 article in the National Catholic Register [ View ], Saint John’s Abbey claims that, “The website operator [Marker] has engaged in a campaign to condemn Father Daniel to his colleagues and the public without any … Continue reading

(NCR) Lawyer monk a complex behind-the-scenes player

But Ward also has critics. Last fall, four people accused Ward of unwanted sexual advances against them in the 1970s when they were college students at St. John’s University in Collegeville, where Ward taught at the time. 

Allegations of sexual misconduct bring two monks under investigation

Brother Aelred Senna, spokesperson for St. John’s Abbey, confirmed the investigations into [Father Mel Taylor and Father Dan Ward]. He wrote in an e-mail to the FOX 9 Investigators, “I am able to say that Saint John’s Abbey is cooperating … Continue reading

Minnesota Monastery Gone Wild

MINNESOTA, June 21, 2012 (LifeSiteNews.com) —Collegeville, Minnesota’s notoriously liberal Benedictine community of St. John’s Abbey is in the spotlight once again as one of its monks urges Catholics to oppose the cause for true marriage.