Category Archives: John Klassen

Southern Fried Homicide (Rivera/Schulte)

Posted on July 24, 2014
Posted in Francisco Schulte, John Klassen, Reinaldo Rivera

CSRA serial killer Reinaldo Rivera will be the focus of an episode of “Southern Fried Homicide” on Investigation Discovery tonight. Rivera was convicted in January 2004 of malice murder, three counts of rape, four counts of aggravated sodomy, four counts … Continue reading →

Regarding Michelle Soldo Consulting / Backous

Posted on July 16, 2014
Posted in Dan Ward, Jennifer Haselberger, John Klassen, Mel Taylor, Michelle Soldo, Soldo Consulting

On Monday, I learned that Michelle Soldo, an attorney from St. Paul, Minnesota, is conducting an investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct by Father Timothy Backous. After viewing a draft of this post earlier today Ms. Soldo wrote, in part, that … Continue reading →

St. John’s abbot reacts to abuse response criticism

Posted on June 25, 2014
Posted in John Klassen, Tim Backous

(SC Times) COLLEGEVILLE – St. John’s Abbey Abbot John Klassen this week defended his response to clergy sex abuse allegations, issuing a statement that says the abbey strives for transparency and the truth, even when allegations against a monk are … Continue reading →

Monk Perpetrator Has Secret Identity… To Sell Online

Posted on June 25, 2014
Posted in Dunstan Moorse, Jerome Tupa, John Klassen, Leadership Camp, Magnus Wenninger, Robert Koopmann

What message does it send when one of Saint John’s Abbey’s most notorious sex offenders (including alleged acts of sodomy) takes on a new, secret, identity in order to sell flower cards in the abbey’s online store?

Message from Abbot John Klassen

Posted on June 25, 2014
Posted in John Klassen, Tim Backous

Dear SJP Community, Recent news stories about clergy misconduct, and especially those involving monks from Saint John’s Abbey, have prompted questions and concerns from many of the people who care most deeply about Saint John’s Abbey, Saint John’s Prep and … Continue reading →

Opinion: DELIVERANCE (Duluth)

Posted on June 24, 2014
Posted in Duluth, John Klassen, Tim Backous

The Diocese of Duluth, for its part, produced a letter of recommendation from the Abbot John Klassen, whose flip-flops and vacillations have become legendary. Any eight-year old could tell the Diocese was dissembling and passing-the-buck. Throughout my lifetime any ordinary … Continue reading →

Priest on leave from Essentia, St. Michael’s parish after allegations aired

Posted on June 12, 2014
Posted in John Klassen, Tim Backous

(Duluth News Tribune) A Benedictine priest has been placed on administrative leave from Essentia Health and has been asked to discontinue assisting at St. Michael’s parish in Duluth after allegations resurfaced that he sexually molested a boy during a choir … Continue reading →

Abbot John Klassen defends former St. John’s headmaster accused of abuse

Posted on June 11, 2014
Posted in John Klassen, Tim Backous

(Fox 9) Abbot John Klassen, of St. John’s Abbey, described the sexual abuse allegations leveled against a former St. John’s Prep School headmaster “unsubstantiated” as he defended the integrity of Rev. Timothy Backous — and the victim’s family says that’s … Continue reading →

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

Posted on June 11, 2014
Posted in Aelred Senna, Jerome Thiesen, John Klassen, Tim Backous

(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.

Letter to Catholic Church officials calls for Father Timothy Backous’ removal from ministry

Posted on June 11, 2014
Posted in Jim Accurso, John Klassen, Tim Backous

(City Pages) In March, two top Catholic Church officials in Minnesota sat down with the editorial board of the St. Cloud Times to discuss the ongoing clergy sex abuse scandal. Bishop Donald Kettler of the St. Cloud Diocese and Abbot … Continue reading →

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

Posted on June 10, 2014
Posted in Aelred Senna, Jim Accurso, John Klassen, Tim Backous

(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 →

Statement from Klassen re Backous

Posted on June 10, 2014
Posted in John Klassen, Tim Backous

Statement from Abbot John Klassen, 10 June 2014:

Letter from Victim’s Parents Regarding Father Tim Backous

Posted on June 10, 2014
Posted in Donald Kettler, John Klassen, John Nienstedt, Paul Richards, Tim Backous

May 31, 2014 Most Reverend John Neinstedt D.D., S.T.D. Office of the Archbishop 266 Summit Avenue Saint Paul, MN 55102

Klassen to Speak on Benedictine Legacy

Posted on May 10, 2014
Posted in John Klassen

The Benedictine Sisters of Annunciation Monastery, Bismarck, will host the fifth annual sponsorship formation event on May 15 at the Bismarck Radisson Hotel.

St. Cloud bishop, abbey abbot: We named all alleged abusers

Posted on January 28, 2014
Posted in 2013 Abbey List, 2014 St. Cloud List, Donald Kettler, John Klassen

The St. Cloud diocese and St. John’s Abbey have made public all of the names of priests and monks who have credible allegations against them of sexual misconduct with minors, according to the leaders of both institutions.

Wayzata parish celebrates 150th anniversary

Posted on January 15, 2014
Posted in Don Tauscher, John Klassen, Jonathan Licari

Holy Name of Jesus Catholic Community in Wayzata will kick off a year-long celebration of its 150th anniversary with a 10:30 a.m. Mass Jan. 19. Abbott John Klassen of St. John’s Abbey in Collegeville, will preside at the Mass.

Delayed Public Disclosure

Posted on January 15, 2014
Posted in Bruce Wollmering, John Klassen, Joshua Guimond, Review Board

The following is an excerpt from an updated page on this web site. The page, originally posted on March 26, 2011, was recently modified to include excerpts (below) from a memo written by Abbot John Klassen and minutes from the External Review … Continue reading →

Prep School Headmaster’s Exit from External Review Board

Posted on December 17, 2013
Posted in John Klassen, Jonathan Licari, Review Board

[Webmaster’s Note: According to an October 22, 2013 email from Abbot John Klassen, “Fr. Jonathan voluntarily submitted to an evaluation by a qualified, highly-regarded therapist. This evaluation was thorough and covered all relevant issues.” The “evaluation” came after Fr. Jonathan Licari’s … Continue reading →

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

Posted on December 16, 2013
Posted in Aelred Senna, John Klassen, Pat Marker, Peter Sullivan

(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.

St. John’s Covered Up Abuse by Visiting Monk

Posted on December 15, 2013
Posted in Anthony Gorman, Bede Parry, Dan Ward, Finian McDonald, Jerome Thiesen, John Klassen, John P Boyle, Paul Richards, Rene McGraw, Robert Koopmann, Roman Paur

Br. Bede Parry from Conception Abbey in Missouri attended the St. John’s University School of Theology between 1979 and 1982. During his second year, Br. Parry pursued a college freshman, twenty years his junior, who was interested in music and … Continue reading →