Since the “Meet the Monks” section [ View ] was launched in May, the 721 monk profiles have been viewed a total of 64,478 times.

The most “popular” monks in June and July:

1. Fr. Francisco Schulte (1479 Views)
2. Fr. Thomas Gillespie (1468)
3. Fr. Tom Andert (1367)

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There are several stories here:

1. In 2002, two former St. John’s Prep School students brought claims of sexual abuse against Br. Phillips. Br. Phillips allegedly fondled both of these victims, and sodomized one of the victims with his thumb. St. John’s Abbey settled these two claims of sexual abuse (and possibly several others) against Br. Phillips.

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Since 1961, St. Joseph Parish in St. Joseph, MN has been home to some of St. John’s Abbey’s most notorious perpetrators of abuse and misconduct. In addition to sending pedophiles and other deviants to the parish, the past two Abbots (Timothy Kelly and John Klassen) have misled the St. Joseph congregation on matters of abuse in their parish.

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(DBKP) New details about Dan Rassier, a “person of interest” in the 21-yr-old Jacob Wetterling abduction case. Details such as, was Dan Rassier the “unnamed suspect” who was interviewed by a reporter in 2004? An interview which was posted on the internet last week? An interview where the unnamed suspect admitted he went to bed while the authorities searched his “yard” for Jacob? Who told authorities he saw a suspicious car turn around in his driveway around the time Jacob was abducted?

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(DBKP) On July 3 & 4th, the Church of St. Joseph Parish Festival in St. Joseph, MN, will feature a free concert starring “Bobby Vee” and fireworks. Some of the talk at the two-day festival will be about the recent developments in the 21-yr-old still unsolved abduction case of a local 11-yr-old St. Joseph boy Jacob Wetterling and a farm located in close proximity to where Jacob was abducted. Developments which have publicly outed a 20-yr investigation by authorities of a local 30-yr elementary school band teacher, Dan Rassier, who lives at the farm. Rassier has been recently named by the Stearns County Sheriff’s Department as a “person of interest” in the Jacob Wetterling abduction case.

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As a young boy growing up in St. Joseph, Minnesota and later, an an employee at St. John’s University and tutor at St. John’s Prep School, Daniel A Rassier had contact with several monks from St. John’s Abbey in Collegeville, Minnesota.

Pedophile priests Fr. Cosmas Dahlheimer [ More ], Fr. Brennan Maiers [ More ] and Fr. Tom Gillespie [ More ] all worked at the church in St. Joseph. Colleagues of Dan Rassier, including Fr. Bruce Wollmering, Fr. Michael Bik, Fr. Tom Andert and others [ More ] have also been accused of misconduct.

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Since early this morning authorities have been conducting a search on the Stearns County, Minnesota, farm owned by 85-yr-old Robert and 81-yr-old Rita Rassier in connection with the 1989 abduction of 11-yr-old Jacob Wetterling. A farm located near where Jacob was abducted. News reports state living at the farm, the Rassier’s son, Daniel A. Rassier, age 54. In an article about the search, Daniel A. Rassier was referred to as a “teacher”. During a search on the internet we discovered a 2-yr-old article about a “Dan Rassier”, a lifelong resident of St. Joseph and 30-yr band teacher at Cold Spring Elementary School located 14 miles from St. Joseph. The authorities are tight-lipped about the investigation, refusing to release details which led to the search of the Rassier’s farm. Whether Daniel A. Rossier is a suspect, a person of interest in the Jacob Wetterling case, or an innocent bystander caught up in the search for clues in the Jacob Wetterling abduction case. And, whether Daniel A. Rossier is “Dan Rossier”, the 30-yr elementary band teacher at Cold Spring Elementary, a lifelong resident of St. Joseph, the same age as Daniel A. Rossier.

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Patty Wetterling told FOX 9’s Maury Glover the Rossiers are “wonderful people.” She said Wednesday’s activities at the Rassier home may be related to a family member who was investigated early on, but said she thinks Robert and Rita were in Europe at the time of Jacob’s disappearance.

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“We use the word “community” quite a bit in places like ours but forget its most elemental meaning – caring for each other.” – Blog Entry by Fr. Tim Backous, September 2, 2009

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Since the new “Meet the Monks” section [ Go There ] was launched earlier this month, visitors have viewed the 720 monk profiles a total of 21,563 times.

The most “popular” monks:

1. Br. Isaac Connolly (528 Views)
2. Fr. Michael Bik (476 Views)

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Meet the Monks at St. John’s Abbey
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According to multiple sources, St. John’s Abbey’s offending monks:

- Br. Jim Phillips < - Sodomy; At least two victims
- Br. Andre Bennett <- Died 2007
- Fr. Cosmas Dahlheimer <- Died 2002
- Fr. Richard Eckroth
- Fr. John Eidenschink <- Died 2004
- Fr. Thomas Gillespie
- Fr. Brennan Maiers
- Fr. Finian McDonald
- Fr. Dunstan Moorse <- At least nine victims
- Fr. Allen Tarlton
- Br. Isaac Connelly
- Fr. Michael Bik
- Fr. Bruce Wollmering <- Died 2009
- Fr. Robert Blumeyer <- Died 1983
- Br. John Kelly <- In Twin Cities
- Fr. Francis Hoefgen <- In Twin Cities
- Fr. Francisco Schulte <- Fled to Rome in 1987 following abuse allegations. Taken off of restriction by Abbot John Klassen in 2003.
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Note: This letter was written on St. John’s Abbey letterhead:

“I live in a cell also, only it is a cell in a monastery. I am a Benedictine monk from Minnesota.”

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University student Josh Guimond disappeared. His family has not given up hope finding him and marched Saturday to keep that effort going.
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Dear Oblates of St. John’s:

Many, many thanks for your generous gifts—both from the summer and now from your
Advent Retreat—that I can put to use to buy flowers & other décor for the Abbey Retirement
Center Chapel & Dining Room. (more…)

Three new names added to “The List”: Othmar Hohmann, Cyril Gorman, Anthony Ruff

Regarding Bruce Wollmering… we have received information regarding harassment claims against Wollmering and his dismissal from the University. The Abbey and University allegedly covered up the harassment claims, failed to report the claims to the proper authorities and allowed Wollmering to stay on as an instructor, then resign at the end of the semester. Wollmering has also allegedly admitted to relationships with at least three university students.
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SHOREVIEW – A national support group for people molested by clergy plans to pass out leaflets in protest today outside a Shoreview church where a Collegeville monk worked for two years.
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After a new search of its files, the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis has found records indicating that a man did come forward eight years ago alleging he was abused as a teenager in the 1970s by the Rev. Michael Bik, before the priest was ordained.
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From September, 2006:

Marker: “Extensive research shows more monks will be named and more victims will come forward”
Klassen: “That is totally an unfounded, false statement. I mean false”

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The Times Editorial Board has called on the St. John’s Abbey External Review Board to “share with the public what they know, their opinions on whether (Pat) Marker’s claims have veracity and if abbey leaders did do all they could to protect potential victims. (Times Our View “Abbey needs to address allegations with public,” Aug. 25.)
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Members of a church sex-abuse survivors group will distribute pamphlets at St. Stephen Catholic Church in Anoka on Sunday morning informing parishioners that a former teacher of the parish school was recently identified as an accused abuser.
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A former Minnesota man who was a 1983 victim of sexual abuse at St. John’s Preparatory School in Collegeville, MN is challenging local Catholic officials to explain why they shared a nine year silence about abuse allegations against a priest. He is also requesting that leaders with the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis and St. John’s Abbey take immediate steps to notify all potential victims of the cleric and former teacher.
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The latest round of sexual misconduct allegations involving Catholic clergy with ties to Central Minnesota hinges on two very familiar themes – truth and trust.
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COLLEGEVILLE – A former St. John’s Preparatory School student launched a Web site Wednesday to help molestation victims and challenged Catholic officials in a letter to defend delays in notifying potential victims.
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BehindthePineCurtain.com was launched by Pat Marker in 2002 as the “Abuse Disclosure Project.” It was taken down by the former St. John’s Preparatory School student and clergy molestation victim when he joined the St. John’s Abbey external review board. Marker resigned from the board Friday. The Web site was relaunched Wednesday under a new name, billed as a resource for people interested in the history of sexual abuse and misconduct in Collegeville.
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