Category Archives: David Clohessy

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.

Releasing names of priests accused of abuse will not end pressure on church

(Star Tribune) The naming Thursday of 32 priests accused of child sex abuse in the St. Paul-Minneapolis archdiocese will not end the pressure on the Catholic Church in Minnesota.

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

SNAP: Sex abuse victim wants priest to apologize and resign

A clergy sex abuse victim has written a letter about suspected predators to 1,100 Minnesota Catholic parishioners, but their pastor claims the letter is “libelous.” In response, the victim is urging top church officials to oust the pastor for lying … Continue reading

Letter: St. John’s Abbey doesn’t care about kids’ safety

Once again, facing a child sex abuse and cover-up scandal, St. John’s Abbey officials trot out the same tired canard about their “policies” about pedophilia. (“Lawsuit targets St. John’s Prep School, abbey,” Dec. 9.)

SNAP/Marker Press Release

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. … Continue reading

Victim creates Web site

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.

Former review board member launches Web site about clergy abuse

COLLEGEVILLE – A former St. John’s Preparatory School student launched a Web site today to help clergy molestation victims and challenged local Catholic officials to come clean.

Abbey defends its handling of clergy offenses

ST. LOUIS PARK – St. John’s Abbey officials say the claims made Wednesday by a national advocacy group for clergy molestation victims are inaccurate.

SNAP Letter to Abbot Klassen

August 9, 2006 Dear Abbot Klassen: Founded in 1989, SNAP is a 7000+ member support group for women and men who have been wounded by sexually abusive priests, nuns, seminarians and bishops. We are the largest and oldest such self-help … Continue reading

Review boards work toward healing

In the wake of the sexual abuse scandal in the Catholic church, diocese across the country have set up policy review boards. Two boards in central Minnesota are beginning their work, one at St. John’s Abbey and the other at … Continue reading

St. John’s Abbey, abuse victims agree to settlement

Collegeville — Gathered on the very grounds where monks of St. John’s Abbey sexually abused them, past victims Tuesday embraced reparations they hope will become a model for the Roman Catholic Church.

Abbey promises change

Collegeville – Expressing his sorrow to victims who had been sexually abused by St. John’s Abbey monks, Abbot John Klassen outlined Tuesday a far-reaching settlement that ensures that new abuse allegations against monks will be reported to an outside investigative … Continue reading

To clergy victims, acknowledgment proves invaluable

Collegeville – An apology, validation and a promise to ensure sexual abuse won’t happen to another child or adult. These, for many survivors of clergy sexual abuse, are far more important than financial settlement.

Orders have let abusers remain

Abbot John Klassen has been praised for disclosing some monks’ misdeeds and criticized for allowing some to travel.

Abbey could offer guidance amid scandal

In an idyllic campus setting 80 miles from the Twin Cities, the world’s largest Benedictine abbey houses a university, prep school, monastery _ and more than a dozen monks under restrictions for life for sexually abusing adolescents or young adults.