St. John’s scandal shows need for legal reform, abuse victims say

Posted on May 14, 2002
Posted in Celibacy, Jeff Anderson, John Klassen, Richard Eckroth, Statute of Limitations

Legal experts say there is little that the victims can do in the wake of accusations of sex abuse at St. John’s Abbey in Collegeville. Dozens of people have come forward over the years alleging sexual abuse by monks from the central Minnesota abbey, but Minnesota’s statute of limitations keeps cases of sexual abuse out of the courts once the victim turns 25. Some victims say if the statute of limitations doesn’t change, they’ll never see justice or compensation. Officials at St. John’s Abbey say they prefer to keep the cases out of court, saying a trial hurts those involved a second time.
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Still traveling: priests at St. John’s Abbey

Posted on May 13, 2002
Posted in Bahamas, Dan Ward, Richard Eckroth

The Rev. Richard Eckroth –Continues to use abbey cabin on Swenson Lake near Bemidji; traveled to St. John’s mission, St. Augustine Abbey in Nassau, Bahamas, summer 1997 for the ceremony when a St. John’s priest was named prior, the position of top leadership at the mission abbey.
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A Statement from Saint John’s Abbey

Posted on May 12, 2002
Posted in Jacob Wetterling, John Klassen, Richard Eckroth

The monks of Saint John’s Abbey are vowed to mutual respect between persons and a celibate way of life. We regard sexual abuse or sexual exploitation by a member of our community to be morally reprehensible. We are profoundly sorry for the pain that has been caused by those monks of our community who have not been faithful to their vows and we commit ourselves to care for those who have been the victims of such abuse.
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Restricted Priests Still Travel

Posted on May 12, 2002
Posted in Allen Tarlton, Finian McDonald, Fran Hoefgen, John Klassen, Monk Travel, Richard Eckroth, Richard Sipe

Restrictions on the movements of nine St. John’s Abbey priests accused of sexual abuse have not kept at least four of them from traveling to Rome, the abbey’s missions in the Bahamas and Japan, or elsewhere in Minnesota and other states.
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Agents reviewing Abbey’s records

Posted on May 11, 2002
Posted in Jacob Wetterling, St. John's

Authorities investigating the 1989 abduction of Jacob Wetterling are reviewing records of 11 monks under restrictions at St. John’s Abbey in Collegeville, Minn.
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St. John’s Abbey Responds

Posted on May 9, 2002
Posted in Jacob Wetterling, Jim Kostreba, John Klassen, Richard Eckroth

New information is passing between St. John’s Abbey and the Stearns County sheriff about monks accused of sexual abuse. Officials at the abbey say the information was never restricted. But recent interest in cases of sex abuse by clergy led the abbot at St. John’s to begin talking more openly about monks who have been accused of sexual misconduct. He revealed that a former abbot, still living in the monastery, had abused two monks in the 1970s. Twelve other monks and priests continue to have their activities restricted in some way because of sexually-related allegations.
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2001-02 Paul Lawson Fund Award Recipients

Posted on May 9, 2002
Posted in Isaac Connolly

On May 9, 2002, Br. Isaac Connelly received the Paul Lawson Fund Award.

“Established in 1989 by Paul Lawson, the Fund provides funding for professional growth and development of individual administrators at Saint John’s University.”

Women accuse St. John’s Abbey priest of abuse

Posted on May 9, 2002
Posted in Charlie Weaver, Dean Barkley, Jeff Anderson, Jim Kostreba, John Eidenschink, Richard Eckroth

They were supposed to be joyous getaways with a priest well known by their families, a man who loved the outdoors and enjoyed taking groups of six or seven children on weekend outings in the 1970s.
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Details still eerie 28 years after girls were slain

Posted on May 9, 2002
Posted in Jim Kostreba, Richard Eckroth

Mary Reker’s last diary entry is just as chilling today as when it was discovered 28 years ago, shortly after the 15-year-old St. Cloud girl and her younger sister, Susanne, were stabbed to death.
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St. John’s Abbey to Give Information

Posted on May 9, 2002
Posted in Jim Kostreba, John Klassen, Richard Eckroth

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) _ Investigators looking into the unsolved 1974 killings of two girls have asked St. John’s Abbey for information on several monks and priests accused of sexual abuse.
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Priest is among suspects in ’74 deaths

Posted on May 8, 2002
Posted in John Klassen, Richard Eckroth

ST. CLOUD, MINN. — A Benedictine priest suspected of sexually abusing young people as far back as the 1960s has re-emerged as a possible suspect in the 1974 slayings of two girls in the St. Cloud area.
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Data on clerics given to sheriff

Posted on May 8, 2002
Posted in John Klassen

The abbot at St. John’s Abbey is providing Stearns County authorities with a list of the whereabouts of 13 Benedictine monks and priests between 1970 and 1990. Abbot John Klassen recently revealed that 11 monks or priests have admitted to some form of sexual indiscretion while two have denied abuse accusations against them, including a priest who took dozens of girls and boys to a lake cabin near Cass Lake in the 1970s.

May 8, 02 – Pioneer Press

Abbot to Give Sheriff List

Posted on May 8, 2002
Posted in Allen Tarlton, Brennan Maiers, Cosmas Dahlheimer, Dunstan Moorse, Finian McDonald, Fran Hoefgen, Jacob Wetterling, Jim Kostreba, John Eidenschink, John Kelly, John Klassen, Richard Eckroth

COLLEGEVILLE – Stearns County Sheriff Jim Kostreba has asked St. John’s Abbot John Klassen to list the whereabouts from 1970 to 1990 of 13 Benedictine monks and priests accused of sexual misdeeds.
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Abbey could offer guidance amid scandal

Posted on May 5, 2002
Posted in David Clohessy, John Klassen, Richard Sipe, SNAP, St. John's History

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.
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Abbot opens monastery records on monk abuse

Posted on May 3, 2002
Posted in BS, Dunstan Moorse, Francisco Schulte, Jeff Anderson, John Klassen, Richard Eckroth

[Webmaster’s note: Klassen was not being truthful when he said for this article that 13 to 15 monks at the monastery have been accused of sexual abuse in cases dating from the 1960s to early ’80s. The Abbot also said there were 25 victims. Fr. Dunstan Moorse has over fifteen known victims, Fr. Francisco Schulte at least nine and Fr. Richard Eckroth may have over 25 of his own.]

Abbot opens monastery records on monk abuse

COLLEGEVILLE, Minn. — For decades, there were dark secrets behind the walls of the monastery. But now Abbot John Klassen wants to make it clear the abbey will no longer follow a code of silence on allegations of sexual abuse by monks.
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Sex Abuse Details Emerge At St. John’s

Posted on May 1, 2002
Posted in John Eidenschink, John Klassen

Less than two weeks after word surfaced that a former abbot of St. John’s Abbey admitted to past sexual abuse of monks, current abbot John Klassen acknowledged that 15 priests or monks have been accused, or have admitted to, past abuse.
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Accused clergy remain at St. John’s Abbey

Posted on May 1, 2002
Posted in Allen Tarlton, Brennan Maiers, BS, Cosmas Dahlheimer, Dunstan Moorse, Finian McDonald, Fran Hoefgen, John Eidenschink, John Kelly, John Klassen, Restricted List, Richard Eckroth

COLLEGEVILLE, Minn. — Thirteen to 15 monks or priests live and work under restrictions at St. John’s Abbey after being accused of or admitting to sexual abuse, the abbot for the monastery said.
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Clergy Sexual Abuse at Saint John’s Abbey and in the Catholic Church

Posted on April 26, 2002
Posted in BS, ISTI, Jerome Thiesen, John Klassen, LINKUP, Timothy Kelly

“Since his election as Abbot in 2000, Abbot John Klassen, OSB, has continued the Abbey’s commitment to openness and asserted his determination to assure that “no remnants of the veil of secrecy remain.” – [Webmaster’s Note: This is not true.]

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Abuse in the Abbey Shocks Community

Posted on April 25, 2002
Posted in Allen Tarlton, Brennan Maiers, BS, Cosmas Dahlheimer, Dietrich Reinhart, Dunstan Moorse, Finian McDonald, Fran Hoefgen, John Eidenschink, John Kelly, John Klassen, Monk Travel, Restricted List, Richard Eckroth, SG, The Liturgical Press

The revelation that a former St. John’s abbot committed sexual abuse in the 1970s rocked the local community this week and left the monastery in a state of shock.
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Two men share similar stories of abuse

Posted on April 22, 2002
Posted in John Eidenschink

Two men who wanted to be priests say their dreams were washed away by sexual predators who also wore collars. The men tell similar stories of how top church leaders sexually abused them under the guise of spiritual guidance at St. John’s Abbey, where men go in hopes of becoming priests… One man, who wanted to have his identity concealed, said he left St. John’s confused, disappointed and morally outraged after he says Abbott John Eidenschink repeatedly sexually abused him.

KSTP News – Apr 22, 02