(SC Times) COLLEGEVILLE \u2014 St. John\u2019s Abbey released a list Monday of 18 monks and priests who it believes \u201clikely have offended against minors.\u201d<\/p>\n
The list includes several names that previously have been released by the abbey; some are deceased and some are living at the abbey under \u201csupervised safety plans.\u201d<\/p>\n
The abbey said Monday that it was voluntarily releasing the names after inquiries from the Times and after a lawsuit filed against the abbey demanded the release of a list as a condition of the lawsuit.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis list reflects our best efforts to identify those who likely have offended against minors,\u201d said Brother Aelred Senna, spokesperson for the Abbey. \u201cThat task often is complicated by the passage of time, the deaths of some of those involved and sometimes incomplete accounts of the past. Even so, we are including all 18 names to provide as complete of a list as we can to acknowledge the pain suffered by victims. This list underscores our commitment to being transparent in our policies and procedures for dealing with allegations of abuse.\u201d<\/p>\n
The list includes nine monks who are living at the abbey under supervised safety plans, seven monks who are deceased and two men who have been \u201cdispensed from their religious vows\u201d and no longer are connected to the abbey, according to Senna.<\/p>\n
Those listed are:<\/p>\n
Michael Bik
\nAndre Bennett (deceased)
\nRobert Blumeyer (deceased)
\nCosmas Dahlheimer (deceased)
\nRichard Eckroth
\nThomas Gillespie
\nFrancis Hoefgen (no longer a monk at the abbey)
\nOthmar Hohmann (deceased)
\nDominic Keller (deceased)
\nJohn Kelly (no longer a monk at the abbey)
\nBrennan Maiers
\nFinian McDonald
\nDunstan Moorse
\nJames Phillips
\nFrancisco Schulte
\nAllen Tarlton
\nPirmin Wendt (deceased)
\nBruce Wollmering (deceased)<\/p>\n
The release comes after a Ramsey County judge ruled recently that the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis could release a list of priests with credible allegations of sexual misconduct against them. The Diocese of St. Cloud said last week that new Bishop Donald Kettler was reviewing the diocese\u2019s history of response to sexual abuse allegations before he decided whether to release a list.<\/p>\n