Daniel Peter Buck
Ordained: 1971
- 1971-1976: St. Luke, River Forest, IL (CHI)
- 1976-1979: Our Lady of Grace, Chicago, IL (CHI)
- 1979: St. Wenceslaus, Chicago, IL (CHI)
- 1979-1984: St. Francis Borgia, Chicago, IL (CHI)
- 1984-1989: St. Thomas Villanova, Palatine, IL (CHI)
- 1989-1995: St. Pius X, Stickney, IL (CHI)
- 1995: St. Priscilla, Chicago, IL (CHI)
- 1995-2001: St. Francis of Rome, Cicero, IL (CHI)
- 2001-2002: St. Mary Parish, Buffalo Grove, IL (CHI)
- 2003-2010: Other assignments (CHI); P.O. Box 455, Mundelein, IL 60060
- 2011-2019: Unknown
In 1984, Fr. Daniel Peter Buck wrote a letter to a 15-year-old girl he had allegedly sexually abused, and the girl’s parents threatened legal action. Fr. Buck was transferred to another parish shortly thereafter. Despite Fr. Buck admitting he had engaged in an inappropriate relationship with the minor victim in 1984, the Archdiocesan Review Board determined that Fr. Buck should not be withdrawn from ministry and, by 1996, the Board voted unanimously that all restrictions on Fr. Buck be lifted. In 2002, the Archdiocese received another allegation of abuse implicating Fr. Buck and placed him on restricted ministry. Fr. Buck is included in the Archdiocese of Chicago’s list of “Archdiocesan Priests with Substantiated Allegations of Sexual Misconduct with Minors.” His whereabouts, status as a priest, and whether he has access to children are unknown.
5/12/1971 Ordained
6/14/1971- Associate Pastor, St. Luke Parish
6/10/1976- Associate Pastor, Our Lady of Grace Parish
2/8/1979- Associate Pastor, St. Wenceslaus Parish
6/11/1979- Associate Pastor, St. Francis Borgia Parish
6/8/1984 Letter from Buck to a victim. (AOC 008542-008545)
7/28/1984 Note re: Buck about the letter he wrote to a 15 year old girl. “Parents threaten legal action. Transfer is a necessity.” (AOC 008546)
8/1/1984 Handwritten note re: Buck. “Call board to start reassignment, Jabulowski will deal with family” (AOC 008548)
8/2/1984 Letter from Buck to Clergy Personnel Board requesting a transfer. (AOC 008549)
8/23/1984 Memo to Cardinal Bernardin “on an ‘emergency request’ from Larry McBrady, I authorize the transfer of Dan Buck from St. Francis Borgia to St. Thomas Villanova” (AOC 008552)
8/30/1984 Letter from Archbishop to Buck appointing him as associate pastor of St. Thomas of Villanova in Palatone, Illinois effective immediately. Buck was the associate pastor to accused priest Walter E. Huppenbauer. (AOC 08853)
10/31/1984 Handwritten note re Buck: “a youth sleep in at St. Francis Borgia and Dan Buck was there for at least part of all 3 days” (AOC 008555)
12/22/1984 Victim statement abstract: replacing a letter Victim IK’s mother wrote to Buck demanding he have no further contact with her daughter. Letters were also give to Vicar for Priests of the AD of Chicago. (AOC 008558)
8/30/1984 – Associate Pastor, St. Thomas Villanova Parish
6/13/1989- Associate Pastor, St. Pius X Parish
5/23/1995 Memo from Rev. Patrick O’Malley that 1984 victim’s family is upset that Buck is going to St. Priscilla’s. “If he [Buck] is willing to withdraw his name from St. Priscilla’s, then we can move on rather quietly.” (AOC 008600-008601)
5/27/1995 O’Malley meets with Buck who agrees to back away from the appointment at St. Priscilla’s. (AOC 008604-008605)
6/6/1995 Memo from Patrick O’Malley re Buck. Met with Victims family, they brought letter Buck wrote to the victim. “in 1984, Bishop Jakubowski had seen a copy of that letter. We have no copy in our files.” (AOC 008609-08611)
6/21/1995 O’Malley mandates that Buck not to be in the presence of minors, without another responsible adult present.” (AOC 008622-008624)
10/3/1995 Memo from Patrick O’Malley to Bernadette Connelley reporting allegations from 1984. “Through an oversight, this case was not present to the Cardinal’s Commission for review in ’91-‘92” (AOC 008636-008641)
11/6/1995 Letter from Buck to the Professional Fitness Review Board “Hindsight reveals that the relationship which developed in 1984 between victim and myself was professionally inappropriate, emotionally intense, and psychologically dangerous….. the girl was at a particularly vulnerable time in her life.” (AOC 008647-008651)
11/18/1995 The review board determines that Buck should not be withdrawn. (AOC 008655)
12/7/1995 Victim Statement Abstract: memo re meeting with Victim IK & her abuse. (AOC 008664)
12/15/1995- Associate Pastor, St. Francis of Rome Parish
2 12/16/1995 Buck allowed to return to parish ministry, the pastor is his monitor, restricted from being alone with minors, must meet monthly with the PFRA. (AOC 008669) Professional Fitness Review Board review report of Buck. (AOC 008670-008672)
1/4/1996 Letter to Cardinal Bernardin from the review board with Buck’s report. (AOC 008675)
10/18/1996 Letter from Buck to the Professional Fitness Review Board asking from the removal of all restrictions on his movements and associations as delineated in Protocol. (AOC 008690-008691)
11/16/1996 The Review Board voted unanimously to recommend that restrictions on Father Buck be lifted. (AOC 008694)
7/1/2001- Associate Pastor, St. Mary Parish
5/23/2002 Memo re Board determined there was reasonable cause to suspect that sexual misconduct did occur. (AOC 008888)
6/24/2002 Allegation of abuse (AOC 008894)
6/25/2002 Letter re Buck being withdrawn from ministry temporarily and Buck is required to report to Koenig Hall in Mundelein to take up residence effective immediately. (AOC 008895)
7/18/2002 Memo from Jim Kaczorowski to Carol Fowler re a new allegation against Buck that occurred 1980-1981. (AOC 008903)
10/16/02 Victim Statement Abstract: Response E-mail from Victim IM stating she was sexually abused by Buck and asking that he not be returned to ministry nor allowed reside at his lake house near her family’s home. (AOC 008928)
2/3/2003 Memo re allegations against Buck are credible. Unanimous 6-0 vote that misconduct occurred. (AOC 008968)
7/19/2003 Credible accusation (AOC 009113)
8/29/2003 Letter from George to McClusky referring the case to the Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith (AOC 009142)
9/3/2003 Letter from George to a friend of Buck (Mark Canavan) re his restriction of buck is temporary and when the canonical action is complete the force of the decree ends. (AOC 009144)
2/14/2004 New monitoring protocols signed by Buck “Signed under duress- see accompanying letter” (AOC 009158-009160)
7/22/2005 Decree signed by George finding Buck guilty of sexual misconduct with minors and his faculties are removed for 10 years; salary is that of an associate pastor; forbid Buck from visiting his lake house for fear of scandal; dispensed from wearing ecclesiastical garb. (AOC 009220-009224)
5/17/2006 Signed monitoring protocols “signed under duress” (AOC 009284-009285)
10/12/2006 Granted 10 days on his lake house to pack for sale of property (AOC 009312- 09313)
10/30/2006 Letter from Dan requesting to be called Rev. Daniel Buck, not just Dan Buck (AOC 009316-009317)