Thomas Job
Ordained: 1970
- 1970-1975: St. John Vianney, Northlake, IL (CHI)
- 1970-1975: St. John Vianney, Northlake, IL (CHI)
- 1983-1986: St. Joseph, Libertyville, IL (CHI)
- 1987-1990: St. Bede, Ingleside, IL (CHI)
- 1991: Resigned
- 1991-2010: Unknown
- 2010: Laicized
- 2010-2019: Unknown
Fr. Thomas J. Job abused at least 6 boys before ordination in 1970 and is alleged to have abused at least 18 boys during his career as a priest. Fr. Job resigned from the priesthood in 1991 and was laicized in 2010. Fr. Job has been named in at least one civil lawsuit. Fr. Job is listed in the Archdiocese of Chicago’s list of Archdiocesan Priests with Substantiated Allegations of Sexual Misconduct with Minors. Fr. Job’s whereabouts and whether he has access to children are unknown.
A Member of the Vatican 400
Molesting since seminary, dumped into society 30 years later
Secular employer only learns about Job’s molesting past by reading about it
in the newspaper
Like many of the other priests whose files were recently released, the Thomas Job file indicates questionable conduct with young boys for years before he was ordained a priest. In fact, Job was reported to have had inappropriate conduct with kids all during seminary and at each of his assignments as a priest, often taking boys to a cabin he owned with another priest.
Despite Job’s questionable history back to the 1960’s, it isn’t until 1983 that Job was under any kind of direct supervision (“monitoring”) and told that he was not allowed to be around children.
Monitoring doesn’t work. Throughout the 1980s, Job was still abusing kids and then writing his victims to apologize. The problem became so bad that the principal at one of the parish schools where Job worked quit her position because Job would not stay away from the children, and the Archdiocese refused to help her stop him. In 1987, Job requested a leave of absence for this emotional health—mostly due to fears about being exposed in the press. The Archdiocese supported Job, but stated in a confidential letter that they had full knowledge of the legal responsibility they had over him.
By 1988, when Cardinal Bernardin and Bishop Goedert assigned Job to St. Bede’s parish, they know that Job was still spending time with boys, videotaping sports practices and taking boys to his cabin in Fox Lake. Although Job told his supervisors that he had no contact with kids, the Archdiocese was still receiving reports that he was taking kids to his cabin for the next two years.
Job finally resigned in 1991 when the Archdiocese concluded that it was too risky for Job to remain a priest. Job still performed funerals and other sacramental duties, against the terms of his resignation.
Cardinal George only declared Job a priest “not in good standing” when Job’s employer called the Archdiocese in 2003 after reading about allegations against Job in the newspaper.
Job wasn’t laicized until 2010, a part of the “Vatican 400” — 400 child molesting priests laicized by Pope Benedict between 2010 and 2012.
TIMELINE OF DOCUMENTS – THOMAS JOB
Prior to Ordination
9/3/65 Letter from Barry Horner to Monsignor Foley. Job “spent every day where helping me in many ways and getting other boys of the parish to work with him on these projects.” (AOC 003409)
According to 2008 Investigative Report, Father John Tapper told investigators that while Job was enrolled in seminary, he propositioned a child for some type of sexual act at St. Peter Damian Parish in Bartlett where he was volunteering at the time. (AOC 003385)
1967 Job’s Summer Letter: “I took a week and a half off to do some camping. I took four boys from the parish along, and went down to the Smoky Mountains in North California.” (AOC 003410)
9/5/67 Letter from Thomas Horne of St. Peter Damian Parish to Monsignor Gorman regarding Job, “he does not work alone but has a group of boys who work with him.” (AOC 003410) According to 2008 Report, Job sexually abused a student at Santa Maria del Popolo. The abuse consisted of Job hugging the student from behind and putting his hands down and under the student’s pants “give or take 20 incidents.” (AOC 003405) According to 2009 statement, Job sexually abused a minor by encouraging the child to go swimming with Job wearing only his underwear and pulling the naked child onto his knee. Job told the boys that swimsuits were optional and supervised the minors changing in the locker room. (AOC 003369- AOC 003370)
6/1/2009 Letter from John O’Malley to the State’s Attorney’s Office stating that the Archdiocese received information from Fr. Thomas Baima that a minor may have been sexually abused by Job at Mundelein Seminary when Job was assigned to Santa Maria as a deacon. (AOC 003338)
1969 According to a 2004 Report, Job sexually abused a child. The abuse consisted of physical examination, sexual talk, sleeping in the same bed, showering together, mutual oral sex, masturbation and providing alcohol to the minor. (AOC 003400) According to a 2008 Report, Job sexually abused a 12-year-old minor approximately 20 times between 1970 and 1971. The abuse consisted of hugging and fondling in Job’s car and at the rectory. (AOC 003345)
1970 According to a 2008 Report, Job sexually abused an 11 to 12 year old while at Santa Maria Del Popolo. The abused consisted of hugging and fondling in at the rectory, school and in Job’s car. (AOC 003345)
1970 – Ordained
5/30/70 Letter from Fr. Job to Cardinal Cody regarding his first assignment. Job did not want to work with the deaf and requested to be assigned to his deacon assignment at Santa Maria. (AOC 003414)
7/11/70 – Vicarius Cooperator, St. John Vianney
1970s According to 2006 Report, Job sexually abused a minor at St. John Vianney parish and in his car while the minor was in elementary school in the early 1970s. The abuse consisted of fondling. (AOC 003292)
According to 2006 Report, a survivor disclosed that he as “assaulted” by Job. The abuse consisted of Job unbuckling the child’s pants and fondling his genitals and holding the child’s leg while sitting next to him in the car. (AOC 003403)
According to 2008 Report, Job sexually abused a child at St. John Vianney. The abuse consisted of inappropriate discussions about girlfriends and survivor’s arousal, masturbation, and giving the child alcohol and took place at the school, a hotel room and in Job’s quarters at the rectory. (AOC 003406)
1/23/74 Granted faculties in Joliet by the Chancellor. (AOC 003414)
According to 2006 Report, Job sexually abused a minor at St. John Vianney Parish while the minor was in elementary school. The abuse consisted of fondling.
According to a 2004 Report, Job sexually abused a child at St. John Vianney parish when the child was in the third or fourth grade and continued until he was in the seventh grade and consisted of hugging, kissing, fondling and mutual oral sex. (AOC 003310)
According to a 2008 Report, Job sexually abused a 14-year old at St. John Vianney School and Rectory and on an out-of-state trip. The abuse consisted of Job providing the survivor with alcohol and exposing himself and masturbating in front of the child, fondling the child and asking the child to touch Fr. Job. (AOC 003324)
1974 – 1977 According to a 2012 Report, Job abused a sixth to eighth grade student at St. John Vianney parish school and church. The abuse consisted of hugging and fondling. (AOC 003362) Survivor reported telling both of his parents in the mid to late 1970s and reporting the abuse to the Northlake Police Department at the time. (AOC 003365)
6/10/76 – Associate Pastor, St. Cletus in La Grange
1976 -1978 Writer meets with Job monthly at the request of Fr. Richard Keating, Chancellor of the Archdiocese, because of Job’s “inappropriat[e] behavior with some children in Northlake” (AOC 003160)
According to an April 24, 2002 letter, a mother of a survivor writes that her son was abused by Job in the 1970s and early 1980s at St. Cletus Church. (AOC 003308)
1978 According to a 1983 Report, Job taught boys how to masturbate, beginning in 7th or 8th grade through high school. The abuse occurred in the cleric’s quarters in the rectory and at the cleric’s home near Great America. (AOC 003402)
6/8/82 – Associate Pastor, St. Joseph’s, Libertyville, IL
11/83 Report that Job had engaged in sexual activities with a 17 year old at St. Cletus, La Grange. (AOC 003208)
Job agrees to monthly supervisory sessions with Vicar for Priests and ordered to avoid further contacts with young people. (AOC 003208)
Fr. Ventura begins meeting with Job. (AOC 003208)
11/14/83 Handwritten letter concerning Job. Abuse allegation by a student who attended St. Cletus in 1978. (AOC 003171)
Letter from Job to student at St. Cletus, apologizing for “what [he] did to [him].” (AOC 003277)
4/21/84 Handwritten note re: Job, mother found a letter to her son from Job and wants no contact between Job and the recipient. (AOC 003172)
4/23/84 Writer called the Cardinal and outlined the form of the case without mentioning the names. The Cardinal told the writer that “he need not know the names unless charges are brought or there is some resistance or difficulty on the part of the priest.” (AOC 003173)
7/24/85 Writer’s meeting with Job noting that Job “had some appetite about the NCR article and subsequent publicity on pedophile cases.” (AOC 003174)
11/85 Sister Peg Ivers, former principal of St. John Vianney Parish, Northbrook, informs that there had been accusations of improper activities between Fr. Job and boys when he served as associate at that parish. (AOC 003208)
When contacted in 2007 re: an abuse allegation of Fr. Job at St. John Vianney, Sr. Peg shared frustrations with attempting to notify the appropriate archdiocesan offices regarding her concerns with Fr. Job and boys while she was still the principal. Sr. Peg stated she finally resigned from her position because she “couldn’t take it anymore” (AOC 003214)
7/15/86 Letter from pastor of St. Joseph’s, Libertyville to Vicar of Priests regarding the possibility of Fr. Job stealing from the collections. (AOC 003199)
9/26/86 Letter from Fr. Ventura to Cardinal Bernadin re: Job’s progress report.
3/4/87 Letter from Fr. Kealy to the Office of the Chancellor regarding his interview with Fr. James O’Connor, pastor of St. Joseph’s Church in Libertyville. Fr. O’Connor seeks advice from Fr. Kealy because he believes Job is stealing money from the parish. He also states that Job would have teenage boys visit his room. When he confronted Job, “Tom (Job) denied anything was wrong but the boys didn’t come up anymore or if they did it was always in groups.” (AOC 003168)
4/8/87 Vicar of Priests’ handwritten note regarding Job’s taking a leave of absence because he has “been getting very worried about all the articles in the newspaper” “feels [he] needs to get away from rectory, public life, to sort things out.” (AOC 003205) Writes that he is “in the middle of controversy.” (AOC 003206)
4/22/87 Memo from Vicar of Priests Fr. Ventura to Cardinal Bernadin re: Job requesting a leave for reasons of emotional health. Ventura recommends that Cardinal Bernadin grant it to him and that his return “involve a sensitive but effective supervisory relationship with the Vicar for Priests and a new pastor.” (AOC 003203)
Ventura writes “I feel that we need to be both supportive to Tom (Job) and conscientious about our legal and moral responsibilities as well.” (AOC 003204)
5/22/87 Letter from Archbishop to Job acceding request for leave of absence for health reasons and reminding him to be in contact with the Vicar for Priests during his absence, effective 6/14/1987. (AOC 003414)
Memo from Father Velo to Father Ventura re: Job’s financial compensation while on leave. Velo states that Venutra said at the May 1st personal board meeting that “it would be best for Jim O’Connor to be out of the picture.” (AOC 003202)
6/14/87 – Leave of Absence
8/22/87 Letter from Fr. Ventura to Cardinal Bernadin summarizing meeting with Job and advising that the Archdiocese insist on an ongoing system of supervision if Job is to return to active ministry. (JOB-CB3-00018)
11/19/87 Confidential Memo of Cardinal Bernadin to file stated that he met with Fr. Job on 11/12/1987, and Job was doing much better and “looking forward to his return to parish work” but “is opposed to supervision because he feels he doesn’t need it.” (AOC 003274)
12/18/87 Memo from Ray Geodert to Ventura, stating phone call from Jim O’Connor, the pastor of St. Joseph in Libertyville expressing concern about Job. “Reports he has heard recently to the effect that Tom (Job) is still taking kids up to his cottage at Fox Lake” which he owns with Tom Franzman (AOC 003199) O’Connor learned from a high school boy that “Job video tapes the people going through their gymnastic routines” at the gym. (AOC 003199) O’Connor mentioned that when “Job was at his first assignment in Northlake, there was a big complaint about him there too” (AOC 003199)
12/29/87 Ventura called the Vicar for Priests and stated that Job wants the position at St. Bede’s. Ventura will “confront Job on the question as to whether he is still taking young people to his cottage.”
12/87 Letter from Ventura to Cardinal Bernadin recommending Job be transferred to St. Bede’s per his request and be supervised on-site and by the Vicar for Priests. (AOC 003198)
1/8/88 Message to Cardinal Bernadin from Fr. Velo stating that the board discussed Job and Raymond Goedert was present at the meeting and the consensus is that “it is in the Cardinal and Father Ventura’s hands if he feels that St. Bede’s is a good place.” Velo warns that “Bob Fitzpatrick has already indicated that he has concern about Job being assigned there.” (AOC 003430; AOC 003442)
1/12/88 Handwritten letter from Ventura to Cardinal Bernadin following up on their conversation. Ventura writes that Job agrees to the proposal that he be assigned associate at St. Bedes and that Bob Fitzpatrick will be Job’s onsite supervisor. (AOC 003414)
1/14/88 – Associate Pastor, St. Bede’s, Ingleside, IL
5/7/88 Mother of a child Job molested while at St. Cletus contacts the Archdiocese of Chicago. She states she talked to Fr. Ventura and he said something would be done but she hasn’t heard anything in a year or more.
Parishioner called to ask if Job still had contact with children. Writer tells parent that he doubts it very much because “now a days we notify the pastor of the nature of the problem and place a mandate upon the individual that he must not be in the presence of children without another adult.” (AOC 003163)
There were boys who were known around the parish as Fr. Job’s boys. Son was in rectory practically every night and spent a lot of time there on weekends. Writer suggested that he would convey this information to Fr. McDonagh, who has been working on the case. (AOC 003164)
5/9/88 Memo to file re: Job. Writer called Ventura to see whether Job is being supervised. Job is not really in contact with anyone regarding supervision. (AOC 003194)
6/8/88 At Goedert’s request, [Redacted] meets with woman whose son was “involved with Fr. Job while he was still in grammar school.” “Fr. Job wrote apologizing for sexual experiences” The mother requested a meeting to find out if anyone is monitoring Job and if he is in contact with small boys at parish where he is now. (AOC 003162)
6/28/8 Letter to Ray Goedert from [Redacted] re: interview with Job where interviewer quested whether Job was getting professional help and supervision in his present assignment. Reminds Job that diocese administration has obligation to “monitor anyone who has had this kind of problem.” (AOC 003161)
10/9/89 Letter to Vicar of Priests from A.J. McDonagh re: Job stating that the two had a positive session. (AOC 003272)
2/14/90 Letter to Vicar of Priests re: visit from Job with Andy McDonagh stating that “Fr. Tom (Job) says he has no contact with children except for blessing of throats.” (AOC 003271)
3/20/90 Letter to Ray Goedert from Andy McDonagh summarizing his monthly meeting with Fr. Job. McDonagh advised Job in light of the publication of Archdiocesan Policy on Pedophilia. (AOC 003193)
6/1/90 Letter from Job to Cardinal Bernadin asking for permission to continue substance abuse treatment certification. (AOC 003429)
6/18/90 Memo to file from Rev. Andrew McDonagh accounting events regarding Job. Fr. Fitz reported that “boys were visiting Fr. Tom (Job) in Fr. Tom’s house” and that “he spoke to Fr. Tom 3 months ago and that maybe Fr. Tom should consider leaving” and that “he is worried about this much more than his other problems” (AOC 003159)
6/29/90 Vicar of Priests memo to file that “Job is considered a high risk both regarding liability and scandal” (AOC 003417)
7/16/90 Memo to file from Andrew McDonagh re: Job. McDonagh writes that Bob Fitz “had been very concerned the last 3 or 4 months about Fr. Job’s behavior in the parish with the children” and “talked to Tom about considering leaving St. Bede in view of the fact that Fr. Tom was having children at his home in the parish.” (AOC 003188)
9/5/90 Letter from Andrew McDonagh to Archbishop re: update on Job moving out of St. Bede and working at the Lake County Alcohol Center but still living in St. Bede. (AOC 003427)
8/26/91 Memo to file from Rev. Andrew McDonagh stating that he told Job “about our ongoing concern that he is not in a more closely supervised environment” and that he was concerned “because his name had been mentioned it in of the depositions” (AOC 003184)
10/31/91 Letter from Job to Cardinal Bernadin regarding his resignation. Job writes that he has “come to realize that [he] will never be trusted to function without supervision.” Letter states “I’m sure the legal department of the diocese would rejoice over your acceptance of my resignation – and I truly can understand why” Job asks that the Bishop consider a compromise but in the event that is not possible, the resignation letter is attached. (AOC 003155)
11/22/91 Cardinal Bernadin accepts Job’s resignation. (AOC 003291)
4/28/03 Letter from Chancellor Jimmy Lago to Job stating that the Archdiocese received a request for endorsement for Job to do a baptism and reminding Job that he has resigned as a priest and agreed not to function as such. (AOC 003322)
10/18/04 Letter from Rev. Thomas P. Conde to Chancellor’s Office stating that Job performed a funeral in Libertyville despite his ecclesiastical status. (AOC 003321)
11/3/05 Memo from Leah McCluskey to file re: conversation with Job’s employer after the employer saw a news article with Job’s name. The employer spoke of “always feeling that something was not right with Job” and that Job “had boys/young men working for him to help out” whenever she visited his home. (JOB-CB5-00828)
11/3/05 Cardinal George enters declaration that Job is not a priest in good standing. (AOC 003320)
11/6/05 Memo re: conversation between Cardinal George and Leah McCluskey regarding Fr. Job. When informed that Job had resigned but not laicized, George directed McCluskey to contact Bishop Raymond Goedert to start the laicization process. (AOC 003421)
11/6/05 Letter from Father Tim Fairman in St. Bede’s Newsletter re: Archdiocese’s settlement with victim-survivor of Job. (AOC 003260)
11/11/05 Letter from Co-Vicar Vincent Costello to Job telling Job to desist based on “rumors over the last couple of years you have been engaged in doing some of the things priests often do, like distributing Holy Communion and offering retreats.” (AOC 003257)
8/26/08 Email from Fr. Grace to Jim Molloy re: investigation of Job and potential knowledge of Archbishop Wilton Gregory who was a seminarian with Job. (AOC 003359) (Gregory was not listed as part of the written investigation)
12/29/08 Letter from Cardinal George to Leah McCluskey stating that he has petitioned the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith to ask that Job be dismissed from the clerical state. (AOC 003336)
10/6/08 Letter from Hillard Heintze to Archdiocese of Chicago attaching investigative report in the matter of Job. (AOC 003371)
7/8/10 Letter re: Job’s laicization which took effect on 6/14/2010. (AOC 003368)
6/30/11 Daily Herald article re: Job’s sentencing for felony theft. (AOC 003366- AOC 003367)