Donald Ulatowski
Ordained: 1956
- 1956-1963: St. Francis of Assisi, Chicago, IL (CHI)
- 1963-1973: St. Jane Frances de Chantal, Chicago, IL (CHI)
- 1973-1976: Immaculate Conception, Waukegan, IL (CHI)
- 1976-1980: St. Dismas, Waukegan, IL (CHI)
- 1980-1986: St. Francis of Assisi, Chicago, IL (CHI)
- 1986-1989: St. Gilbert, Grayslake, IL (CHI)
- 1989-1995: St. Maria Goretti, Schiller Park, IL (CHI)
- 1996: Unknown
- 1997-1999: 2839 County Z., Adams, WI (CHI)
- 1999: Died
Fr. Donald Francis Ulatowski was ordained in 1956. By 1994 the Archdiocese had received multiple reports of Fr. Ulatowski sexually abusing children. As a result, Fr. Ulatowski was placed on restrictions and monitoring from 1994 to 1999. In 1999 Fr. Ulatowski admitted to abusing children and subsequently retired from ministry. Fr. Ulatowski is included on the Archdiocese of Chicago’s list of “Clergy with Substantiated Allegations of Sexual Misconduct with Minors.”
Additional Information:
In 1994, parishioners reported that over the years, Ulatowski brought boys to his home in Wisconsin and in his room in the rectory. There were also reports that one boy was living in the rectory with the priest.
When Ulatowski denied sexual activity with the boys, he was allowed to remain in ministry. Soon, however, the Archdiocese put the priest on restriction, due to more allegations of “acting out sexually.” In February 1999, Fr. Paprocki told Ulatowski that he may return to ministry “after a time of healing.” But the healing was short-lived: Ulatowski admitted in May 1999 to abusing kids. Ulatowski retired on June 15 of that year and died two weeks later.
FR. DONALD ULATOWSKI DOCUMENTS
7/7/56 – Assistant Pastor, St. Francis of Assisi
7/9/63 – Assistant Pastor, St. Jane Frances de Chantal
6/13/73 – Assistant Pastor, Immaculate Conception
6/10/76 – Associate Pastor, St. Dismas
11/15/80 – Pastor, St. Francis of Assisi
8/10/86 – Associate Pastor, St. Gilbert
10/20/89 – Pastor, St. Maria Goretti
7/22/92 Memo to Ulatowski’s file saying a parishioner reported that Ulatowski appeared “tipsy” at the parish festival, he talks mostly to the kids, hugs the kids, and brings boys to his home in Wisconsin. The parishioner did not let her son go. “She did not tell me of Father’s abusing the children.” (AOC 006082- AOC 006083)
5/4/94 Memo from meeting confronting Ulatowski with allegations of sexual abuse of a minor. Ulatowski denied ever abusing the minor boy but admitted that he was alone in the rectory with the boy. He also admits that he may have accidentally brushed the upper leg of someone else, but it was never intentional. (AOC 006045- AOC 006055)
5/5/94 Review Board minutes finding that there is reasonable cause to suspect that Ulatowski engaged in sexual abuse of a minor. Restrictions recommended. (AOC 006070- AOC 006071)
5/11/94 Memo to Ulatowski’s file about a recent allegation of sexual abuse by Ulatowski. Since Ulatowski denies the allegations, withdrawal from his ministerial assignment was not warranted. (AOC 006037- AOC 006038)
5/14/94 Review Board minutes say that Ulatowski’s monitors have both seen two teenage boys spending a lot of time around Ulatowski, one of whom is a minor. The Board recommends that the Administrator meet with Ulatowski to reiterate his restrictions. (AOC 006065- AOC 006069)
5/17/94 Memo from a phone call with Fr. Kenneth Laske about Ulatowski and his relationships with boys. One boy lived in the rectory for a time and spent time in Ulatowski’s room with the door closed. Laske said Ulatowski always had young boys around. Ulatowski often brought them up to his cottage in Wisconsin. Laske never saw anything inappropriate between Ulatowski and the boy he lived with but Laske “felt uncomfortable” with the boy in Ulatowski’s room. Parishioners reported to Laske about Ulatowski’s behavior with the boy. (AOC 006086- AOC 006087)
5/31/94 Memo from a phone call with Fr. Anthony Chisek about Ulatowski. Chisek remembers Ulatowski bringing boys to his home in Wisconsin. Chisek had doubts about Ulatowski and thought his behavior “didn’t seem right.” (AOC 006088)
6/4/94 Penal Precept imposing restrictions on Ulatowski imposed “in order to preclude scandal arising from allegations of sexual misconduct with a minor … and in order to provide adequately for the safety of children and other minors.” (AOC 006036)
7/23/94 Monitoring and restriction protocols for Ulatowski include him not being alone with a minor, sending weekly itineraries, can substitute for another priest with prior approval, etc. (AOC 006024- AOC 006026)
11/27/95 Letter from the Chancellor, Fr. Paprocki, to Bishop Burke of the Diocese of La Crosse, WI informing him that Ulatowski is living in the Diocese of La Crosse under restrictions and he is not to be alone with a minor. (AOC 006022)
1996 Salary schedule shows Ulatowski receiving a salary from the Archdiocese each year from 1996-1999. (AOC 006072)
4/19/97 Review Board minutes indicate that there are still concerns that Ulatowski is “sexually acting out”. (AOC 006057)
5/30/97 Memo to the Review Board Administrator advising her that a seminarian was staying with Ulatowski during breaks in the school year. (AOC 006019- AOC 006020)
2/1/99 Letter from the Chancellor, Fr. Paprocki, to Ulatowski referencing conversations Ulatowski had with Cardinal Bernardin in 1994 about a possible return to ministry “after a period of healing.” (AOC 006012)
5/2/99 Letter from Ulatowski to the Review Board Administrator. In the letter Ulatowski admits that he has made errors in judgment in the past and he has “come to realize and accept mistakes in conduct and a great deal of stupidity.” (AOC 006010- AOC 006011)
6/15/99 Letter from Review Board Administrator to Ulatowski in part thanking him for retiring before the new school year “keeping questions and rumors to a minimum.” (AOC 006008)
6/30/99 – Decea