Ralph Goniea, OMI
Father Ralph Goniea was born in 1937 and ordained in 1963. Fr. Goniea worked in the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis and the Diocese of Duluth before he left the Oblates of Mary Immaculate religious order in 1966.
The Diocese of Duluth included Father Goniea on its official list of clergy members who have been credibly accused of child sexual abuse. The Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis released Father Goniea’s name to the public on October 23, 2014.
According to the Official Catholic Directory, the Diocese of Duluth and archdiocesan officials, Father Ralph Goniea worked in the following parishes:
- 1964-1965: Pastor, St. Casimir, St. Paul, MN (Archdiocese of St. Paul & Minneapolis)
- 1965-1966: Pastor, St. Jean, Duluth, MN (Diocese of Duluth)
- 1966: Left religious order
- 2003: Dead
Efforts to unseal the secret documents regarding clergy sexual abuse in the Diocese of Duluth began with the first lawsuit filed in June 2013. Since then, survivors have taken numerous actions to make the files public.
In October 2015, a jury verdict was handed down against the Diocese of Duluth in a child sexual abuse case in Ramsey County involving Fr. James Vincent Fitzgerald. On December 7, 2015, the Diocese of Duluth filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.
More information on the Diocese of Duluth bankruptcy can be found at:www.andersonadvocates.com/Bankruptcy