Michael Jerome Keating
Father Michael Jerome Keating Ph.D. was ordained in 2002 by the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. Father Keating, once a member of the Companions of Christ in St. Paul, MN and Servants of the Word, in Ann Arbor, MI, has taken a leave of absence from his position as a tenured Associate Professor of Catholic Studies at University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, MN. Keating is accused of sexually abusing at least four underage girls between 1997 and 2000 while in seminary.
Keating is accused of having irresponsible, emotional involvement and tentative dating behavior with young girls, including Doe 20, who filed a sexual abuse lawsuit on October 14, 2013. Father Keating would form inappropriate relationships with young girls which crossed emotional boundaries and included passionate physical encounters. Father Keating was formally released from the Companions of Christ after several situations were reviewed by the clergy review board in St. Paul, MN.
Keating earned a Ph.D. in History from Notre Dame University in South Bend, IN, and a Masters of Divinity from the University of St. Thomas. Father Keating received both a B.A and M.A. from the University of Michigan Ann Arbor.
Father Michael Jerome Keating spent a considerable amount of time in Italy where he studied at the Angelicum, Roma and prior to his leave of absence worked as the Rome Program Director at the Habiger Institute for Catholic Leadership at the University of St. Thomas.
Internal memoranda between Archdiocesan officials recently obtained by Minnesota Public Radio indicate that the Archdiocese investigated several allegations of Fr. Keating’s misconduct with young women in 2006 and that the University of St. Thomas was to be made aware of the Archdiocese’s findings. Several Archdiocesan officials were involved in the investigation, including Fr. Kevin McDonough, Archbishop Harry Flynn, and Andy Eisenzimmer. During the course of the investigation, in addition to Plaintiff Doe 20’s report of misconduct, MPR noted that additional allegations were uncovered against Keating as demonstrated by a February 2, 2006 memorandum. A <href=”#document/p1/a127379″>March 13, 2008 memorandum as referenced by the MPR story indicates that Dr. Briel, Director for the Center of Catholic Studies at the University of St. Thomas, was to be made aware of the conclusion of the investigation into Fr. Keating. The same memorandum indicates that the Archdiocese’s investigation resulted in exculpating Fr. Keating of any wrongdoing.
Documents:
February 2, 2006 Memorandum from Fr. Kevin McDonough to Archbishop Flynn summarizing the beginning of investigations into Fr. Keating’s relationships with young women.
February 3, 2006 Memorandum from Father Kevin McDonough to Archbishop Flynn and <href=”#document/p1/a127531″>Andy Eisenzimmer regarding a conversation with a Michigan woman about Fr. Keating’s “inattentive seductiveness.”
February 6, 2006 Memorandum from Father Kevin McDonough to <href=”#document/p1/a127532″>Andy Eisenzimmer summarizing attempts to track down a young woman from Italy whom allegedly visited for Fr. Keating’s ordination.
May 5, 2006 Memorandum from Father Kevin McDonough to Archbishop Flynn, Bishop Pates, and Andy Eisenzimmer indicating that based on the findings of the Archdiocese’s investigation, Fr. Keating will either be disqualified from further ministry or they will work on the question of his seductiveness.
March 13, 2008 Memorandum from Father Kevin McDonough to Archbishop Flynn, Sister Dominica, and Andy Eisenzimmer summarizing the conclusion of the Archdiocese’s investigation into Fr. Keating’s conduct