On October 29, 2013 a lawsuit was filed on behalf of a woman in her 30s, naming as defendants Fr. Robert Thurner and the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. The lawsuit claims the Archdiocese was negligent in allowing Father Thurner continued access to children.
In 1982, Thurner admitted to then-Archbishop Roach that he had sexually abused a 16 year-old boy and purchased alcohol for the boy. Despite Thurner’s admission, the Archdiocese chose to move Thurner into a new, unsuspecting parish where he subsequently abused Doe 23.
Read internal Archdiocesan documents below, including memos from Archbishop Roach and current St. Louis Archbishop Robert Carlson:
Summons and Complaint
Reverend Robert Michael Thurner Timeline
Memo from Archbishop Roach to Fr. Carlson and Msgr. Hayden re Fr. Thurner’s sexual relationship with a boy 11-11-1982
Letter from Fr. Thurner to Archbishop Roach re Fr. Thurner’s resignation from St. John the Evangelist
Letter from Archbishop Roach to Fr. Thurner re Fr. Thurner’s resignation from St. John the Evangelist – 11-12-1982
Memo from Fr. Korf to Archbishop Roach re Fr. Thurner’s resignation 4-13-1983
Fr. Thurner’s resignation form – St. John the Evangelist – 4-13-1983
Letter from Archbishop Roach accepting Fr. Thurner’s resignation from St. John the Evangelist 5-25-1983
Letter re Fr. Thurner being named Associate Pastor of St. Joseph’s 5-27-1983
Letter from Fr. O’Connell referring Thurner to Schoener – 5-5-1988
Memo from Fr. O’Connell re Thurner Lawsuit 6-7-1990
Thurner Answers to Interrogatories 9-24-1990
Letter from Sepler to Anderson re Joe Doe v. Archdioocese – 7-8-1991
News Release – Thurner 10-28-13
Archdiocesan Officals
Fr. Robert Thurner photo