News

As part of the recent settlement of the Doe 1 vs. Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis and Diocese of Winona civil lawsuit, the once-secret priest file of Gilbert Gustafson was publicly released on October 27, 2014, which included many documents that have never been public. In 1983, Gustafson was criminally convicted of sexually abusing a minor boy and was placed on probation for ten years. Following the conviction, Gustafson was allowed to remain working in the Archdiocese, collecting disability payments. One of Gustafson’s major projects was the revision and reissuance of the Archdi…

The Names of 17 Priests Accused of Child Sexual Abuse Added to Archdiocese’s List of Abusers Disclosures Part of Doe 1…

AUSTIN, Minn. — Two top administrators at a Catholic school in Austin have been fired after a high school teacher was charged with having sex with a minor student. The Diocese of Winona, which includes Austin, says Pacelli Catholic Schools President Jim Hamburge and Principal Mary Holtorf were fired after being put on leave last week. Former math teacher Mary Gilles was charged with six counts of third-degree criminal sexual conduct with a 17-year-old student earlier this month. The Diocese had said the administrators’ leave didn’t have to do with the charges against the 28-year-old. Diocese…

(St. Paul, MN) – Today an adult woman, Doe 20, abused by Fr. Michael Keating as a teenager, filed an amended complaint and issued a statement expressing deep sorrow and concern about Keating’s announcement last week that he was resigning from the University of St. Thomas for his own career objectives. This courageous young woman chose to file this complaint because Keating’s resignation was not only under false pretenses, but gives the impression he is not …

 September 22, 2014
Survivor of Sexual Abuse by Father Michael Keating Reacts to Keating’s Resignation out of Concern for Children
(St. Paul, MN) – Today an adult woman, Doe 20, abused by Fr. Michael Keating as a teenager, filed an amended complaint and issued a statement expressing deep sorrow and concern about Keating’s announcement last week that he was resigning from the University of St. Thomas for his own career objectives.
This courageous young woman chose to file this complaint because Keating’s resignation was not only under false pretenses, but gives the impression he is not …

Clear and Present Danger at St. John’s Abbey and
in the Diocese of St. Cloud

Father Louis Heitzer is believed to have abused young boys in every location he worked, ruining the lives of many, and was never held accountable for his actions. Ordained in 1942, Heitzer worked at several parishes during his 25+ years in the priesthood. He worked in cities including Winsted, St. Paul, Marshall, Sleepy Eye, Olivia, Winthrop, Clearwater, Heidelberg, Lexington, Union Hill, Forest Lake, Ivanhoe and Nevis, Minnesota. At least three Archbishops knew of Heitzer’s inappropriate behavior with children and numerous parents sent letters to Church officials detailing accounts of sexua…

(St. Paul, MN) – Today, Judge John Van de North issued an order bifurcating the Doe 1 v. Archdiocese of St. Paul & Minneapolis and Diocese of Winona civil lawsuit. The decision today to separately try the public nuisance claim before the negligence claim is a giant step forward for public safety and child protection. The trial for the public nuisance claim is scheduled to begin November 3, 2014, followed by the trial of the negligence claim on January 5, 2015. “The harm being done by the…