A new report by the Michigan Department of Attorney General suggests that the 1970s and 80's were the peak decades for alleged instances of sexual misconduct involving clerics of the Diocese of Lansing – with over half of all such alleged incidents, since 1950 until now, said to have occurred during those two decades.
The report, published today, also confirms that the Diocese of Lansing has long cooperated with law enforcement in referring allegations of clerical sexual abuse of minors to the civil authorities. Such referrals have been mandatory since the adoption of the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People by the U.S. Bishops in 2002 but also occurred, as today’s report confirms, in prior years too.
“Having read this long and detailed report, my heart breaks for all those who have suffered due to the evil of clerical sexual abuse which is a great betrayal of Jesus Christ, His Holy Church, the priesthood, and, most gravely, those victims – and their families – who were harmed physically, emotionally, but above all spiritually when they were so young,” said Bishop Earl Boyea, who has been at the helm of the Diocese of Lansing since 2008.
“To all those injured by such criminal and immoral actions I say clearly and without hesitation: these terrible things should never have happened to you; I am so deeply sorry that they ever did; please be assured of my prayers, penance, love and support.”
In September 2018 the Department of Attorney General launched an investigation into the seven Catholic dioceses of Michigan with the aim of discovering if dioceses were complying with their statutory obligation to report sexual abuse of minors by clerics, while also seeking to prosecute any additional cases. The term “cleric” refers to any ordained man in Holy Orders, namely bishops, priests and deacons.
Today’s report into the Diocese of Lansing is the fourth such diocesan report to be published by the Attorney General since October 2022. It is based upon a six-year review of the internal files of the Diocese of Lansing covering the period 1950 to 2018 as well as any additional allegations received over the last six years.
A determination of guilt was recorded by the Department of Attorney General in today's report only in those cases that had resulted in a criminal conviction. Hence, all other allegations catalogued within the Attorney General report remain, just that, an allegation and not a determination of guilt. In these cases, the Attorney General did not investigate or assess the credibility of the allegation.
The report’s key findings are:
• 55 clerics – including 48 priests – within the Diocese of Lansing were subject to an allegation of sexual misconduct between 1950 and 2024. In total, this amounted to 152 accusations of sexual misconduct over a 74-year period.
• Of those accused, five priests were subsequently criminally convicted of abusing a minor.
• Over two-thirds of clerics subject to an allegation of sexual misconduct are now dead.
• No priest subject to an accusation of sexual misconduct presently has an active assignment within the Diocese of Lansing.
• The Diocese of Lansing currently lists 23 clerics as being credibly accused of abuse, including the five convicted priests. This list is available on the diocesan website.
• The 1970s and 80’s were the peak decade for alleged instances of sexual abuse accounting, as they did, for more than half of all such alleged incidents. See graph.
• The Diocese received most allegations many years after the abuse had taken place.
By way of statistical context, the Diocese of Lansing has been served by a total of 1,691 priests since its foundation in 1937. That number consists of 483 diocesan priests, 534 religious priests, and another 674 priests who were ordained for another diocese or religious order but who have resided, even temporarily, in the Diocese of Lansing.
The Attorney General investigation also aimed to pursue, where possible, additional charges of clergy sexual abuse. Hence, during the investigation, the Attorney General prosecuted and convicted two clerics from the Diocese of Lansing: 75-year-old Timothy Crowley, who was removed from ministry by the diocese in 2002 and laicized in 2015; and the late Fr. Vincent DeLorenzo who was also removed from ministry in 2002 and died earlier this year, at the age of 84, before the process of laicization was finalized. The Attorney General’s report found that the Diocese of Lansing had previously referred each of these cases to law enforcement.
“Six years ago, the Attorney General raided our offices expecting to find ongoing crimes and a coverup but, instead, they found a partner equally committed to eradicating abuse and files showing diocesan cooperation with law enforcement for over twenty years," said the Diocese of Lansing’s General Counsel, Will Bloomfield, who was an Assistant Attorney General for the State of Michigan for seven years before joining the diocese in 2019.
"Tragically, there have been awful instances of abuse, nearly all predating the 2002 Bishop’s Charter, but it’s encouraging that the Church’s zero tolerance policy towards sexual abuse of minors has been working as most accounts of abuse predate the Charter. And since at least 2002, the Diocese has been referring all allegations to law enforcement and removing any clerics credibly accused of abuse of a minor."
"Additionally, since 2019 we have made further reforms to ensure that all allegations of grave clerical misconduct, including those involving adult victims, are professionally investigated and reviewed by a body of lay professionals called the Code of Conduct Advisory Council.”
Most of the allegations contained within the report have already been assessed for credibility by Diocese of Lansing officials with the assistance of the diocesan Review Board. The board has been assessing such allegations since, at least, 2002. Of the 55 clerics listed in today’s A.G. report, 23 are listed in the Diocese of Lansing’s List of Credibly Accused Clerics. This list is available to view on the diocesan website.
“It’s also important to remember that not all clerics mentioned within the AG report are guilty of abuse," added Will Bloomfield, "As the report says, unless there was a criminal conviction, these are allegations and not determinations of guilt.”
Another protocol required by the 2002 U.S. Bishop’s Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People is the employment of a Victim Assistance Coordinator by dioceses to help victims heal from their abuse, as well as a Safe Environment Coordinator who implements safeguarding training in parishes, schools, and other agencies across the Diocese of Lansing. The Diocese’s Safe Environment policies are independently audited each year.
“We want every parish and school within the diocese to be the safest place you can leave your kids – that’s why, since 2002, the Diocese of Lansing has been training adults and children as part of our Safe Environment Program,” explained the Diocese of Lansing’s Chief of Staff, Lisa Kutas.
“The Diocese currently has 8,000 adult clerics, staff and volunteers in parishes who are compliant with the Protecting God’s Children training and background check requirements. This year alone, the Diocese has trained over 6,000 children in these sessions. These trainings are working – although we will never become complacent. We all have a role to play in keeping our kids safe.”
In the wake of the publication of today’s report, Bishop Earl Boyea has invited all Catholics across the Diocese of Lansing offer a day of prayer and fasting on Friday, December 20 in reparation for all those harmed by clerical misconduct.
* The Diocese of Lansing is committed to cooperating with law enforcement and supporting victims of abuse. If anyone has reason to suspect physical, sexual or emotional abuse of any person of any age, please contact Protective Services or the police, as appropriate. If clerical abuse is suspected, contact the office of the Michigan Attorney General Investigation hotline at 844-324-3374. For healing and support, please also contact the Diocesan Victim Assistance Coordinator at (888) 308-6252 or email: vac@dioceseoflansing.org.
