List of clergy with a credible allegation of sexual abuse of a minor

This list of clergy who have served in the Diocese of Lansing (1937 until present) and were subject to a credible allegation of sexual abuse of a minor is divided into six categories:

I.    Diocese of Lansing clergy permanently removed from ministry;
II.   Diocese of Lansing deceased clergy;
III.  Extern clergy – clergy of other dioceses – that had a credible allegation of sexual abuse of a minor during their time in the Diocese of Lansing; and
IV.    Religious Order clergy with a credible allegation of sexual abuse of a minor during their time in the Diocese of Lansing.
V.    Clergy from another diocese, who have been adjudged by that diocese to have a credible allegation of sexual abuse of a minor against them, and are known to be residing in the Diocese of Lansing.
VI.    Deceased Bishops with a credible allegation of sexual abuse of a minor.

For purposes of this list, the term “credible allegation” means that diocesan officials have determined, that regarding an allegation of clerical sexual abuse of a minor made to the Diocese, one or more of the following exists:

  • With the assistance of the Diocesan Review Board, the Bishop of Lansing determined that the allegation was credible, i.e., that the allegation appeared to be true;
  • The accused admitted the allegation;
  • The allegation resulted in a criminal conviction;
  • The allegation resulted in the accused’s removal from ministry or laicization; or
  • The allegation resulted in a civil settlement with either the accused or the Diocese.

This list was originally published on September 27, 2019 and is based on the Diocese of Lansing's best available records at that time. The Diocese intends to update this list should new information become available. The list of names was compiled with the assistance of the Diocese of Lansing’s Review Board for the Sexual Abuse of Minors, including past Review Board chairs. 

The published figures as of September 27, 2019 listed a total of 17 priests who have been subject to a credible allegation of sexual abuse of a minor during that time: 13 diocesan priests; three priests from religious orders; and one priest from another diocese.

For each of the clergy listed below, the following information is given as available and if applicable: year of ordination, year of incardination, date of senior priest status (i.e. retirement from active ministry), date of removal and/or laicization, date of death, and listing of assignments.

Zero-tolerance policy:

The Diocese of Lansing has a zero-tolerance policy regarding sexual abuse of minors. Those with credible allegations are removed from ministry. The diocese is aware of no one currently active in ministry within the diocese who has abused a child. The diocese is committed to cooperating fully with law enforcement so that anyone who harms children can be brought to justice.

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 abuse by anyone connected to the Church 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.

An asterisk * by the name is also included if the cleric had multiple allegations against him.

I. Diocese of Lansing clergy permanently removed from ministry:

Crowley, Timothy
Ordained for the Congregation of the Holy Ghost – 1976
Incardinated to Diocese of Lansing – 1982
Removed from ministry – 7/15/02
Laicized - 6/26/15

Assignments

St Patrick, Brighton - Parochial Vicar
Holy Rosary, Flint – Parochial Vicar
St Mary Star of the Sea, Jackson - Parochial Vicar
St Anthony of Padua, Hillsdale – Pastor
St Thomas the Apostle, Ann Arbor – Pastor
Archdiocese of Anchorage


* Guoan, Paul James 
Ordained – 1987
Removed from ministry – 3/11/02
Laicized - 6/26/15

Assignments

St Pius X, Flint – Parochial Vicar
St Robert Bellarmine, Flushing – Parochial Vicar
St Gerard, Lansing – Parochial Vicar
SS Charles and Helena, Clio - Pastor
Jackson Area Hospital Chaplain, In-Residence, Queen of the Miraculous Medal, Jackson
Jackson Area Prison Chaplain, In-Residence, St Mary Star of the Sea, Jackson
St Joseph Home, Jackson – Sacramental Minister


* Novak, James Martin
Ordained – 1957
Senior Priest status - 6/25/97
Removed from ministry – 11/25/02
Laicized – 5/14/21

Assignments

St John the Evangelist, Jackson – Parochial Vicar
St Luke, Flint – Parochial Vicar
St John, Benton Harbor – Parochial Vicar
St Ann, Cassopolis – Pastor
Office of Catholic Education, Lansing Catholic Central High School
St Agnes, Fowlerville – Parochial Administrator
St Joseph, Owosso – Pastor
St Therese, Lansing – Pastor
St Mary, Westphalia – Pastor

II. Diocese of Lansing deceased clergy:

Aubin, Joseph Emile 
Ordained – 1961
Senior Priest Status – 6/26/02
Removal from public ministry - 11/15/2018
Died - 4/15/20

Assignments

St Paul, Owosso – Parochial Vicar
St Leo, Flint – Parochial Vicar
St Philip, Battle Creek – Parochial Vicar
Michigan Boys Training School - Chaplain
St Isidore, Laingsburg – Pastor
St John the Evangelist, Davison – Pastor
St. Mary, Durand – Pastor

* DeLorenzo, Vincent Anthony 
Ordained – 1965
Removed from ministry – 1/23/02
Died - 1/26/24

Assignments

St Thomas Aquinas, East Lansing – Parochial Vicar
St Joseph, Kalamazoo – Parochial Vicar
St Augustine, Kalamazoo – Parochial Vicar
St Casimir, Lansing – Parochial Vicar
St Pius X, Flint – Pastor
St Robert Bellarmine, Flushing – Pastor
Holy Redeemer, Burton – Pastor

Fitzgerald, Alexander Thomas
Ordained – 1942
Senior Priest Status – June 1989
Died – July 5, 1996
 
Assignments
 
Parochial Vicar, St. Mary Cathedral, Lansing
Parochial Vicar, St. John, Benton Harbor
Parochial Vicar, Holy Redeemer, Flint (Burton)
Resident, St. George Church, George West, TX
St. Joseph Home for Boys, Jackson, Michigan
Parochial Vicar, St. Luke, Flint
Pastor, St. Joseph, Gaines
Pastor, St. Mary, Williamston
Pastor, St. Edward, Mendon
Pastor, St. Ambrose, Parchment
Pastor, St. Mary, Jackson

* Healy, Terrence M
Ordained for Diocese of Marquette – 1968
Incardinated to Diocese of Lansing – 1985
Removed from ministry - 9/4/87
Laicized - 6/12/92
Died - 1/1/19 

Assignments

Holy Family, Grand Blanc – Parochial Vicar
St Francis of Assisi, Ann Arbor – Parochial Vicar
St Joseph, Saint Johns – Parochial Vicar
Holy Family, Ovid – Parochial Administrator
Holy Family, Ovid – Pastor
St John the Baptist, Howell – Pastor

Kelly, Michael Robert
Ordained – 1976
Left active ministry - 12/1/83
Laicized - 2/9/92
Died – 11/2/22
 
Assignments
 
St Thomas the Apostle, Ann Arbor – Parochial Vicar
St Michael, Flint – Parochial Vicar
Holy Family Grand Blanc – Parochial Vicar
St Therese, Lansing – In-Residence
St Casimir, Lansing – Parochial Vicar
St Mary Cathedral, Lansing – Parochial Vicar

* Lee, James William Jr 
Ordained – 1948
Senior Priest status - 10/15/84
Died - 1/25/92

Assignments

St John, Benton Harbor – Parochial Vicar
Resurrection, Lansing – Parochial Vicar
St John the Evangelist, Jackson – Parochial Vicar
St James, Mason - Pastor
Our Lady of the Pines, Nevis, Minnesota – In-Residence
St Alice, Plainview, TX – In-Residence
St Dominic, Clinton – Pastor
Holy Family Grand Blanc – Parochial Vicar
St Joseph, Ypsilanti – Pastor
St Peter, Blissfield - Parochial Administrator

* Lesniak, Marian John
Ordained – 1950
Senior Priest status - 10/3/02
Died - 10/9/2011

Assignments

All Saints, Flint – Parochial Vicar
St Stanislaus Kostka, Jackson - Parochial Vicar
St Joseph the Worker, Jackson – Pastor

* Martin, John Edward 
Ordained – 1918
Senior Priest status - 6/15/66 
Died - 11/9/68

Assignments

St Vincent, Detroit – Parochial Vicar
Sacred Heart, Yale, MI – Pastor
St Philip, Battle Creek – Parochial Vicar
St Mary, Morrice – Pastor
St Isidore, Laingsburg – Pastor

* Slowey, John Donald 
Ordained – 1940
1/13/83: Died

Assignments

Holy Maternity, Dowagiac – Parochial Vicar
St Michael, Flint
Percy Jones Army Hospital, Battle Creek – Chaplain
St Charles, Coldwater – Parochial Vicar
St Louis University – student
Catholic University – student
St Casimir, Lansing – Parochial Vicar
St Vincent Home for Children – Director
St Mary, Niles – Pastor

* Tomaszewski, Chester Vincent
Ordained – 1959
Sick Leave - 1/15/87
Died - 10/21/87

Assignments

Holy Redeemer, Flint (Burton) – Parochial Vicar
St Joseph, Watervliet – Parochial Vicar
St Mary, Paw Paw – Parochial Vicar
St John the Evangelist, Davison – Parochial Vicar
Our Lady of Fatima, Michigan Center – Parochial Vicar
St Mary, Bronson - Parochial Vicar
St Ann, Cassopolis – Pastor
St Stanislaus, Detroit – Parochial Vicar
St Paul, Owosso – Parochial Vicar
St Stanislaus, Bay City – Parochial Vicar
SS Charles & Helena, Clio – Parochial Vicar
St Anthony of Padua, Hillsdale – Parochial Vicar
St Dominic, Clinton – Pastor
St Joseph, Ypsilanti – Pastor

* Wahowiak, Francis

Ordained – 1946
Died – January 30, 1978

Assignments

St. Albertus, Detroit – Parochial Vicar
Assumption, Detroit - Parochial Vicar
Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, Wyandotte - Parochial Vicar
St. Joseph Retreat, Dearborn
Ascension, Warren
St. John, Dearborn - Parochial Vicar
St. Mark, Warren - Parochial Vicar
St. Mary’s, Chelsea – Pastor
St. Mary’s Charlotte - Pastor

Wyszynski, Darius
Ordained for Assumption BVM Franciscan Province, Wisconsin – 1958
Incardinated to Diocese of Lansing - 1970
Senior Priest Status - 11/5/07
Died - 2/17/2013

Assignments

St Stanislaus, Wyandotte – Parochial Vicar
St Mary, Green Bay, Wisconsin – Parochial Vicar
Immaculate Conception, Three Rivers – Parochial Vicar
St John the Evangelist, Jackson – Parochial Vicar
St Philip, Battle Creek – Parochial Vicar
St Michael, Flint – Parochial Vicar
St Leo, Flint – Parochial Vicar
St Joseph, Ypsilanti – Pastor
St Stanislaus Kostka, Jackson – Pastor

III. Extern clergy – clergy of other dioceses – that had a credible allegation of sexual abuse of a minor during their time in the Diocese of Lansing:

Patrick Egan
Ordained for Archdiocese of Westminster – 1966
Dates present in Diocese – 1982-2023
Died – 8/26/2023
 
Extern Priest
 
Word of God Community
Ave Maria Foundation
Catholic Men’s Movement

* Jason Sigler 
Ordained for Archdiocese of Winnipeg – 1966
Dates present in Diocese – 1968-1970; 1974
Laicized – 2/23/99

Assignments

St. John the Evangelist, Jackson
St. Robert, Flushing

IV. Religious Order clergy with a credible allegation of sexual abuse of a minor during their time in the Diocese of Lansing: 

Barkenquest, Lehr, OSFS Toledo-Detroit Province

Ordained – 1964
Dates present in Diocese – 1991-2013
Died – 2019
 
Assignments
 
St. Rita, Clarklake, - Pastor

Boardway, Alphonse O.F.M. Conv, Our Lady of Consolation Province 
Ordination - 1967
Died - 1997

Assignments

Holy Cross, Lansing

* McHugh, Joseph, CSSp, Irish Province
Ordination - 1958
Dates present in Diocese – 1974-1976
Died – 9/25/07

Assignments

St Gerard, Lansing – In-Residence

* Rapp, James, OSFS Toledo-Detroit Province
Ordination
Dates present in Diocese - 1981 – 1986
Laicization – 9/21/09

Assignments

Lumen Christi High School, Jackson

V. Clergy from another diocese, who have been adjudged by that diocese to have a credible allegation of sexual abuse of a minor against them, and are known to be residing in the Diocese of Lansing.

Fish, Eugene, Diocese of Fargo, North Dakota.
See here for Diocese of Fargo's list of credibly accused clerics. 

VI. Deceased Bishops with a credible allegation of sexual abuse of a minor

* Bishop James Stephen Sullivan

Ordained – 1955
Ordained bishop – 1972
Bishop of Fargo – 1985 - 2002
Died – 6/12/06

Assignments

Saint Luke, Flint
Saint Mary Cathedral, Lansing
Secretary to the Bishop
St. Joseph, St Joseph
Resurrection, Lansing
Vice Chancellor
Auxiliary Bishop of Lansing
Temporary Administrator of Diocese of Lansing
Pastor, Saint Thomas Aquinas, East Lansing
Bishop of Fargo

Note – The credible allegations against Bishop Sullivan and Fr. Wahowiak were received posthumously.

List last updated March 15, 2024