Archdiocese releases list of accused priests

Indianapolis, In. — The Archdiocese of Indianapolis is committed to protecting children and ensuring that the tragedy of sexual abuse never happens again in the Archdiocese. In the spirit of further accountability and transparency, the Archdiocese is providing this list of clergy who have been credibly accused of sexual abuse of a minor or young person.

“I pray the release of this list of credibly accused clergy will help all survivors of sexual abuse find the strength to come forward and will set them on the path to healing,” said the Most Reverend Charles C. Thompson, Archbishop of Indianapolis. “I apologize to all victims for the abuse that was done to them and for the failure of the Church to keep them from harm. I pledge to do everything within my power to protect our youth.”

The Archdiocese of Indianapolis reports all abuse allegations it receives to Indiana’s Child Protective Services and criminal investigators, as required by law, and encourages all victims to contact civil authorities.

The list of clergy deemed to have at least one credible claim of abuse involving a child or adolescent includes 19 priests for the Archdiocese of Indianapolis and 4 priests who were members of religious orders who served in the Archdiocese dating back to the 1940s. Since 1940, at least 940 priests and 68 deacons have served in the Archdiocese of Indianapolis.

The list of credibly accused clergy is based on the recommendation of the Archdiocesan Review Board, which is composed of five lay persons and one clergy member. The current and past members of the Archdiocesan Review Board hold or have held positions in law enforcement, the prosecutor’s office, child protective services, primary education, childhood development, social work, practice of law, and psychology, including neuropsychology.

An allegation of sex abuse of a child or young person was deemed credible if, after a thorough investigation and review of available information, the accusation was determined to be more likely to be true than not in the judgment of the Archdiocesan Review Board.

The following priests of the Archdiocese of Indianapolis have claims deemed to be credible of at least one act of sexual abuse of a child or adolescent: William Leroy Blackwell, Edward Theodore Bockhold, Conrad Louis Cambron, Jeffrey James Charlton, Samuel Thomas Curry, Albert Vincent Deery, Jack F. Emrich, Donald J. Evrard, Micheal Howard Kelley, Joseph Stanley Kos, Laurence Michael Lynch, John S. Maung, Harold E. Monroe, Eugene Jack Okon, Roger Gerard Rudolf, Frederick Adam Schmitt, John Bernard Schoettelkotte, Myles Hale Patrick Smith and Jonathan Lovill Stewart.

The following religious order priests who have served in the Archdiocese of Indianapolis have claims deemed credible of at least one act of sexual abuse of a child or adolescent: Brennan Harris, OFM Conv.; Bernard Knoth, SJ; Donald O’Shaughnessy, SJ; and Roman Pfalzer, OFM.

A more detailed list can be found below: