September 18, 2018 // Bishop

Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend Publishes Names of Credibly Accused

FORT WAYNE — The Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend published on Tuesday, Sept, 18, the names of the priests and deacons who have been credibly accused of sexual abuse of a minor.

During a news conference on Aug. 17, in which he made the announcement to release the names, Bishop Kevin C. Rhoades stated the importance for victims to see the names of their abusers made public “for all to see. For everyone to know the pain caused by these priests.” Bishop Rhoades added, “It is my hope that by releasing these names, the innocent victims of these horrific and heartbreaking crimes can finally begin the process of healing.”

Bishop Rhoades reiterated the diocese’s commitment to protect children and young people, saying, “We must be vigilant in our efforts to protect our youth. With the Lord’s guidance and love, we will do so.”

The list of those credibly accused was developed with the assistance of the Diocesan Review Board, which was established to assist the bishop in complying with the requirements of The Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People and The Essential Norms. The Diocesan Review Board is comprised of mostly lay people, and its members assess all allegations of sexual abuse of minors by priests and deacons presented in this diocese. 

In the determination of credibility for the purpose of the list, Bishop Rhoades followed the recommendations of the Diocesan Review Board. Bishop Rhoades expressed gratitude for their expertise and counsel. A full list of Diocesan Review Board members and their biographies can be found on the diocesan website.

The list of the names of priests and deacons who have served in the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend and have been credibly accused of at least one act of sexual abuse of a minor consists of: James Blume; Michael Buescher; Brian Carsten; William Ehrman; William Gieranowski; John Gillig; Gabriel Hernandez; Edward Krason; Paul LeBrun, CSC; Thomas Lombardi; Robert Mahoney; Eldon Miller; Edward O. Paquette; Cornelius Ryan, CSC; James Seculoff; Richard Stieglitz; Richard Thompson; and James Trepanier, CSC.

For the purposes of this list, a “credible accusation” against a priest or deacon of the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend is an accusation that, after a thorough investigation and review of available information, appears more likely true than not in the judgement of the Diocesan Review Board, and is accepted as credible by the bishop. 

If the accused is or was a member of a religious congregation, the credibility of an accusation was determined by the accused priest’s religious congregation. The number of credible accusations received against each priest or deacon is noted. The ordination date for each priest and deacon named on the list is noted. Changes in the clerical status of each priest and deacon named, including dates of the changes, are noted. If the accused is deceased, his date of death is noted.

This list will be supplemented as appropriate based upon any future determinations of credible allegations.

The Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend stands firm in its commitment to investigate any allegation of sexual abuse by a member of the clergy and to listen to and support anyone who has been abused. Please contact Mary Glowaski, victim’s assistance coordinator, at [email protected] or 260-399-1458; or Father Mark Gurtner, JCL, vicar general, at 260-399-1422.


Detailed background of each credibly accused priest or deacon


James Blume

Date of Ordination:  June 14, 1980

Removed from Public Ministry:  April 1989

Dismissed from Clerical State:  June 23, 2007

Number of Credible Allegations:   5

Places Served: 

July 7, 1980 – St. Anthony de Padua Parish, South Bend, Indiana

July 7, 1982 – Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Fort Wayne, Indiana

September 8, 1987 – St. Andrew/St. Hyacinth Parishes, Fort Wayne, Indiana

Current Status:  Incarcerated


Michael Buescher

Date of Ordination:   June 16, 1979

Removed from Parish Ministry:  November 1989

Loss of Clerical State: May 14, 1991

Number of Credible Allegations:  6

Places Served: 

July 9, 1979 – St. Charles Borromeo Parish, Fort Wayne, Indiana

August 1, 1983 – Part-time membership on the faculty of Bishop Dwenger High School, Fort Wayne, Indiana; continuing at St. Charles Borromeo Parish, Fort Wayne, Indiana

July 9, 1984 – Chaplain, Marian High School, Mishawaka, Indiana, with residency in the Marian High School rectory

August 8, 1985 – Culver Military Academy, coordinator of priests who offer Mass and provide spiritual guidance

December 20, 1985 – St. Francis Xavier Parish, Pierceton, Indiana

June 24, 1986 – St. Patrick Parish, Ligonier, Indiana; Blessed Sacrament Parish, Albion, Indiana


Brian Carsten

Date of Ordination:   May 30, 1970

Terminated as Pastor and Resigned as a Member of the Roman Catholic Church:  May 9, 1987

Dismissed from the Clerical State: June 23, 2007

Number of Credible Allegations:   1

Deceased:   3/27/2009

Places Served: 

July 1, 1970 – St. Vincent de Paul Parish, Elkhart, Indiana

July 2, 1973 – St. Henry Parish, Fort Wayne, Indiana

July 1, 1974 – St. Patrick Parish, Fort Wayne, Indiana

July 1, 1975 – Chaplain, Allen County Police, Fort Wayne, Indiana, with residence at St. Andrew Parish, Fort Wayne, Indiana

July 5, 1977 – St. Hyacinth Parish, Fort Wayne, Indiana

July 9, 1979 – St. Andrew Parish, Fort Wayne, Indiana, while continuing as pastor of St. Hyacinth Parish, Fort Wayne, Indiana



William Ehrman

Date of Ordination:   June 10, 1922

Retired:   July 1, 1970

Number of Credible Allegations:   8   

Allegations received after the death of the priest.  

Deceased:   August 7, 1983

Places Served: 

June 1922 – St. Patrick Parish, Kokomo, Indiana

January 1926 – St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception Parish, Michigan City, Indiana; Chaplain at St. Anthony Hospital and Indiana State Prison

April 12, 1929 – Immaculate Conception Parish, Kendallville, Indiana; St. Patrick Mission Parish, Ligonier, Indiana

July 8, 1939 – St. John the Baptist Parish, New Haven, Indiana

September 1, 1964 – St. Paul Parish, Fort Wayne, Indiana


William Gieranowski

Date of Ordination: June 11, 1949

Retired: July 1, 1981

Number of Credible Allegations:  3

Allegations received after the death of the priest.

Deceased:  April 24, 2000

Places Served: 

July 7, 1949 – St. Stanislaus Parish, East Chicago, Indiana

April 20, 1951 – St. Adalbert Parish, South Bend, Indiana

July 3, 1951 – St. Thomas More Parish, Munster, Indiana

May 20, 1955 – St. Vincent de Paul Parish, Elkhart, Indiana

January 15, 1960 – St. Henry Parish, Fort Wayne, Indiana

June 15, 1960 – St. Jude Parish, South Bend, Indiana

September 1, 1964 – St. Hyacinth Parish, Fort Wayne, Indiana

July 1, 1970 – St. Monica Parish, Mishawaka, Indiana

July 6, 1978 – St. Stanislaus Kostka Parish, New Carlisle, Indiana


John Gillig

Date of Ordination:  May 25, 1957

Retired: April 26, 1988

Suspended from all Public Ministry:  March 25, 2002

Dismissed from Clerical State: February 8, 2008

Number of Credible Allegations:  9

Deceased:  July 27, 2011

Places Served:

June 7, 1957 – Our Lady of Hungary Parish, South Bend, Indiana

February 15, 1958 – St. Monica Parish, Mishawaka, Indiana

June 15, 1962 – St. Jude Parish, Fort Wayne, Indiana

August 30, 1963 – Teacher, Bishop Dwenger High School, Fort Wayne, Indiana

June 13, 1964 – Director of CYO and CYA, Fort Wayne Deanery

June 15, 1972 – Sacred Heart Parish, Fort Wayne, Indiana

April 18, 1974 – Chaplain, Allen County Jail, Fort Wayne, Indiana

July 5, 1977 – St. Mary of the Assumption Parish – Decatur, Indiana

September 17, 1985 – Holy Family Parish, South Bend, Indiana

November 15, 1986 – St. Peter Parish, Fort Wayne, Indiana


Gabriel Hernandez

Date of Diaconate Ordination:  April 27, 2008

Dismissed from Seminary:  April 22, 2009

Dismissed from the Clerical State:  February 25, 2010

Number of Credible Allegations:  1


Edward Krason

Date of Ordination:  February 3, 1958

Resigned as Pastor: July 8, 1998

Ordered to Cease All Ministry:  April 16, 1999

Retired: May 1, 1999

Removed Faculties to Perform Ministry and to Present Himself as a Priest:  March 21, 2003

Ordered to a Life of Prayer and Penance:  November 8, 2005

Number of Credible Allegations:  2

Deceased:  March 25, 2013

Places Served: 

February 15, 1958 – St. Jude Parish, Fort Wayne, Indiana

September 2, 1960 – Teacher, Central Catholic High School, Fort Wayne, Indiana

August 14, 1961 – SS. Peter & Paul Parish, Huntington, Indiana; director of guidance, Huntington Catholic High School, Huntington, Indiana

June 1, 1963 – Principal, Bishop Dwenger High School, Fort Wayne, Indiana

July 9, 1979 – Continuing Education, University of Notre Dame

July 7, 1980 – Continuing Education of the clergy with residence at Queen of Angels Parish, Fort Wayne, Indiana

July 11, 1983 – St. Joseph Parish, Garrett, Indiana

July 22, 1986 – St. John the Baptist Parish, Fort Wayne, Indiana

August 1990 – St. John the Evangelist Parish, Goshen, Indiana


Paul LeBrun, CSC

Date of Ordination:  April 9, 1983

Faculties for Ministry Removed from Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend:  April 2000

Dismissed from Clerical State:  August 26, 2008

Number of Credible Allegations:  1 (from Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend)

Places Served:

St. Therese, Little Flower Parish, South Bend, Indiana

Blessed Sacrament Parish, Tolleson, Arizona                      

St. John Vianney Parish, Goodyear, Arizona

Current Status: Incarcerated


Thomas Lombardi

Date of Ordination:  May 31, 1975

Removed from Public Ministry During Investigation of Allegation: December 2, 2011

Removed from Public Ministry:  August 9, 2015

Number of Credible Allegations:  1

Deceased:  December 28, 2017

Places Served: 

July 1, 1975 – St. Mary Parish, Huntington, Indiana

September 1, 1977 – Faculty, Huntington Catholic High School, Huntington, Indiana; residency at St. Mary Parish, Huntington, Indiana, available for weekend duties.

September 12, 1977 – Chaplain, Huntington Catholic High School, Huntington, Indiana

August 1, 1983 – St. Mary Parish, Huntington, Indiana; principal, Huntington Catholic High School

July 9, 1984 – St. Joseph Parish, Mishawaka, Indiana

June 1985 – American College Louvain, Belgium

July 1, 1986 – St. Louis, Besancon Parish, New Haven, Indiana

July 28, 1997 – St. Joseph Parish, Garrett, Indiana

July 6, 2006 – St. Joseph – Hessen Cassel Parish, Fort Wayne, Indiana

November 11, 2009 – Chaplain, St. Vincent de Paul Society, Fort Wayne, Indiana


Robert Mahoney

Date of Ordination:  May 27, 1967

Resigned from Ministry as a Priest:  June 15, 1993

Dismissed from Clerical State:  July 25, 2006

Number of Credible Allegations:   4

Places Served: 

July 1, 1967 – St. John the Baptist Parish, Fort Wayne, Indiana

August 31, 1968 – St. Bavo Parish, Mishawaka, Indiana

July 7, 1980 – Our Lady of Hungary Parish, South Bend, Indiana

February 28, 1984 – St. Robert Bellarmine Parish, North Manchester, Indiana

August 1988 – Chaplain, Ancilla Domini Convent, Donaldson, Indiana


Eldon Miller

Date of Ordination: May 8, 1954

Retired: 7/15/2003

Removed from Public Ministry:  December 18, 2006

Number of Credible Allegations:  2

Deceased:  7/26/2008

Places Served: 

June 11, 1954 – St. Joseph Parish, Mishawaka, Indiana

July 1, 1971 – St. Joseph Parish, Roanoke, Indiana; St. Catherine of Alexandria Parish, Nix Settlement, Columbia City, Indiana

July 1, 1974 – St. Vincent de Paul Parish, Fort Wayne, Indiana

July 9, 1984 – Immaculate Conception Parish, Kendallville, Indiana

February 10, 1988 – Queen of Peace Parish, Mishawaka, Indiana


Edward O. Paquette

Date of Ordination:  February 2, 1957

Faculties for Ministry Removed from Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend:  July 14, 1978

Dismissed from Clerical State:  January 31, 2009

Number of Credible Allegations:  7

Places Served: 

April 15, 1964 – St. Anthony de Padua Parish, South Bend, Indiana

September 1, 1964 – St. Vincent de Paul Parish, Elkhart, Indiana

September 1, 1965 – St. Mary of the Assumption Parish, Decatur, Indiana

August 13, 1969 – Our Lady of Hungary Parish, South Bend, Indiana

June 5, 1971 – St. Anthony Hospital, Michigan City, Indiana

June 19, 1972 – Christ the King Parish, Rutland, Vermont


Cornelius Ryan, CSC

Date of Ordination:  June 9, 1966

Faculties for Ministry Removed from Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend: June 10, 2013

Number of Credible Allegations:  1

Allegation made outside the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend

Places Served: 

Uganda & Kenya until 2002

September 19, 2002 to July 1, 2007 – Associate pastor at St. Therese, Little Flower Parish, South Bend

July 1, 2007 – June 30, 2011 – Pastor at St. Therese, Little Flower Parish, South Bend

December 13, 2011 – June 10, 2013 – St. Joseph – Hessen Cassel Parish, Fort Wayne


James Seculoff

Date of Ordination:  May 26, 1962

Removed from Public Ministry During Investigation of Allegation:  January 8, 2014

Removal from Public Ministry:  October 13, 2015

Number of Credible Allegations:   5

Places Served: 

June 15, 1962 – St. Monica Parish, Mishawaka, Indiana

August 16, 1963 – St. Vincent de Paul Parish, Fort Wayne, Indiana; teacher, Bishop Dwenger High School, Fort Wayne, Indiana

September 1, 1964 – Teacher, Bishop Dwenger High School, Fort Wayne, Indiana

June 15, 1965 – SS. Peter & Paul Parish, Huntington, Indiana; principal, Huntington Catholic High School, Huntington, Indiana

July 1, 1970 – Superintendent of Catholic Schools; principal of Huntington Catholic School, Huntington Indiana; Chaplain for St. Vincent Villa, Fort Wayne, Indiana

July 1, 1974 – Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception Parish, Fort Wayne, Indiana

February 14, 1978 – St. John Bosco Parish, Churubusco, Indiana; Immaculate Conception Parish, Ege, Indiana;       continuing as superintendent of Catholic Schools

July 6, 1978 – St. Mary Parish, Huntington, Indiana

June 18, 1979 – SS. Peter & Paul Parish, Huntington, Indiana; continuing at St. Mary Parish, Huntington, Indiana

August 1, 1983 – St. Robert Bellarmine Parish, North Manchester, Indiana; director of Campus Ministry, Manchester College, North Manchester, Indiana

February 28, 1984 – Our Lady of Hungary Parish, South Bend, Indiana

May 21, 1987 – Sacred Heart Parish, Fort Wayne, Indiana

July 8, 1992 – St. Mary of the Assumption Parish, Avilla, Indiana

June 21, 1994 – St. Mary of the Annunciation Parish, Bristol, Indiana

August 3, 2004 – St. John the Baptist Parish, South Bend, Indiana

July 17, 2007 – St. John the Baptist Parish, New Haven, Indiana

June 5, 2013 – St. Patrick Parish, Walkerton, Indiana


Richard Stieglitz

Date of Ordination:  May 26, 1973

Decree of Suspension from all Acts of Ministry:  December 7, 1993

Dismissal from the Clerical State: July 7, 2007

Number of Credible Allegations:  5

Places Served: 

July 2, 1973 – Our Lady of Good Hope Parish, Fort Wayne, Indiana

July 11, 1973 – Chaplain, Anthony Wayne Council of Catholic Boy Scouts

February 4, 1974 – Chaplain, Fort Wayne Serra Club

July 1, 1976 – Holy Family Parish, South Bend, Indiana

February 19, 1977 – Holy Family Parish, South Bend, Indiana (weekends); Sacred Heart Parish, Fort Wayne, Indiana (weekdays)

September 1, 1977 – St. Jude Parish, Fort Wayne, Indiana

July 6, 1978 – Chaplain, Catholic Committee on Scouting, Fort Wayne area; continuing at St. Jude Parish, Fort Wayne, Indiana

July 9, 1979 – Faculty, Bishop Dwenger High School, Fort Wayne, Indiana

August 1, 1983 – Sacred Heart Parish, Warsaw, Indiana

August 1, 1988 – Queen of Angels, Fort Wayne, Indiana


Richard Thompson

Date of Ordination:  June 17, 1978

Resigned from Active Ministry as a Priest:  October 24, 1989

Loss of Clerical State:  July 25, 2006

Deceased:  2015

Number of Credible Allegations:  1

Places Served:

July 6, 1978 – St. John the Baptist Parish, New Haven, Indiana

February 15, 1982 – Covenant House, New York (Home for Runaway Children)

April 14, 1983 – St. Monica Parish, Mishawaka, Indiana

July 11, 1983 – St. Mary of the Presentation Parish, Geneva, Indiana


James Trepanier, CSC

Date of Ordination:  June 8, 1955

Faculties for Ministry Removed from Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend:  October 18, 2002

Number of Credible Allegations:  1 in Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend

Places Served: 

University of Portland, Portland, Oregon

Holy Cross Mission House (Fatima) 

July 1, 1981 – June 30, 1987 – Holy Cross Parish, South Bend, Indiana

July 1, 1987 – June 4, 1991 – St. Pius X Parish, Granger, Indiana

1994 – St. Mary’s Convent, Notre Dame, Indiana 

 

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