List of clergy
credibly accused
of sexual abuse
of minor or young
person is released
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 comprised of five lay persons and one clergy member. The current and past members of the Archdiocesan Review Board currently 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 judgement 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, David Joseph Marcotte, Harold E. Monroe, Eugene Jack Okon, Roger Gerard Rudolf, Frederick Adam Schmitt, John Bernard Schoettelkotte, Myles Hale Patrick Smith, Jonathan Lovill Stewart, George Peter Ziemer.
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: Michael E. Dorrler, SJ; Brennan Harris, OFM Conv.; Werner Holzer, OFM; Bernard Knoth, SJ; Donald O’Shaughnessy, SJ; Roman Pfalzer, OFM; Thomas Aquinas Schaefers, OSB; Charles E. Sullivan, SJ.
A more detailed list can be found below:
Archdiocesan Priests
Name of Priest |
Number of Victims |
Date of Ordination |
Reported Time Period of Abuse |
Action Taken |
William Leroy Blackwell |
8 |
5/3/1957 |
1958, 1964-1968 |
Priest deceased (2/2/1990) before abuse reported. |
Edward Theodore Bockhold |
2 |
5/20/1920 |
1949, 1961 |
Priest deceased (3/12/1972) before abuse reported. |
Conrad Louis Cambron |
2 |
5/22/1976 |
1978, 1980 |
Resigned from the priesthood (1985). |
Jeffrey James Charlton |
3 |
5/2/1983 |
1982, 1984, 1986-1987 |
Resigned from the priesthood (1995); dispensed from the clerical state on 11/17/2014. |
Samuel Thomas Curry |
7 |
6/6/1970 |
1970s |
Priest deceased (2/7/1991) before abuse reported. |
Albert Vincent Deery |
23 |
5/17/1921 |
Late 1950s thru early 1970s |
Priest deceased (8/25/1972) before abuse reported. |
Jack F. Emrich |
1 |
1/17/1998 |
Mid-1970s |
Removed from priestly ministry (2003); deceased (12/9/18). |
Donald J. Evrard |
5 |
5/3/1956 |
1977, 1985 |
Removed from priestly ministry (1998); deceased (12/27/2008). |
Micheal Howard Kelley |
2 |
6/1/1985 |
1990, 1992 |
Removed from priestly ministry (2003). |
Joseph Stanley Kos |
3 |
5/1/1966 |
Mid-1980s |
Priest deceased (8/9/2000). |
Laurence Michael Lynch |
1 |
5/3/1960 |
1972-1973 |
Resigned from priestly ministry (1979); deceased (7/17/2009). |
John S. Maung |
3 |
5/1/1963 |
1993-1997 |
Removed from priestly ministry (2018);
deceased (11/29/2022). |
David Joseph Marcotte |
1 |
4/25/1987 |
2016-2019 |
Removed from priestly ministry (2019). |
Harold E. Monroe |
16 |
6/8/1974 |
1976-1982 |
Removed from the priesthood (1984); dispensed from the clerical state on 4/8/2011. |
Eugene Jack Okon |
4 |
12/18/1970 |
1974 |
Resigned from priestly ministry (2003); deceased (11/29/2012). |
Roger Gerard Rudolf |
1 |
6/6/1992 |
1987-1988 |
Removed from priestly ministry (2002); dispensed from the clerical state on 5/11/2015. |
Frederick Adam Schmitt |
3 |
5/11/1959 |
1973-1974 |
Priest deceased (12/30/1988) before abuse reported. |
John Bernard Schoettelkotte |
5 |
5/3/1960 |
1964-1967 |
Removed from priestly ministry (2003). |
Myles Hale Patrick Smith |
3 |
7/25/1970 |
1976-1988 |
Removed from priestly ministry (2003); deceased (5/2/2012). |
Jonathan Lovill Stewart |
1 |
6/1/1991 |
1993 |
Removed from priestly ministry (2003). |
George Peter Ziemer |
2 |
6/10/1919 |
1955-1957 |
Priest deceased (4/26/1980) before abuse reported; Additional victim came forward in November 2018; recommended by the Archdiocesan Review Board as credible 11/13/18. |
Religious Order Priests with Credible Allegations of Child Abuse within the Archdiocese of Indianapolis
Name of Priest |
Number of Victims |
Date of Ordination |
Reported Time Period of Abuse |
Action Taken |
Michael E. Dorrler, SJ |
1 |
* |
1990-1993 |
Removed from priestly ministry by the USA Midwest Province; reported to the Archdiocese, November 2018. |
Brennan Harris, OFM Conv. |
1 |
1969 |
1971 |
Removed from priestly ministry by the Franciscan Province of Our Lady of Consolation; deceased (1985). |
Werner Holzer, OFM |
1 |
* |
1978-1979 |
Priest Deceased (1990) before abuse reported; Additional information was provided after publication of the list; recommended by the Archdiocesan Review Board as credible, 11/13/2018 |
Bernard Knoth, SJ |
1 |
1977 |
1987 |
Reported to USA Midwest Province of the Society of Jesus; dispensed from the clerical state. |
Donald O’Shaughnessy, SJ |
2 |
1955 |
1965 |
Removed from priestly ministry by the USA Midwest Province of the Society of Jesus; deceased (7/8/2013). |
Roman Pfalzer, OFM |
2 |
1947 |
1953-1954 |
Removed from priestly ministry by the Franciscan Province of St. John the Baptist; deceased (12/26/2011). |
Thomas Aquinas Schaefers, OSB |
1 |
* |
Early 1940’s |
Priest Deceased (5/22/1942) before reported to the Diocese of Evansville in 2010; reported to the Archdiocese, November 2018. |
Charles E. Sullivan, SJ |
1 |
* |
1958-1959 |
Deceased 9/13/1996; Reported to the Archdiocese, December 2018. |
*Ordination dates of religious order clergy are not always known by the Archdiocese because they are ordained elsewhere. Should you require further information concerning any clergy of a religious order, please contact the superior of the religious order.
The following priests of the Archdiocese of Indianapolis have a single claim deemed credible which involved a vulnerable adult, age 18, who was an adolescent when at least the emotional aspects of the relationship began. They are Patrick Andrew Doyle, Karl Joseph Miltz. A more detailed list is below:
Name of Priest |
Number of Victims |
Date of Ordination |
Reported Time Period of Abuse |
Action Taken |
Patrick Andrew Doyle |
1 |
6/7/1975 |
1987 |
Removed from priestly ministry
(2018). |
Karl Joseph Miltz |
1 |
5/24/1969 |
1974 |
Resigned from priestly ministry (1998); dispensed from the clerical state on 12/6/2005.
|
The following clergy have a single claim of abuse made against them reported to have occurred in the 1940’s and 1950’s and which was received by the Archdiocese of Indianapolis after the priests were deceased and unable to offer a defense of the accusation. No claims were made while they were alive. Although there was no way to substantiate the claims being made against the deceased clergy, the Archdiocesan Review Board recommended, out of an abundance of caution and transparency, to include their names on the list below: John Stanley Kramer, William Kreis, and James Joseph Shanahan.
Name of Priest |
Number of Victims |
Date of Ordination |
Reported Time Period of Abuse |
Action Taken |
John Stanley Kramer |
1 |
3/3/1944 |
1947-1952 |
Priest deceased (1/28/1986) before accusation reported. |
William Kreis |
1 |
5/28/1904 |
1944-1946 |
Priest deceased (3/10/1954) before accusation reported. |
James Joseph Shanahan |
1 |
5/27/1947 |
1958 |
Priest deceased (11/14/1992) before accusation reported. |
The above lists will be updated if new credible claims or evidence of sexual abuse of a minor are determined.
If you are a victim of sexual abuse or sexual harassment by a person ministering on behalf of the Church, or if you know of anyone who has been a victim of such misconduct, please contact civil authorities and the Archdiocesan Victim Assistance Coordinator at (317) 236-1548 or (800) 382-9836, ext. 1548. To make a report online, please visit www.archdioceseofindianapolis.ethicspoint.com.