Catholic Pastoral Center
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Office of Communications - (507) 233-5332; cclancy@dnu.org
Jeff Anderson & Associates and the Diocese of New Ulm Jointly Disclose Names of Priests Accused of Abuse
None of the men whose names are disclosed remain in ministry; disclosure is important part of child protection and safety
NEW ULM, MN (March 29, 2016) – Today, the law firm of Jeff Anderson & Associates and the Diocese of New Ulm
jointly disclosed the names of 16 men who they have mutually identified as being credibly accused of sexual abuse of a
minor while they were assigned as priests.
The disclosure of names is the result of discussions and sharing of information between the Diocese of New Ulm and Jeff
Anderson & Associates that began several months ago. It is recognized that the disclosure of names is an important part
of the healing process for many victims and survivors of abuse.
The names of the credibly accused men are listed below. Their assignment histories and additional information are posted
on the websites of Jeff Anderson & Associates (www.andersonadvocates.com) and the Diocese of New Ulm
(www.dnu.org). Of these 16 men, 13 are deceased and all but one has previously been named in media reports.
Four of the 16 men, J. Vincent Fitzgerald, Joseph (Louis) Heitzer, Rudolph Henrich and Harry Majerus, do not have
credible accusations against them stemming from incidents reported to have occurred in the Diocese of New Ulm.
However, the four men have been credibly accused of abuse in other dioceses and all four men worked at some point in
what is now the Diocese of New Ulm.
“It is important that we recognize the credible accusations made against these men and acknowledge the terrible harm
done by abuse in Church ministry,” said Bishop John LeVoir of the Diocese of New Ulm. “On behalf of the Church, I
apologize for the grave offenses committed against the vulnerable by those who were ordained to serve our communities.
We are grateful to the survivors who have come forward already and encourage those who have not yet come forward to
do so.”
“The Diocese of New Ulm is demonstrating a willingness to be transparent about clergy who have abused children,” said
Jeff Anderson. “This agreement to release information is an important step in transparency and child protection and
safety. We will continue to work together to put this commitment into action, and we encourage other possible survivors
to step forward.”
Anyone who has suffered sexual abuse by a priest or another person in Church ministry is encouraged to immediately
report such misconduct to local law enforcement.
This disclosure information will also be published in the April edition of the diocesan newspaper, The Prairie Catholic.
The Diocese of New Ulm and Jeff Anderson & Associates will continue to work closely together to promote healing for
victims and survivors.
Names of those credibly accused:
Cletus Altermatt
Dennis Becker
Gordon Buckley
Robert Clark
J. Vincent Fitzgerald
John Gleason

Joseph (Louis) Heitzer
Rudolph Henrich
Harry Majerus
Francis Markey
William Marks
John Murphy

David Roney
Douglas Schleisman
Michael Skoblik
Charles Stark

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