Dana Nessel, Michigan Attorney General, released another entry in a series of reports detailing a years-long investigation into abuse in the Michigan Catholic community. The investigation into the Diocese of Lansing, which started in 2018 detailed a stunning culture of abuse. According to the report, since 1950, 48 priests, three religious brothers, one apparent former religious brother, and four deacons may have engaged in sexual misconduct. Of the 56 men, 42 were ordained by the Diocese of Lansing.
Nessel released a public statement in which she said, “By publishing these reports, we are sharing their stories and validating their experiences. We hope this report provides a voice to those who have suffered in silence for so long.” Criminal charges were brought in 11 cases, and nine convictions have been recorded. Two of the cases were directly related to the Diocese of Lansing.
Diocese of Lansing Bishop Earl Boyea expressed his deep dismay with the situation “Having read this long and detailed report, my heart breaks for all those who have suffered due to the evil of clerical sexual abuse which is a great betrayal of Jesus Christ, His Holy Church, the priesthood, and, most gravely, those victims — and their families — who were harmed physically, emotionally, but above all spiritually when they were so young,” he said in a statement.
He went on to explain To all those injured by such criminal and immoral actions I say clearly and without hesitation: these terrible things should never have happened to you.” The AG described the complicated prosecution “Criminal prosecutions are just one accountability metric,” Nessel said. “Ensuring each victim is heard, regardless of how long ago the sexual abuse and misconduct may have been, is important in acknowledging their pain and fostering a culture that prioritizes these victims over their silence.”
Vincent DeLorenzo, a priest at Holy Redeemer Church in Burton, was sentenced to one year in jail for one count of the attempted first-degree criminal sexual conduct of a 5-year-old boy. The disgraced priest died in January while in prison. Joseph Comperchio, a church organist and Catholic school drama and music teacher at St. John Catholic School in Jackson, was sentenced to 10 to 30 years in prison for sexually assaulting four children. Comperchio died in 2022 while serving his sentence.
During the investigation, 161 tips were sent into the tipline 44 of those tips were connected to the Diocese of Lansing. The vast majority were related to assaults on children, but several priests are alleged to have assaulted adults. 5 priests are under investigation for crimes against adults, while the rest victimized minors. The peak period of abuse was the 1970s to 1980s with the majority occurring before 2002.
This investigation was organized to see if criminal charges could be filed against clergy members who engaged in sexual misconduct or sexual abuse. Authorities were also interested in how the church was reporting the sexual abuse of minors. In many cases, statutes of limitations prevented prosecution. Likewise in many cases the priests or victims were dead.
7 of the priests and deacons are dead. Deacon James Corder, is the only one in active ministry with the Diocese of Lansing. The Michigan Attorney General says he has not yet been charged. Three more are retired but do not have active assignments. They also have no restrictions placed on their ministry. According to Assistant Attorney General Danielle Hagaman-Clarkt, there are still open investigations. This report is not a conviction and many of the allegations have not been investigated.