Diocese of Lincoln priests against whom substantiated allegations of childhood sexual abuse have been reported
The Diocese of Lincoln developed this list with the assistance of Bishop Conley’s Task Force on Child Sexual Abuse, which reviewed the diocese’s records related to allegations of sexual misconduct. The Task Force specifically recommended that the diocese publish the names of any diocesan clergy with substantiated allegations.
A “substantiated allegation” is an allegation that, after review of available information, appeared more likely true than not in the judgment of the independent Task Force.
There are no time limitations on this list and it will be treated by the diocese as a living document that will be updated and supplemented from time to time. The information available to the Task Force and the diocese with respect to historic allegations of abuse is largely limited to what exists in the diocesan records. However, if the diocese receives new allegations or new information about existing allegations, it will revisit adding names to this list. The diocese continues to cooperate with the Attorney General’s statewide investigation of clergy sexual abuse and, if that investigation yields more allegations or information about existing allegations, the diocese will add names to the list if warranted.
As part of that cooperation, and where possible, the diocese has also requested that the Attorney General’s office provide the diocese with any new information or allegations it learns about. In those cases where no criminal charges are filed due to the high burden of proof in a criminal case or the expiration of the statute of limitations, the diocese can still act. That additional information will be considered by the diocese in determining whether publication of an additional name on this list is appropriate.
This list of priests with substantiated allegations is broken into two categories: deceased diocesan priests with substantiated allegations of abuse of minors and priests with substantiated allegations of abuse who are still living or their status is unknown.
Last updated October 8, 2021
A.) Deceased priests against whom substantiated allegations of childhood sexual abuse have been reported.
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John Copenhaver
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Ordination Date: 1988
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Assignments:
St. John (Lincoln); Pius X High School (Lincoln); St. Michael (Fairbury); St. Mary (Alexandria); Sacred Heart (Shelby); Aquinas High School (David City); Saint Joseph (Superior); Sacred Heart (Nelson); St. Wenceslaus (Wahoo); St. Cecilia (Hastings); St. Patrick (McCook), Sacred Heart (McCook); St. Ann (Hayes Center); St. Catherine (Indianola); Nursing Homes & Prison Ministry (Lincoln)
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Conduct: Sexual abuse of minor(s)
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Status: Retired in 2012; faculties revoked and public ministry restricted as of 2012; died in 2021
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Clarence Crowley
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Ordination Date: 1937
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Assignments:
St. Joseph (Beatrice); St. Cecilia (Hastings); Sacred Heart (Hebron); Holy Family (Lincoln); Cathedral of the Risen Christ (Lincoln); St. Michael (Cheney)
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Conduct: Sexual abuse of minor(s)
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Status: Died in 1986
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Paul Margand
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Ordination Date: 1985
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Assignments:
St. Teresa (Lincoln); Pius X High School (Lincoln); Holy Spirit (Plattsmouth)
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Conduct: Sexual abuse of minor(s)
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Status: Removed from public ministry and criminally charged in 1987; laicized in 2004; died in 2022
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Jerome Murray
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Ordination Date: 1949
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Assignments:
St. Joseph (Beatrice); St. Elizabeth’s Hospital; St. Michael (Fairbury); St. Joseph (Paul);Veterans Hospital; Pius X High School (Lincoln); St. Mary (Davey); St. John (Cambridge); St. Joseph (York); St. Joseph (Paul); St. Clara (Peru); St. Bernard (Julian); Lourdes High School (Nebraska City); St. Patrick (Imperial); St. John (Wauneta); St. James (Curtis); St. Joseph (Farnam)
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Conduct: Sexual abuse of minor(s)
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Status: Retired in 1999; faculties revoked and public ministry restricted in 2002-2005; died in 2016
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Aloysius Piorkowski (not incardinated in Lincoln)
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Ordination Date: 1935
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Assignments:
St. Mary (Gdynia, Poland); Military Batory Vessel of the Gdynia - America Lines; Hospital (Park Ridge, Illinois); St. Pancratius (Chicago, Illinois); St. Wenceslaus (Wilber); St. James (Cortland); Lincoln Air Force Base; Boys Town (Omaha); Diocese of Rockford
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Conduct: Sexual abuse of minor(s)
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Status: Left the Diocese of Lincoln in 1959; died in 1978
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Robert Smith
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Ordination Date: 1956
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Assignments:
St. Mary Cathedral (Lincoln); St. Wenceslaus (Wahoo); St. Joseph (Alma); Sacred Heart (Bloomington); St. Mary (Naponee)
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Conduct: Sexual abuse of minor(s)
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Status: Retired in 1995; died in 1999
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B.) Living priests (or status unknown) against whom substantiated allegations of childhood sexual abuse have been reported.
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James Benton
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Ordination Date: 1973
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Assignments:
Sacred Heart (Lincoln); St. Michael (Hastings); St. Mary (Dawson); St. Ann (Shubert); Sacred Heart High School (Falls City); St. Joseph (Paul); St. Clara (Peru); Lourdes High School (Nebraska City); Diocesan Director of Scouting; Immaculate Conception (Rulo); St. Mary (Arago); Sacred Heart High School (Falls City); Sts. Peter and Paul Elementary School (Falls City); Diocesan Mission (Barquisimeto, Venezuela); St. Vincent de Paul (Seward); St. Gregory the Great Seminary (Seward); St. John the Apostle (Lincoln); Our Lady of Good Counsel Retreat House; St. Mary (Wallace); Resurrection (Elsie); St. Joseph (Harvard); St. John the Baptist (Minden); Holy Family (Heartwell)
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Conduct: Sexual abuse of minor(s)
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Status: Placed on leave and subsequently retired in 2017; faculties revoked and public ministry restricted as of 2018
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Richard Deonise
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Ordination Date: 1983
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Assignments:
St. Wenceslaus (Wahoo); Blessed Sacrament (Lincoln); St. Patrick (Lincoln); Pius X High School (Lincoln); St. Michael (Hastings); St. Joseph (Benkelman); St. Joseph (Stratton); St. John (Prague); Saints Cyril & Methodius (Plasi); Neumann High School (Wahoo); St. Wenceslaus (Wilber); St. Joseph (Tobias)
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Conduct: Sexual abuse of minor(s)
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Status: Excommunicated in 1994
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Robert Hrdlicka
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Ordination Date: 1977
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Assignments:
Cathedral of the Risen Christ (Lincoln), St. Mary (David City); St. Anthony (Steinauer); Sacred Heart (Burchard); St. Andrew’s School (Tecumseh); Chaplain in the U.S. Navy
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Conduct: Sexual abuse of minor(s)
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Status: Removed from public ministry and criminally charged in 1993; laicized in 2005; current status unknown
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Alfred Pettinger
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Ordination Date: 1985
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Assignments:
Mother of Sorrows (Grant); Cathedral of the Risen Christ (Lincoln); Pius X High School (Lincoln); Holy Spirit (Plattsmouth); St. Joseph (Lincoln); St. Cecilia (Hastings); St. Joseph (Alma); Sacred Heart (Bloomington); St. Mary (Naponee)
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Conduct: Sexual abuse of minor(s)
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Status: Faculties revoked and public ministry restricted since 1995
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Sean Redmond
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Ordination Date: 1990
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Assignments:
St. Mary (Lincoln); Pius X High School (Lincoln); Cathedral of the Risen Christ (Lincoln); St. Wenceslaus (Wahoo); Bishop Neumann High School (Wahoo); St. Joseph (Nebraska City, Paul); St. Bernard (Julian); Lourdes Catholic Schools (Nebraska City); St. Joseph (Benkelman); St. Joseph (Stratton)
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Conduct: Sexual abuse of minor(s)
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Status: Removed from public ministry in 2009; laicized in 2010; current status unknown
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Definitions
Laicized: This means to be permanently removed from the clerical state by the authority of the Holy See. A priest can voluntarily petition for laicization or a bishop can petition to the Holy See against the will of the priest. A laicized priest does not retain any affiliation with the diocese.
Faculties revoked and public ministry restricted: A diocesan priest is typically granted many faculties, including administration of the Eucharist and Penance. While not removed from the clerical state - which can only be done with authority from the Holy See - the bishop may revoke a priests's faculties and preclude him from engaging in any ministry to the public. A priest who has had his faculties revoked and public ministry restricted may only celebrate Mass in private.
Excommunicated: Is a formal act of censure under Canon law that a bishop may impose for grave delicts. Excommunication forbids a person from celebrating the sacraments (or from receiving the sacraments), and from exercising any ministry whatsoever. With respect to a priest, it formally suspends his right to serve as a pastor.
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