Ministerial Standards

We are accountable to victims/survivors, their families, Church employees and volunteers, clergy, our faith community and all those we serve for our efforts to protect children and vulnerable adults. Where we have failed to protect in the past, we own our mistakes, realize the pain caused and ask forgiveness.

We are taking steps continually to prevent abuse. If you have been abused, regardless of when it occurred, please contact law enforcement.

We are committed to cooperating with law enforcement and fully addressing any future allegations of abuse. We also pledge continued transparency of our actions and ongoing disclosures of substantiated claims of clergy sexual abuse.

We have disclosed the names of dozens of men who have substantiated claims against them for the sexual abuse of a minor while they were assigned in this archdiocese. A substantiated claim is one for which sufficient evidence exists to establish reasonable grounds to believe that the alleged abuse occurred. It is not a presumption of guilt. The names of an additional nine men who have substantiated claims against them for the sexual abuse of a minor outside of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis have been disclosed. All these men have been removed permanently from ministry in this archdiocese or are deceased. We have alerted the parish communities and organizations where these men were assigned.