Dioceses of New Ulm, Duluth Ordered to Turn Over Documents

By Jennie Olson
KAAL
January 28, 2015

http://www.kaaltv.com/article/stories/S3690284.shtml?cat=10151

The Diocese of New Ulm, the Diocese of Duluth, and the Oblates of Mary Immaculate were ordered to produce all records regarding reported sexual abuse committed by any priest before 1978.

It’s the first time the documents will be turned over. A Ramsey County judge made the ruling as part of a lawsuit filed by “Doe 30,” who claimed to be sexually abused by the Rev. J. Vincent Fitzgerald, an Oblate priest.  

The victim says he met Fitzgerald at St. Thomas More Church in the Diocese of New Ulm. The victim says Fitzgerald brought him to St. Catherine’s Church in the Diocese of Duluth and molested him.

Lawyer Jeff Anderson says the documents will offer “a clearer picture of the defendants’ practices regarding abusive priests.”

The judge ordered the dioceses to produce the documents by Feb. 17, and ordered the Oblates to produce the documents by March 27.