Monk Repeatedly Accused of Sex Abuse Dies at Abbey

By David Unze
St. Cloud Times
May 28, 2015

http://www.sctimes.com/story/news/local/2015/05/28/monk-repeatedly-accused-sex-abuse-dies-abbey/28082411/

St. John's Abbey monk the Rev. Richard Eckroth, who was repeatedly accused of sexually abusing children, died Sunday at the abbey. He was 88.

Eckroth was named by St. John's Abbey and by the Diocese of St. Cloud on a list of clergy credibly accused of sexual abuse of minors. He was the target of at least four lawsuits alleging sexual abuse, although the abbey said he denied abusing children.

He sustained serious injuries in 2001, when a dead tree fell on him while he was cutting firewood, and the abbey said that he lived with progressing dementia for years after that. That made difficult it to determine Eckroth's side of the story when allegations of abuse surfaced.

Eckroth died in the abbey's retirement center. He graduated in 1944 from St. John's Preparatory School and entered the abbey in 1945.

He was ordained a priest in 1952 and taught undergraduate philosophy for almost 25 years. Eckroth's assignments included St. Augustine's Monastery in the Bahamas, St. Augustine's parish in St. Cloud and Seven Dolors Church in Albany.