Lawsuit Filed against Priest Working in Elk River School

By Jennie Lissarrague
KAAL
October 13, 2015

http://www.kaaltv.com/article/stories/S3933930.shtml?cat=10151

A new lawsuit is being filed against a St. Cloud priest accused of sexual abuse.

Lawyer Jeff Anderson says the lawsuit names the Diocese of St. Cloud, Father Antonia Marfori and Cathedral High School as defendants.

The lawsuit is being filed on behalf of a victim who claims he was sexually abused by Marfori when he was 15 years old. He says Marfori was his religion teacher at Cathedral High School in St. Cloud at the time of the abuse.

"He suffered in silence for years, unable to share the secret," Anderson said.

At the time of the lawsuit, Marfori worked as a sacramental minister at St. Andrew’s Parish in Elk River. After learning about the allegation, the Diocese of St. Cloud said that Marfori’s priestly faculties have been removed while the investigation is underway, meaning he can’t function or present himself as a priest.

Marfori has also been removed from a parish house owned by St. Andrew Parish and will live at a home owned by the Diocese of St. Cloud.

The diocese says there have been no reports of sexual misconduct before this complaint and that the allegation has been reported to both law enforcement and the Diocesan Review Board.

Marfori was ordained in 1978 at St. Mary’s Cathedral in St. Cloud.

In addition to announcing the lawsuit, Anderson is also calling on the Diocese of St. Cloud to release all of the files of clerics who have been credibly accused of sexual abuse. To date, the diocese has publicly named 33 clerics, Anderson said.

Anderson hinted that another lawsuit against the diocese and Marfori is possible. He said another person came forward with a similar story from the 1970s.

"If we know of two kids, how many more are there?" Anderson asked. "This lawsuit is designed not only to expose this offender and protect other kids, but this lawsuit is designed to put pressure on the diocese and the bishop to come clean."

The lawsuit is filed under the Minnesota Child Victims Act, which gives child sexual abuse victims until May 25, 2016, to file civil lawsuits.