Priests from 3 Area Parishes Named in Civil Suit

By Kevin Sweeney
The Journal
April 15, 2016

http://www.nujournal.com/page/content.detail/id/579890/Priests-from-3-area-parishes-named-in-civil-suit.html?nav=5009

Priests from three Brown County parishes in the New Ulm diocese have been named in civil complaints of clergy sexual abuse that were served on the diocese this month.

The complaints, prepared by the law firm of Jeff Anderson and Associates, accuse three priests of sexual abuse of minors: Fr. Richard Gross, while he served as associate pastor at the Church of St. Mary in New Ulm in 1965-66; Fr. Edward Ardolf, while he served as pastor of St. Raphael's in Springfield during 19979-80, and Fr. Bernard Steiner, while he served at St. Paul's in Comfrey during 1971 and '72.

The Diocese of New Ulm announced the new civil complaints in letters from Bishop John M. LeVoir to parishioner this week. The letters arrived in parishioners' mailboxes on Thursday.

The letters said Gross and Ardolf are retired from ministry.