MINNESOTA
Star Tribune
Article by: JEAN HOPFENSPERGER , Star Tribune Updated: March 13, 2015
The diocese has yet to release the identities of all 12 priest sex offenders it has identified.
The Diocese of New Ulm has quietly released the names of four priests accused of child sex abuse, marking its first public disclosure of any such names.
It remains the only Minnesota diocese that has not made public its full list of priest sex abusers. A list was compiled a decade ago, when now-Archbishop John Nienstedt oversaw the New Ulm diocese as bishop.
Parishioners received notices in their church bulletins about the priests: Dennis Becker, David Roney, John Murphy and Michael Skoblik.
Becker was a new face; he had not been previously identified by alleged victims of abuse. The other three had. All are deceased except Becker, who served from 1964 until 2000, when he retired from active ministry, the diocese reported.
The priests served at more than 20 churches in cities including Willmar, Redwood Falls and Montevideo. The four priests are named in 12 pending lawsuits against the diocese, said a diocese news release. The abuses occurred “decades ago,” it said.
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