LANSING (MI)
New York Post [New York, NY]
December 17, 2024
By Caitlin McCormack
[See also the Michigan AG’s Lansing report.]
More than 50 clergy — including 48 priests — in a Michigan diocese have been accused of sexual abuse dating back to the 1950s, according to a disturbing report by the state’s top prosecutor.
State Attorney General Dana Nessel’s office issued the report as part of a five-year investigation into clergy sexual abuse within the Great Lakes State’s Catholic dioceses.
In total, the investigation found that 48 priests, three religious brothers, one former religious brother and four deacons allegedly engaged in sexual misconduct in the Diocese of Lansing over the past seven decades.
Of these, 11 Catholic clergy abuse cases had charges filed and nine have resulted in convictions as a result of its statewide probe. Two cases involved priests and one religious brother from the Lansing diocese, according to the Detroit News.
Vincent DeLorenzo, a former priest, was sentenced to one year in jail and five years of probation in June 2023 for attempted first-degree criminal sexual assault of a 5-year-old boy, who he allegedly molested after a family funeral. He died in prison in January, according to the documents.
Timothy Crowley, another priest who served with DeLorenzo, received a one-year jail sentence and five years of probation in November 2023 for second-degree criminal sexual conduct. He previously pleaded guilty to sexually abusing a minor following his first allegation in 1993, the Detriot News reported.
Joseph Comperchio, a Catholic schoolteacher and church musician who presented himself as a religious brother, was sentenced in August 2021 to up to 30 years behind bars for sexually abusing four children. He died in prison in 2022.
The report is just one of seven Nessel has promised to release for each Catholic diocese in Michigan. Reports for the diocese of Marquette, Gaylord and Kalamazoo have already been made public.
“These reports are important, not just because we made a promise to the survivors years ago, but because victims, especially in cases like these where the assaults were perpetrated by entrusted members of a community, are often silenced — in some cases for decades or a lifetime,” Nessel said in a statement.
“By publishing these reports, we are sharing their stories and validating their experiences. We hope this report provides a voice to those who have suffered in silence for so long.”
Diocese of Lansing Bishop Earl Boyea, who has led the Diocese of Lansing since 2008, apologized and condemned the actions of the sick priests.